Category: News

Events

HSE Grand Rounds to Feature Dr. Stefanie Kennon-McGill

Stefanie Kennon-McGill, Ph.D., Senior Program Manager at BioVentures LLC, will be the featured speaker at 2 p.m. Wednesday, August 27, for the Health Sciences Entrepreneurship Grand Rounds. The topic will be “Leveraging Commercialization to Further Your Impact.” Join us at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, 10th Floor, Betsy Blass Conference Room. The UAMS community and public are welcome to attend.

August 5, 2025

Blog

BioVentures Supports UAMS M1 Students in PCAR Summer Program

BioVentures supported University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) first-year medical students this summer through the Partnership in Cancer Research (PCAR) program. Over eight weeks, participants worked in multidisciplinary teams to address real-world challenges in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or survivorship. The program culminated in entrepreneurial pitch presentations to a panel of judges. Three BioVentures team members served as mentors, advising students on refining problem statements, assessing market opportunities, and developing business models. Another team member participated as a judge, providing feedback from a commercialization perspective. The collaboration aimed to foster entrepreneurial thinking, highlight the role of innovation in cancer care, and encourage future clinician-innovators at UAMS. This initiative reflects BioVentures’ ongoing commitment to advancing healthcare entrepreneurship and translating research into real-world impact.

August 5, 2025

News

A New Antibody Detects a Hidden Cancer Signal

Newly granted patent: U.S. Patent No. 12,281,171 B2, “Periostin Antibodies and Methods of Using the Same” What’s the problem? Some cancers create a unique “signal” by adding a rare sugar modification to proteins like periostin. This tumor-specific marker could help identify and target cancer, but it’s extremely difficult to detect. Traditional tools often miss it because these sugar structures are hard for the immune system to recognize. What does this technology do? This patent covers a new monoclonal antibody, C9, that targets the sugar marker not the whole protein. Using samples from ovarian cancer patients, inventors at UAMS identified an antibody that binds precisely to this cancer-specific structure. In mouse models, this C9 antibody successfully located and attached to tumors, showing strong potential for cancer imaging and targeted treatment.

August 5, 2025

Blog

Building Translational Skills: Inside the 2025 BioVentures Internship

BioVentures’ 2025 interns modernized core data systems and explored how UAMS innovations reach the market, bridging science and business. BioVentures is wrapping up its 2025 Internship Program on August 1, with two standout students who have brought fresh energy and dedication to the office: Carter Horton and Nyera Ali. Carter, a sophomore in Biomedical Engineering and National Merit Scholar at the University of Arkansas, described his experience by saying: “This internship has shown me how science and business connect to improve lives. It’s exciting to see it firsthand.” Nyera, a rising senior at Pulaski Academy, is a Model United Nations standout and one of only seven students from Arkansas selected to compete at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair for her genome-editing research. Participating through the Summer Research Institute (SRI), she has been working with Dr. Mitch McGill on research involving acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Throughout the summer, both interns have played a role in transferring and organizing key data into a new system, a project that will serve as the foundation for future operations at BioVentures. In doing so, they’ve gained direct exposure to the process of technology transfer and learned how discoveries at UAMS move from the lab into the real world through commercialization. We’re grateful to have had them with us this summer and look forward to seeing where their paths lead next. Interested in interning with BioVentures in 2026? Contact tforcum@uams.edu.

July 31, 2025

Events

BioVentures at the 2025 Arkansas Commercialization Retreat

BioVentures recently took part in the 2025 Arkansas Commercialization Retreat, held June 2–4 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Organized by the University of Arkansas’ Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, this annual event brings together faculty and graduate students from across the state—including UAMS, U of A, UALR, ASU, and UAPB—to explore how research can be transformed into real-world solutions. The retreat featured hands-on workshops and mentorship sessions on intellectual property, SBIR/STTR funding, patent strategy, and startup formation. For BioVentures, it was a valuable opportunity to connect with researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurial support organizations statewide. It also provided a platform to support UAMS innovators as they navigate the path from lab to market. These connections are key to building future collaborations and advancing Arkansas’ innovation ecosystem.

June 23, 2025

Blog

BioVentures unveils a smarter, faster way to manage invention disclosures at UAMS

BioVentures LLC has adopted Tradespace, an AI-driven platform built specifically for technology-transfer offices, to streamline invention disclosures and commercialization efforts across UAMS. Beginning this month, all UAMS inventors will submit new inventions through BioVentures’ new portal, powered by Tradespace, via UAMS Single Sign-On at app.tradespace.io. Tradespace replaces the old portal with a transparent, user-friendly experience that matches the pace of translational science: “Adopting this new platform reflects our mission to stay at the forefront of academic innovation,” said Eric Peterson, Ph.D., President of BioVentures. “It’s about giving researchers the tools they need to partner with BioVentures and bring their cutting edge ideas to market more effectively.” Submit your invention in minutes Most users complete the new disclosure form in under 10 minutes. Log in and get started today: app.tradespace.io. For questions or assistance, contact the BioVentures team at bioventures@uams.edu.

June 10, 2025

Blog

Innovation Week 2025 Connects Science, Industry, and Opportunity

BioVentures hosted its first annual Innovation Week from May 12–15, 2025, bringing together researchers, startups, industry partners, and investors to explore the future of biomedical innovation at UAMS. The event featured a dynamic lineup of panels, presentations, and networking opportunities across campus, designed to strengthen the bridge between academic research and real-world impact. Over 50 attendees registered across the week’s activities, which included: Speakers included representatives from BioArkansas, the Arkansas Research Alliance, Tradespace, and BioVentures. Panelists included faculty and staff from across the UAMS ecosystem, and representatives from pharmaceutical and biomedical industry partners such as Johnson and Johnson. The week underscored the critical role of translational science, commercialization of intellectual property, and industry-academia collaborations, and how institutions like UAMS can lead in transforming research discoveries into commercial and clinical solutions. We’re grateful to everyone who participated, and we’re already looking ahead to Innovation Week 2026. Did you attend Innovation Week? Leave us a comment on LinkedIn. Help us improve next year’s Innovation Week by sharing your thoughts through this short form. Meet & Greet Inventors Lunch & Award Ceremony Industry-Research Forum Stay in the Loop Subscribe now to get updates on BioVentures events. Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name

June 2, 2025

Blog

Innovation Week Opens in 7 Days — Are You Registered?

In one week, BioVentures will welcome innovators from across UAMS and beyond for Innovation Week 2025. Four days of ideas, insight and industry connection on the UAMS Main Campus in Little Rock. Whether you’re advancing breakthrough research, launching a startup or simply curious about commercialization, this is the place to turn discovery into opportunity. Date Time Location Highlight Mon 12 8 – 10 a.m. Biomed I Atrium Meet & Greet: coffee, donuts and conversation with the BioVentures team Tue 13 11:30 a.m. I. Dodd Wilson 115 A/B Inventors Lunch & Award Ceremony — celebrating UAMS discoveries Wed 14 Noon Cancer Institute, Strauss‑McCaskill Learning Center “Raising Capital for Your Startup Endeavors” with Michael Geranen Thu 15 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. I. Dodd Wilson Industry‑Research Forum — keynote by Justin Rerko, expert panels, lunch & networking happy hour Full agenda details, speaker bios and session descriptions are available on the registration page. Why Attend? Seats are limited. See you next week at Innovation Week 2025 — Where Discovery Meets Opportunity.

May 5, 2025

News

Amy Hopper Swan Joins BioVentures as Strategy Consultant

Amy Hopper Swan is the founder of Swan Impact Strategies, a consulting firm that helps mission-driven organizations design and deliver high-impact programs. With nearly a decade of experience in entrepreneurship, program management and strategic planning, Amy has supported statewide and national initiatives to expand innovation, secure funding and measure outcomes. Amy will help research and communicate BioVentures’ impact while supporting strategic planning and the exploration of diverse funding models to support entrepreneurship at UAMS, ACH and CAVHS. She brings a strong background in economic development, impact storytelling and startup support, with a particular focus on translating research into real-world solutions. Meet Amy at Innovation Week.

May 5, 2025

Events

Student Innovators Recognized at Student Research Day

BioVentures is proud to honor the winners of the inaugural Student Innovator Award, selected at Student Research Day. The Student Innovator Award recognizes student research with the potential for translational and commercial success. The winners received a certificate and a cash prize. Student Research Day was held April 17 at UAMS, sponsored by UAMS Research & Innovation, the UAMS Graduate School and the Faculty Academic Senate. All students participating in Student Research Day were eligible for the award, which was selected by BioVentures leadership and staff. Honorable mentions were also awarded at the event in the form of “Innovation Spotlight” ribbons affixed to promising posters. “We were incredibly impressed by the bright ideas and translational thinking displayed by UAMS students so early in their research,” said Stefanie Kennon-McGill, Ph.D., senior program manager at BioVentures. “It’s BioVentures’ aim to recognize and support these students in their journey toward changing health care through innovative, translational discoveries.” Student Interest Group Also with an eye toward nurturing student interest, BioVentures is exploring the possibility of starting an Innovation & Entrepreneurship Student Interest Group at UAMS. Students from all colleges are welcome to participate. The group would start meeting in Fall 2025. Students are encouraged to fill out this form to indicate interest, identify focus topics, and sign up for future notifications.

April 23, 2025