VITALS

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES David Dodd, CEO of Geovax, discussed the evolution of Georgia's life sciences ecosystem, emphasizing the persistence and collaboration of various stakeholders over decades. Geovax's focus is on developing the Geo MVA vaccine for monkeypox and smallpox, leveraging a platform with no contraindications. The company aims to establish advanced MVA m...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES Scott Rizzo, Vice Chair of Georgia Life Sciences, discussed his career journey from the automotive industry to pharmaceutical manufacturing, highlighting his roles at Hoffman Roche, Barrier Therapeutics, and Recrow Pharma. He emphasized the importance of local government support and the recent $20 million expansion of Bend, a CDMO in Gainesvill...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES Courtney Law, Vice President of Innovation Economy at J.P. Morgan, discussed her career journey from PhD training to her current role, emphasizing the importance of ecosystem building and leveraging resources. She highlighted the positive investment environment in the Southeast, noting a significant uptick in biopharma venture funding and the h...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES At the core of every illness is an individual. Obvious, yes, but often the individual's voice is not heard, not empowered, not embraced.  In this very robust and thought provoking episode of VITALS , Maria Thacker Goethe, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Dorothy Leone- Glasser, a registered nurse specialist in rheumatology and immun...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS , Maria Thacker Goethe, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Scott McCarty, Managing Director of Sales, Origination, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Silicon Valley Bank, who discusses venture debt strategy, cautious optimism in today’s market cycle, robust biotech exits, and...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of  VITALS , Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Lynn Durham, President and CEO of Georgia Core, who discusses her journey from government and politics to leading a nonprofit focused on cancer care. Georgia Core, founded in 2003, aims to improve cancer care through rese...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Dr. Samir Patel, President and CEO of Moonlight Therapeutics, who discusses the company's development of a micro-needle stamp for food allergy treatment. The technology, which aims to reduce side effects and improve patient...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of  VITALS , Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Mike Walker, Vice President of Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft, for a rubust discussion on the integration of AI in the life sciences industry. He emphasized the importance of focusing on non-sexy use cases like SOP...

WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES In this episode of Vitals, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews David Crane, a venture partner at 1004 Venture Partners, about the biotech industry in Georgia as well as on a national level. David, with a PhD in physics and an MBA, discusses the importance of a diverse funding stack, including NIH, VCs, family offices, an...

Welcome to  VITALS Season 2! To kick off the new season, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, Maria Thacker-Goethe, is joined in studio by the President and CEO of BIO, John Crowley, who shared his journey from business to biotech after his daughter Megan was diagnosed with Pompe Disease. He emphasized the importance of time in biotech, highlighting the transformation of cystic fibrosis treatment fro...

In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Avi Robbins, President of the Porex Life Sciences Institute, to discuss how Porex has evolved from a Georgia Tech-founded startup into a global leader in life sciences. Avi shares insights on public-private partnerships, the role of research collaborations, and how Porex is driving innovation in medical...

In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker-Goethe speaks with Johnna Hodges, Assistant Director of UGA’s Biomedical and International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences Program. They explore the growing need for regulatory professionals in the life sciences sector, how UGA’s program is preparing students for careers in regulatory affairs, clinical trials, and drug safety,...

In this inaugural episode of Georgia Life Sciences podcast, Maria Thacker Goethe is joined by Steve Damon, CEO of Micron Biomedical. Steve is an experienced CEO with a demonstrated history of working and succeeding in the biotechnology and medical technology industries. His background includes 4P Thereapeutics, Femasys Inc, and Altea Therapeutics among others. He currently serves as Chairman of Ge...

Welcome to VITALS, The Georgia Life Sciences Podcast—your source for the latest insights, innovations, and industry developments in Georgia’s thriving life sciences ecosystem. This podcast highlights how Georgia Life Sciences is driving industry growth, advancing policies, and fostering strategic partnerships that support biotech professionals and companies. Each episode features conversations wit...

In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Jon Getzinger, CEO of FERMWORX, to discuss how Georgia is positioned to become a leader in biomanufacturing. Jon shares insights on how FERMWORX is producing biopolymers and scaling bio-based manufacturing, the challenges of workforce development in biotech, and how federal partnerships are reshaping the...

In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker-Goethe speaks with Dr. Chris Pack, Director of Preclinical Studies at Metaclipse Therapeutics. They explore the company’s cutting-edge work in immunotherapy, including a personalized vaccine for cancer treatment, how Georgia’s research ecosystem has supported their journey, and what’s next as they prepare for their first clin...

In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Leanne West, Chief Engineer of Pediatric Technologies at Georgia Tech, to discuss how the Pediatric Innovation Network is transforming healthcare for children. Leanne shares insights on how collaborative research efforts are leading to groundbreaking medical innovations—from personalized 3D-printed trach...