Category: Events
Events

BioVentures and ARise Host Founder’s Forum to Equip UAMS Innovators with Fundraising Strategies  

BioVentures, in partnership with ARise, brought together emerging innovators and entrepreneurs for the first Founder’s Forum, a program designed to support UAMS-affiliated startup founders and teams working to translate research into real-world impact.  ARise, a program supporting Arkansas innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs and backed by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), assists tech and tech-enabled companies in reaching new levels of success.  The session featured Melissa Kempkes, Executive Director of Ark Angel Alliance and ARise subject-matter expert, who led an engaging discussion on fundraising strategies for bio startups. Drawing on her experience working with early-stage companies and investors, Kempkes provided practical guidance to help founders navigate the complexities of securing capital—from initial exploration to active company building.  The Founder’s Forum serves as a dynamic platform for UAMS biotech startup founders at all stages, from those exploring commercialization pathways to those actively building and scaling ventures.  Through this ongoing series, BioVentures and ARise are strengthening the UAMS innovation ecosystem by connecting founders with expert insights, resources, and a growing network of support.  “Programs like Founder’s Forum are critical to helping innovators move beyond the lab and into the marketplace,” said Eric Peterson, President of BioVentures. “By bringing together experienced leaders and emerging founders, we’re accelerating the path from discovery to impact.”  BioVentures and ARise remain committed to empowering UAMS entrepreneurs and advancing innovations that improve health and drive economic growth across Arkansas and beyond. 

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March 24, 2026
Events

BioVentures Recognizes Student Innovators at UAMS Student Research Day 2026 

BioVentures presented its Innovation Awards during the 2026 UAMS Student Research Day, recognizing students whose research reflects creativity, scientific excellence, and an interest in translational science.  Student Research Day is an annual event that highlights the breadth of research being conducted across UAMS. The event brings together graduate and professional students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical house staff/fellows to share their work through poster presentations and to engage with faculty, researchers, and peers across the institution.  The BioVentures Innovation Awards recognize projects that demonstrate innovative thinking and research with the potential to contribute to future translational applications in medicine and health.  This year’s award recipients were:  BioVentures congratulates these students for their outstanding work and innovative approach to research. Their projects reflect the importance of early-stage scientific discovery and the role it can play in shaping future advances in medicine, diagnostics, and healthcare technologies.  Through initiatives like the BioVentures Innovation Awards, the office aims to encourage a spirit of innovation and highlight the potential of student-led research to contribute to the broader biomedical innovation ecosystem. 

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March 11, 2026
Events

BioVentures participates in AUTM University Conference 2025 in New Orleans  

BioVentures participated in the AUTM University Conference 2025, held from October 26–29 in New Orleans. The event brought together professionals from technology transfer offices across the country to exchange knowledge, explore emerging trends, and strengthen collaboration within the tech transfer community.  The conference offered a valuable opportunity to learn from experts, exchange best practices, and strengthen collaboration across the national tech transfer network.  “From insightful sessions to meaningful networking moments, this experience was truly inspiring,” said Britney Bobo, Project Coordinator at BioVentures. “I had the chance to learn from industry experts, share ideas with peers, and dive deeper into the evolving world of tech transfer and innovation.”  By taking part in AUTM University, BioVentures reinforces its commitment to advancing technology commercialization and promoting innovation through collaboration and professional development. 

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November 12, 2025
Events

BioVentures participates in Bio on the Bayou 2025 in New Orleans 

BioVentures attended Bio on the Bayou 2025 in New Orleans, a leading regional event that brought together innovators, researchers, and investors to showcase the latest advances in biotechnology, medtech, and health sciences.   The conference gathered academic and industry leaders to highlight cutting-edge research and explore new opportunities for collaboration and commercialization. For BioVentures, it was an opportunity to connect with peers across the region and demonstrate the growing strength of Arkansas’s biotech ecosystem.  As Eric Peterson, President of BioVentures, noted, Bio on the Bayou served as a platform to reinforce the organization’s active role in expanding technology commercialization and innovation networks throughout the South.  

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November 12, 2025
Blog

BioVentures Receives Chancellor’s Circle Grant to Expand Student Innovation Training

BioVentures LLC has been awarded a $15,000 Chancellor’s Circle Grant to support the initiative “Empowering Student Innovation: Building an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem at UAMS.” The program provides UAMS medical and STEM students with hands-on training in intellectual property, startup development, translational research, and commercialization. By integrating scientific research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurial education, it creates structured, experiential pathways for students and trainees to transform scientific ideas into innovations that improve the health and well-being of Arkansans. Megan Reed, Ph.D., MBA, senior licensing associate with BioVentures, accepted the grant on behalf of the organization. This initiative reflects BioVentures’ ongoing mission to bridge research and commercialization at UAMS and to empower the next generation of innovators working to translate discoveries into real-world health solutions.

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November 12, 2025
Events

UAMS Showcase of Medical Discoveries Highlights BioVentures-Supported Innovation 

The latest UAMS Showcase of Medical Discoveries, held on October 22 at the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, celebrated the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship driving research at UAMS. The event featured projects supported by BioVentures LLC, UAMS’ technology transfer office and business incubator, underscoring how discoveries in the lab are evolving into real-world health solutions and startups across Arkansas.  Eric Peterson, Ph.D., President of BioVentures, opened the event by highlighting the courage it takes for researchers to move their discoveries toward commercialization, noting that “commercialization is a pathway to getting biomedical inventions to the bedside.”  Attendees explored a diverse range of innovations, from new cancer immunotherapies and diagnostic assays to medical devices, AI-driven imaging tools, and novel drug candidates. Projects included the Smart Tracheal Collar, a reusable monitoring device for pediatric patients with tracheostomies, and StaphGuard Biofilm, a first-in-class small molecule developed by VanGuard Biofilm LLC to prevent implant infections.  Daniel Voth, Ph.D., UAMS Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, emphasized the critical role of BioVentures in helping UAMS investigators protect intellectual property, form startups, and connect with industry partners and investors.  The event drew a strong crowd of faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the growing momentum of commercialization efforts across the UAMS campus. Each project showcased the power of collaboration between science and business to advance healthcare and strengthen Arkansas’s biomedical economy.  A full gallery of photos from the event is available below. 

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November 5, 2025
Events

BioVentures to Join the UAMS Showcase of Medical Discoveries 

Join us on October 22, from 4–6 PM at the Jack Stephens Spine Institute (12th Floor) for the next UAMS Showcase of Medical Discoveries, focused on UAMS intellectual property and innovations.  The event will feature technologies developed by UAMS researchers and supported through BioVentures, offering a look at discoveries with the potential to improve health outcomes and drive commercialization.  Visit the official event page for more details.  

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October 9, 2025
Events

BioVentures to Participate in the TRI Research Expo 2025 

BioVentures will be present at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) Research Expo 2025, taking place Wednesday, September 10, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. CDT at the Reynolds Institute on Aging, First Floor.  The Expo brings together more than 50 research services across UAMS, providing investigators with the opportunity to explore resources, build connections, and learn about available support for advancing their work. Visitors can stop by the BioVentures table to discuss invention disclosures, licensing, commercialization pathways, and opportunities to bring biomedical innovations to market.  Don’t miss the chance to connect with colleagues, enjoy refreshments, and learn how BioVentures can support your research journey.  👉 Register here

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September 2, 2025
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.

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August 5, 2025