The Bio North Texas Foundation (BioNTX) is about to gather some of the biggest leaders and brightest minds in biotech, pharma, healthcare, and academics at its eighth annual IC3 Life Science Summit, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at the Gaylord Texan Conference Center in Grapevine.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is booming with life science startups and companies relocating to the region. BioNTX’s reach extends beyond its 29 official North Texas counties into West and East Texas.

The IC3 Summit will serve as a forum for leaders to discuss strategic issues, exhibit North Texas life science research, products, and services, and nurture and support the industry through networking.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Reignite,” reflecting efforts to reboot a new normal as we continue to battle the pandemic. For BioNTX, that new normal is an expanding and emerging life sciences hub right here in North Texas.

Attendees at IC3 will range from startups to large multinationals in sectors including biotech, pharma, healthcare, academic research, innovators, and leaders. IC3 also expects to welcome business development executives, vendor partners, and investors.

Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D. [Photo: FDA.gov]

Former White House COVID “testing czar” to speak

Before we can truly get to a new normal, we’ll need to deal with the rapidly spreading impact of the Delta variant, which has resulted in renewed mask mandates and calls for wider COVID-19 immunization and testing. 

IC3 will feature a key summit speaker to address exactly that: Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., who served as the “testing czar” on the White House Coronavirus Task Force during the Trump administration. He also served as the U.S. representative on the World Health Organization’s executive board.

Dr. Giroir is a pediatrician and a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He remains a strong proponent of coronavirus testing.

Other featured IC3 speakers

Other featured IC3 Summit speakers will include Peter W. Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Marks’ team is responsible for assuring the safety and effectiveness of biological product  including vaccines, allergenic products, blood and blood products, and cellular, tissue, and gene therapies.

Thomas R. Kowalski, president and CEO of the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute in Austin, will also speak at the summit. Kowalski has worked to promote legislation in Austin and Washington D.C., to help the life science industry grow and thrive in North Texas. 

Call for nominees: Dennis K. Stone Award

BioNTX’s annual Dennis K. Stone Award will be presented Sept. 30 at the IC3 Summit. The award is named after the former leader of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Office for Technology Development. Dr. Stone launched the BioCenter at Southwestern Medical District, helping to spur biotech innovation and the growth of the North Texas life sciences industry.

BioNTX has announced a call for nominees for the award. It should be someone who’s been an active champion of the region as a place to build successful life science businesses—adding to that growth, contributing their time and money, or inspiring and mentoring others to make their own contributions. You can submit nominations here. 

BioNTX’s mission

BioNorthTexas was founded in 2014 to provide a forum for the North Texas biotech community to connect, collaborate, and share efforts in promoting local business and human resources.

The foundation has a mission of supporting the commercialization of scientific discovery in the region, specifically regarding human health, agriculture, and the environment.

BioNTX’s CEO is Kathleen Otto, a veteran of the life science and technology industry who previously served as the executive director of BioBAT, the New York City Science and Technology Center at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Before that, she was the VP of Business Development and Programs at Bio New Jersey.

Besides its annual IC3 Summit, BioNTX hosts and promotes events, webinars, and other ways that life sciences leaders can get together. The foundation shares newsletters, events, and a job board for members to exchange resources. 

Tickets to the IC3 Summit

Tickets to the IC3 Life Sciences Summit are $175 for BioNTX members with a $150 early-bird discount, or $275 for non-members. You can buy tickets and get more info are available here.

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