BioNTX, a leading nonprofit bioscience and healthcare innovation organization in North Texas, has appointed Jon Weidanz to its board of directors. Weidanz brings extensive experience as an immunology researcher, academic leader, biotech entrepreneur, and founder.
North Texas-based BioNTX champions the region’s bioscience community through networking, education, purchasing consortiums, and advocacy. The group recently hosted its 9th annual iC³ Life Science Summit at the Irving Convention Center, which doubled attendance year over year.
“I’m excited and honored to join BioNTX and contribute to its mission of advancing healthcare through cutting-edge biotechnology,” Weidanz said in a statement. The scientist looks forward to collaborating with the group to drive bioscience innovation in North Texas and beyond
A “prolific contributor”
Throughout his career, Weidanz has been a “prolific contributor” to the field of biotechnology, with more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and other published works. He also holds numerous patents, both awarded and pending, including several licensed to industry. During his tenure at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Weidanz was honored as a Distinguished Professor and received accolades for his teaching achievements.
Weidanz co-founded four startups focused on discovering disease targets and inventing novel antibody-based therapeutics for treating cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. His most recent startup exit was in September 2021. Abexxa Biologics, a pre-clinical stage immunotherapy company the scientist co-founded, was acquired by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.
Weidanz, who holds a PhD in molecular biology/immunology, continues to work in the industry, serving as a consultant for several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Currently, Weidanz is associate vice president for research at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), leading biotech initiatives. He is also a tenured professor at UTA’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation and College of Engineering. From 2018 to 2022, Weidanz served as the founding director of UTA’s North Texas Genome Center.
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