CU Innovations

Congratulations to Pharmacology PhD Candidate Lily Elizabeth Feldman, co-first author, and Professor Jim Costello, PhD, corresponding author, on their new publication in Science Magazine! A special thank you to corresponding author Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, and co-first author Saswat Mohapatra, PhD, from Cedars-Sinai for their invaluable contributions. Read the full publication here: https://bit.ly/3OVH6t6

Fitzsimons Innovation Community welcomes Kelly Brough as our new CEO! As our Community continues its dynamic growth, Kelly’s leadership will drive Fitzsimons’ mission to support pioneering health innovators transforming the future of health and care.   A highly respected and experienced business leader, Kelly’s expertise in public and private sectors, workforce development, and healthcare positions her to lead our thriving Community. She served as president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, chief of staff to then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, and chief strategy officer at Metropolitan State University of Denver.    As the campus expands, Kelly will continue to advance efforts to evolve Fitzsimons into a fully integrated, live-work-play-learn environment emphasizing personal health and wellbeing for every individual on campus, with access to the resources needed for groundbreaking life sciences research and transformative healthcare.   “I’m thrilled to be joining Fitzsimons Innovation Community at an exciting time for both the Community and Colorado's life sciences sector. With its position as a premier hub for health innovation, Fitzsimons is driving breakthroughs that are transforming and improving lives. I look forward to building on the momentum and leading the Community into its next chapter of impact and success.”   Kelly officially starts in January, 2025, replacing current Fitzsimons President and CEO Steven VanNurden who is retiring at the end of 2024 after nearly 35 years as a life sciences industry leader, the last 12 at Fitzsimons.    Join us in welcoming Kelly Brough to the Community!

Fitzsimons Innovation Community President and CEO Steven VanNurden Announces Retirement   “Steve VanNurden’s visionary leadership has been instrumental in transforming Fitzsimons Innovation Community into a thriving world-class hub for life sciences innovation. Over the past 12 years, he has not only built an ecosystem where groundbreaking research and collaboration flourish but has also laid a foundation for the future of biotech and health sciences here in Colorado.”   David Perez, Fitzsimons Innovation Community Board Member Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/eBSM98Yt

BREAKING: We are thrilled to announce that a research team led by #CUAnschutz will receive up to $46 million in federal funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to advance pioneering research aimed at curing total blindness through human eye transplantation. Learn more about how this funding could transform the future of sight restoration for the millions of Americans facing blindness and vision loss: https://bit.ly/4i8MeHA

Excited to share that OncoVerity has secured additional funding to advance our mission of transforming hope into reality for cancer patients. Our Phase 2 trial evaluating cusatuzumab is officially underway and has enrolled its first patients! https://lnkd.in/gBj3K3yC

At tonight’s 21st Annual Awards Celebration Presented by AGC Biologics, CBSA honored Steven VanNurden, Associate Vice Chancellor of Biotechnology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and President & CEO of Fitzsimons Innovation Community, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering contributions to Colorado’s life sciences landscape. His career has been marked by his leadership in transforming academic discoveries into life-saving products and his impact in expanding innovation infrastructure for Colorado’s life sciences companies. Our community celebrates Steve for his vision, passion, and commitment to patients! #COBioScience #StrongerTogether #AllIn