UTMB VentureX Innovation Summit

The inaugural UTMB VentureX Innovation Summit convened leading scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and institutional partners to spotlight the future of biomedical innovation and commercialization. Held on UTMB’s Galveston campus, the event marked a major milestone in UTMB’s commitment to its “Fourth Pillar”—innovation—and showcased the university’s expanding role as a catalyst for translational research and public impact.

UTMB President, Dr. Jochen Reiser and Vice President for Innovation, Dr. Vineet Gupta opened the summit with a compelling vision for UTMB’s innovation ecosystem. Their remarks emphasized the importance of translating scientific discoveries into real-world solutions, and the strategic investments UTMB is making to support inventors, startups, and industry partnerships.

Plenary session Revolutionizing Kidney Disease Therapeutics: Three Success Stories brought together leading innovators in nephrology to share bold approaches that are reshaping the future of kidney care.

Dr. Reiser presented his pioneering work on suPAR, a circulating immune factor now recognized as a global risk marker and potential driver of kidney disease, with implications likened to the role of cholesterol in cardiovascular medicine.

Vishal Patel, of UT Southwestern showcased a novel anti-miR-17 therapy targeting the genetic drivers of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). He shared his entrepreneurial journey, culminating in the recent acquisition of his therapeutic candidate for ADPKD by global pharmaceutical company Novartis in a billion-dollar deal.

Amit Sharma – EVP at Vera Therapeutics, shared the biotech journey behind Atacicept, a dual BAFF/APRIL modulator for IgA nephropathy. He also talked about why he feels Texas has great potential to become hub for biomedical innovation.

Fireside Chats & Panels: The summit featured dynamic conversations with national thought leaders in biotech investment, academic entrepreneurship, and translational medicine. Topics ranged from early-stage venture funding and IP strategy to the future of precision therapeutics and the role of academic health centers in driving regional economic development.

Fireside Chat #1: Beyond the Shoreline: Big Picture Investment Trends in Texas

This high-energy fireside chat brought together leading voices from academia, government, and venture capital to explore the evolving landscape of biotech investment in Texas, moderated by Dr. Emily Reiser of the Texas Medical Center.

• Featured Panelists: Dr. Jochen Reiser – President of UTMB, Rep. Gary VanDeaver – Texas House District 1, Bill McKeon – President & CEO, Texas Medical Center, Dr. Paul Cherukuri – Chief Innovation Officer, Rice University, Dr. Amit Sharma – EVP, Vera Therapeutics, Dr. Jakob Dupont – Executive Partner, Sofinnova Investments.

• Bill McKeon shared the unique history of the Texas Medical Center, describing it as a “medical city” with over 60 institutions and a $22B GDP—making it the eighth-largest business district in the U.S.

• Paul Cherukuri reflected on Rice’s biotech growth over the past decade, including the launch of RBL LLC and the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, which are rapidly translating academic discoveries into startups. He mentioned that although he’s visited Galveston several times throughout his career at Rice, he had never had the opportunity to visit UTMB until now. This reflects the power of the summit to bring Texas institutional leadership together.

• Rep. VanDeaver emphasized the role of CPRIT and the newly formed DPRIT in de-risking early-stage innovation and positioning Texas as a national leader in life sciences.

• Dr. Jochen Reiser shared his personal journey to Texas, citing the state’s bold vision, collaborative spirit, and untapped potential in kidney health and biotech infrastructure.

• Dr. Sharma discussed his coast-to-coast career and early exposure to Texas biotech through Reata Pharmaceuticals, noting the region’s growing sophistication and patient-centered innovation.

• Dr. Dupont offered his impressions of Texas biotech through the lens of women’s health and oncology, highlighting the state’s excellence in clinical care and translational research.
  

Fireside Chat #2 Recap

Biotech Breakthroughs: Navigating New Ventures

This dynamic fireside chat brought together five trailblazing biotech leaders to share their journeys from discovery to commercialization, offering insights into venture creation, platform innovation, and the future of translational science. The session was moderated by Shikha Wadhwani of UTMB.

Panelists: Brian Frezza, PhD – Co-Founder, Emerald Cloud Lab, Pei-Yong Shi, PhD – VP & Global Head of Viral Scientific Area, GSK, Julio Medina, PhD – Founder & CEO, R2M Pharma, Kristen Doyle, JD, MS – CEO, Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), Vineet Gupta, PhD – VP for Innovation & Commercialization, UTMB

• Brian Frezza described the evolution of Emerald Cloud Lab, a fully remote, automated research platform that democratizes access to high-throughput experimentation.

• Pei-Yong Shi shared his journey from academic virology to global vaccine development, including his work on reverse genetics and mRNA platforms for SARS-CoV-2 and flaviviruses. He also emphasized why it is advantageous to be a researcher in academia.

• Julio Medina offered lessons from R2M Pharma, a hybrid CRO and biotech accelerator.
• Kristen Doyle highlighted CPRIT’s role in fueling Texas biotech through $6B in state-backed funding. She emphasized the importance of de-risking early-stage innovation, supporting core facilities, and aligning public investment with commercialization outcomes.

• Vineet Gupta discussed his integrin-targeted entrepreneurial journey. He also talked about UTMB’s innovation infrastructure, including Medical Branch Innovations, the Life Science Incubator, and internal funding mechanisms.
  

Fireside Chat #3 Recap: Exploring UTMB’s Cutting Edge Innovations

Moderated by Dr. Sarah Samreen, the conversation revealed how UTMB is translating bold science into real-world impact.

Panelists: Dr. Sanja Sever – VP for Drug Discovery; Director, Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery, Dr. James Galbraith – Director, Sealy & Smith Foundation, Dr. Tony Bianco – Chief Research Officer, UTMB, Dr. Peter McCaffrey – Chief AI Officer; Director of Pathology Informatics, Dr. Gaddiel Galarza – Co-founder & CSO, Autoimmunity BioSolutions

• Sanja Sever shared her excitement about joining UTMB and leading the Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery, drawn by its translational mission and collaborative spirit. She emphasized the institute’s multidisciplinary model, which integrates basic science, clinical insight, and external partnerships to accelerate therapeutic development.
• James Galbraith reflected on the evolving mission of the Sealy & Smith Foundation, which now actively supports innovation beyond infrastructure—investing in people, platforms, and discovery.
• Antonio Bianco outlined his vision for UTMB’s research enterprise: a thriving ecosystem that supports team science, mentorship, and high-risk, high-reward innovation. He spoke to UTMB’s unique ability to attract top-tier talent through its collaborative culture, translational focus, and commitment to public health. He highlighted UTMB’s Galveston National Laboratory facility, which always recruits top talents from across the nation.
• Peter McCaffrey described his priorities as UTMB’s inaugural Chief AI Officer, including the launch of AutoTox—an AI-powered diagnostic platform that increased toxicology throughput tenfold. He explained how “in-silico diagnostics” are improving accuracy, efficiency, and scalability across pathology and clinical care.
• Gaddiel Galarza-Muñoz shared the origin story of Autoimmunity BioSolutions (ABS), which emerged from UTMB research on the sIL7R pathway in autoimmune disease. He reflected on the funding challenges of translating academic science into a commercial venture.
  

UTMB Technology Showcase Recap Moderator: Sundeep Mattamana

This focused session highlighted two breakthrough innovations emerging from UTMB’s research ecosystem—each with the potential to reshape therapeutic strategies in neurodegeneration and age-related muscle loss.

Daniel Lam presented a cutting-edge antibody therapy designed to target toxic intracellular tau aggregates—key drivers of Alzheimer’s and related tauopathies.

Dr. Stanley Watowich delivered an inspiring presentation on Ridgeline Therapeutics’ mission to combat age-related muscle decline and metabolic disease.

UTMB Inventors Spotlights/Poster session: UTMB faculty and emerging ventures from UTMB presented breakthrough technologies in nephrology, infectious disease, neuroscience, and pharmacology. These posters highlighted innovations such as podocyte-protective compounds, integrin-targeted therapies, and RNA-based vaccines—underscoring UTMB’s strength in high-impact, clinically relevant research.

Networking & Collaboration The summit fostered vibrant exchanges among researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and government partners. Attendees left with new connections, actionable insights, and a shared commitment to accelerating innovation across Texas and beyond.

The VentureX Summit also featured a session that spotlighted the rising momentum of student-led innovation and showcased how UTMB’s Office of Innovation is strategically supporting entrepreneurial pathways for students.

Immediate Impact of VentureX Summit

NAI Membership Announcement: UTMB formally announced its membership in the National Academy of Inventors, recognizing the university’s prolific inventors and commitment to commercialization.

Innovation Infrastructure: The event spotlighted UTMB’s growing innovation infrastructure, including the Office of Innovation & Commercialization, Medical Branch Innovations, Inc., and the UTMB Life Science Incubator.

Regional Leadership: VentureX reinforced UTMB’s role as a regional anchor for biotech innovation, helping position Texas as a national leader in life sciences translation and entrepreneurship.

Looking Ahead

The VentureX Innovation Summit is just the beginning. UTMB will continue to build momentum through strategic partnerships, expanded commercialization pathways, and ongoing support for faculty inventors. By connecting discovery to impact, UTMB is shaping the future of medicine—locally, nationally, and globally.