Georgia Research Alliance

Tomorrow: Wilbur A. Lam Lam will be honored as one of three “Innovators of the Year” for research at the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Health Care Champion Awards. The event celebrates some of the industry’s most innovative and influential leaders. Wilbur has a joint appointment at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology. GRA has worked with him to move inventions out of the lab and intro the healthcare setting — and in our view, there’s no better champion in healthcare. Business Chronicle story here: https://bit.ly/4hI2NZq

University researchers: If you’ve got a technology with commercial potential, consider entering Georgia Life Sciences’ Showcase this June. It’s a chance to get feedback from a panel of experts on your concept, team and path to market, as well as other aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Fifteen university projects/startups will qualify, and the technology must be in one of 9 categories. Presentation Day is June 5; here are details (and registration): https://bit.ly/41wOHnW

We’re happy to see this latest honor of GRA Eminent Scholar Rafi Ahmed at Emory University. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of our recruitment of Rafi to Georgia to launch the Emory Vaccine Center. A powerhouse of research, the Center has brought well over $1 billion in R&D to our state and has moved the needle on therapeutics and vaccines – all of it under Rafi’s steady leadership. Congrats, Rafi Ahmed!

Damaged cells, tissues and organs in the body can sometimes be repaired or made to regenerate — a cutting-edge field known as regenerative medicine. More than 20 years ago, GRA Eminent Scholar Steven Stice co-founded a research center at The University of Georgia to explore the intricate biology behind this field. Joining him were colleagues Franklin West and John Peroni. All three are featured in a new video on the enterprise, called the Regenerative Bioscience Center. The RBC has made remarkable progress on stem cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering. It’s also the first —and only — regenerative bioscience program in the U.S. to offer both bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in the field. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/41O8Plh

The SaportaReport has a good article on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s recent “Future of Talent” summit, which explored critical workforce development issues confronting Georgia. The summit included a panel on workforce innovation featuring USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue and Augusta University President Russell Keen, Ed.D (moderated by GRA President Tim Denning, PhD). From the Chancellor: “Knowledge created rapidly within the last two or three years changed the jobs we see out here today, which wasn’t even thought about 10 years ago.” He added: We must prepare students to “solve the problems of tomorrow.” Story here: https://bit.ly/3Fl2vuc

The SaportaReport has a good article on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s recent “Future of Talent” summit, which explored critical workforce development issues confronting Georgia. The summit included a panel on workforce innovation featuring USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue and Augusta University President Russell Keen, Ed.D (moderated by GRA President Tim Denning, PhD). From the Chancellor: “Knowledge created rapidly within the last two or three years changed the jobs we see out here today, which wasn’t even thought about 10 years ago.” He added: We must prepare students to “solve the problems of tomorrow.” Story here: https://bit.ly/3Fl2vuc

Our thanks to VP of Research Wayne Glasgow and the team from Mercer University's College of Pharmacy for welcoming GRA to the Atlanta campus yesterday. The visit brought an update on the university’s rising research profile, especially in the college’s research labs. The years ahead will be a time of great momentum!

ICYMI: We packed this GRA Notes with news of tech emerging from labs, a pair of promising research findings, two new Trustees, the launch of a research collaborative, upcoming events… we could go on, but why not see for yourself: https://bit.ly/4bjTbT7 Mercer University Georgia Institute of Technology Augusta University #NXTBiologics

Yesterday’s signing of the State of Georgia’s Amended FY25 budget included almost $100 million for a new translational research building at Augusta University. This is great news for #Georgia: The new 150,000-sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility will add to the research momentum underway at the university by providing modern labs, high-tech equipment and updated technology infrastructure. Augusta University is raising another $40M in private funds for the project. Details: https://bit.ly/4itoZav

The technology is there to diagnose autism very early in life, so that helpful interventions can begin much sooner. But delays in diagnosis are still far too commonplace. An excellent article out of Emory University explores why: https://bit.ly/4koyz09 Prominent in the story: GRA Eminent Scholar Ami Klin and Vince Calhoun, and GRA-backed company EarliTec Diagnostics, Inc.(which offers the early diagnosis technology).