2024 AGENDA

We're looking forward to seeing you at the 13th Annual Texas Life Science Forum on Thursday, November 7, 2024. Check out the current schedule below, and check back soon for the updated agenda!

(Some of the below agenda recap the 2023 event preview for you to understand who our speakers are and what to expect!)

2024 AGENDA

  • Ann Tanabe, Chief Executive Officer, BioHouston 

    Brad Burke, Associate Vice President, Rice Innovation + Ion, Executive Director, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship

  • Marcus NelsonVice President, Strategy and New Ventures, Texas Medical Center

  • Introduction: R. Patrick Clayton, PhD, Vice President, Startup Banking, J.P. Morgan

    Moderator: Annie Kadota, Vice President, J.P. Morgan

    Barbara Alcaraz Silva, PhD, Executive Director, Startup Banking Life Sciences and Healthcare, J.P. Morgan

    Christopher Gartin, Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan

  • James Gallo, VP and Chief Development Officer

    Vineet Gupta, PhD, VP for Innovation, Technology Development and Transfer

    Sanja Sever, PhD, VP Drug Discovery, Director of the Sealy Institute of Drug Discovery

    Giulio Taglialatela, PhD, 
    Vice President, Brain Health; Director, The Moody Brain Health Institute

  • Omid Veiseh, PhD, Faculty Director, Rice Biotech Launch Pad; Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Rice University

  • Moderator: Zach Hightower, Director of Business Development, Portal Innovations

    Bhuvanesh Dave PhD, CEO and Co-Founder, Spanios

    Sarah Hein PhD, CEO and Co-Founder, March Biosciences

    Derrell Porter, MD, MBA, CEO, cTRL Therapeutics

    Meet the Founders: Portal Houston Now Open for Innovation will feature Zach Hightower, Director of Business Development, in conversation with three CEOs from Portal Innovations member companies. The panel will explore why these companies chose Portal, the unique value they’ve experienced, and the benefits such as investor support, access to cutting-edge lab space, and national network. Spotlighting Spanios, MarchBio, and CTRL Therapeutics, the discussion will highlight Portal’s role in accelerating life science innovation both locally and nationwide. Portal Houston officially opened a few weeks ago at the Texas Medical Center's new Helix Park campus with more than 30,000 SF of state-of-the-art lab and office space and a rapidly growing member community of growing startups.

  • Harpreet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Immatics (Nasdaq: IMTX)

  • Eva F. Yin, PhD, MPH, Partner, Wilson Sonsini

    This session provides an overview of key FDA and healthcare regulatory considerations for startups in the life sciences space as well as recent developments impacting the biotech and medtech industries. 

  • Snehal Patel, Chief Executive Officer, Greenwich LifeSciences (Nasdaq: GLSI)

  • Robert Schrock, PhD, Senior Director, Global Head of Development Services, CGT, Lonza

    • QV Bioelectronics 
    • Trueinvivo
    • Taurus Vascular
    • Flat Medical
    • Somnair
    • INIA Biosciences
    • Eisana Health
  • Michelle Stansbury, Associate Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President, IT Applications, Houston Methodist

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  • Rebecca Berdeaux, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, CellChorus

    Mimi Healey, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Stimulus Bio

    Elaine Lea-Chou, PhD, Scientific Advisor, Gulf Coast Consortia

    Susan Marriott, PhD, Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine; President, BioScience Writers

    • NKILT Therapeutics
    • OmniNano Pharmaceuticals
    • Avesta76 Therapeutics
    • Opsin Biotherapeutics
    • Velvet Therapeutics
    • Barricade Therapeutics
    • PHIOGEN
    • Autoimmunity BioSolutions
    • Reglagene
    • 4M Therapeutics
    • Rua Diagnostics
    • Parnassus Medical Systems
    • Anvil Diagnostics
    • Informuta
    • Cx Precision Medicine
    • Innotive Diagnostics
    • Case45
    • Cytecom
    • Exopert Cooperation
  • Ashok Gowda, Founder, President, and CEO, Biotex/Medtex Ventures

  • A panel that discusses trends in life science company funding and considerations in raising money and in exits.

    Moderator: Emily Reiser, PhD, Strategy and New Ventures, Texas Medical Center

    Frederick Shane, Managing Partner, Axil Capital Partners

    Mike Torosian, JD, Partner, Baker Botts


    Drew Yashar, Associate, Capital Factory

  • Enhancing Life Sciences Product Development in Houston

    A Fireside Chat with Atul Varadhachary, Managing Partner, Fannin Innovation 
    Moderator: Brad Burke

    • ImmunoGenesis
    • Diakonos Oncology
    • Luminary Therapeutics
    • March Biosciences
    • SolasCure
    • Direct Biologics
    • Mongoose Bio
    • AyuVis Research
    • YAP Therapeutics
    • Aikynetix
    • Voythos
    • Foxo Technology
    • LunOSA
    • Oxford Medical Products
    • CorInnova
    • Ictero Medical
    • Neurovalens
    • Heartfelt Technologies
    • Loop Robots
    • Somavac
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    • Michael E. DeBakey Award - Presented by BioHouston
    • 10 Most Promising Life Science Companies - Presented by Verena Kallhoff, PhD, MBA, Sr. Director, Global Life Sciences, Greater Houston Partnership
    • People’s Choice Award