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UT System Texas FreshAIR conference to promote biotech entrepreneurship and public-private research partnerships

The University of Texas System will hold the second annual Texas FreshAIR conference Thursday and Friday (Oct. 23-24) in Houston as part of an ongoing effort to establish Texas as the “Third Coast” in the world of pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and development.

“Texas FreshAIR (Academia Industry Roundtable) was developed to create a vibrant biotechnology and venture ecosystem and to promote strong partnerships between industry, the UT System and other Texas university systems,” said UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.

About 350 industry experts, venture capitalists, researchers and executives from the country’s top pharmaceutical companies will attend the conference, which will be held at UT MD Anderson’s Mid Campus 1 building, 7007 Bertner Ave.

“Collaboration between academia and industry offers advantages to both entities,” said Patricia Hurn, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and innovation at the UT System. “Together, they can address the challenge of developing innovative drugs for the well-being of society.”

Beena Koshy, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for innovation and industry relations, said Texas FreshAIR recognizes and builds upon the UT System’s long-standing commitment to work with industry.

“We are taking a multi-institutional approach so that we can build larger cooperative research collaborations with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries that may otherwise be unobtainable for a single UT campus or Texas institution,” said Koshy, who is the lead organizer of the Texas FreshAIR conference.

The conference will feature:

  • A world-class scientific session on immuno-oncology with highly-respected scientists from Texas academic institutions and industry.
  • A venture forum dedicated to Texas entrepreneurs and innovators.
  • Seventy speakers and panelists from Texas academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies and national and local venture groups.
  • Presentations from Texas NewCos (start-up corporations).

Featured speakers will include:

  • Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., Venture Partner, Atlas Ventures
  • Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., president of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Nils Lonberg, Ph.D., senior vice president of immuno-oncology and biologics discovery at Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Bob Tepper, M.D., co-founder of Third Rock Ventures

For more information, visit the Texas FreshAIR website.

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and an enrollment of more than 213,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public universities in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $15.6 billion (FY 2015) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 90,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.