First Class of Boettcher Investigators Announced At Governor's Residence Ceremonies Today

The 2010 (Inaugural) Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program includes the following:

* Shaodong Dai, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Immunology, National Jewish Health, Chronic Beryllium Lung Disease

* Robin Dowell, D.Sc., Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Translational Bioinformatics Involving Drug Efficacy and Genetics

* Gidon Felsen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Parkinson’s Disease

* Paul Jedlicka, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus, Ewing Sarcoma, a Common Cancer of the Bone and Soft Tissue Affecting Children

* Keith Neeves, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Role of Blood Flow in the Formation of Blood Clots

* Melissa Reynolds, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Nitric-Oxide Releasing Materials for Cardiovascular Medical Devices

Individual grant amounts for these research projects range from $200,000 to $300,000. The grant amounts allocated varied based on funding available to the institution and size of project. Per program guidelines, the minimum budget was required to be $200,000.

“We’d announced the creation of the Program in 2008, as the result of an innovative agreement among the Boettcher Foundation, Webb-Waring Foundation for Biomedical Research and the University of Colorado,” Tim Schultz, Boettcher Foundation President and Executive Director, explains. “In the interim, we’ve worked long and hard with our State’s Universities, public officials, the Governor’s Office, and the bioscience industry in Colorado to understand the strategies in place and to identify the best opportunity for investment by the Foundation of more than $1 million each year into efforts to increase our competitiveness in biomedical science.”

Link to the Business Wire Release

The First Class of Boettcher Investigators will be announced today

Today is the big day - Boettcher Foundation is launching its Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards and the first class of six "Boettcher Investigators." Tim Schultz, President and Executive Director of the Boettcher Foundation, interviewed on 9News this morning with Gregg Moss about the new, innovative biomedical research program for the nation and Colorado.

Today's historic launch will be at the Governor's Residence (formerly the Boettcher family home)in Denver.

There are six Boettcher Investigators in the inaugural 2010 class -- three from CU and one each from National Jewish Health, CSU and the Colorado School of Mines. Areas of focus include: chronic beryllium lung disease, translational bioinformatics, Parkinson's disease, Ewing Sarcoma, formation of blood clots and releasing materials for cardiovascular medical devices. Each investigator and their work will be highlighted at launch activities today.

Link for more information

6/27 Business Brief: Baumunk named new CBSA president

Holli Baumunk has been named the new president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association.

Baumunk has been vice president of the Denver Metro Economic Development Corp. for the past seven years. She was chosen for the CBSA post after a search that followed the resignation of John Collar earlier this year.

Baumunk’s background also includes having worked as front range business development representative for the Colorado Office of Business Development under Gov. Roy Romer. She has also been involved in the state’s bioscience community and has served as an officer with the CBSA’s board of directors.

Link to the Longmont Times-Call

People on the Move: CBSA's New Chief Exec

"COLORADO BIOSCIENCE ASSOCIATION: Appointed Holli Baumunk as president and chief executive. Baumunk has been vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. for the past seven years."

Link to this morning's Denver Post

Baumunk, Metro Denver EDC exec, named CEO of Colorado BioScience Association

"Holli Baumunk, vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. for the last seven years, has been named president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association, effective July 12.

Baumunk succeeds John Collar, who resigned effective Feb. 1 after 16 months at the trade group. Collar is now part of the founding management team of a new company.

Denise Brown, CBSA’s founding executive director, has been serving as interim CEO.

Baumunk was unanimously recommended to the association’s board Tuesday by a search committee."

Link to the Denver Business Journal

Bioscience association names CEO

"DENVER - Holli Baumunk, vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. for the past seven years, today was named president and chief executive of the Colorado BioScience Association, effective July 12.

The association is a nonprofit organization that provides services and support for Colorado's biotechnology and medical device industries.

Baumunk replaces John Collar who resigned in February to pursue other interests. Denise Brown, the association's founding executive director and recently named board member, has been serving as interim executive director of the trade association during the search process."

Link to this and other breaking business news at the Boulder County Business Report

Holli Baumunk named President & CEO of CBSA

"Holli Baumunk, Vice President of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation for the past seven years, has been named President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) July 12. The announcement is made by Rick Jory, CBSA Board Chairperson, who says Baumunk was unanimously recommended to the board for approval today by the CBSA Executive Search Committee, a subcommittee of the board formed earlier this year following resignation of John Collar. Denise Brown, CBSA’s Founding Executive Director and recently named board member, has been serving as Interim Executive Director of the trade association during the search process."

Link to the MetroDenver posting

Metro Denver Economic Development Executive Holli Baumunk Named President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association

Holli Baumunk, Vice President of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation for the past seven years, has been named President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) July 12. An accomplished economic development executive, Baumunk was chosen last year as Colorado’s Economic Developer of the Year by the Economic Development Council of Colorado, and is well known to many in the Colorado Bioscience Industry, having worked closely with the CBSA on numerous initiatives over the years.

"We are very pleased the Executive Search Committee recommended Holli Baumunk to our board for approval. She is an accomplished economic development executive, chosen last year as Colorado’s Economic Developer of the Year by the Economic Development Council of Colorado, and well known to many of us in the Colorado Bioscience Industry, having worked closely with the CBSA on numerous initiatives over the years. She brings a plethora of talents to the chief executive position at the CBSA and is highly regarded for her success in building partnerships and relationships that have become the hallmark of her extraordinary career.” Jory says.

"I am excited to lead one of the most respected industry associations in the state. Over the past year, the bioscience industry in Colorado has been one of the few sectors in the economy that has shown positive job growth. We are poised to capitalize on the strength of the industry and become a top tier national player," Baumunk says.

Link to the Business Wire release

New Study on Innovation Shows Challenges Facing Colorado’s Medical Research Workers & Stresses Need for Federal Innovation Policy

Colorado's Bioscience Industry supporters gathered this week at the Colorado State Capitol for a Medical Innovation News Conference. The conference was sponsored by the Council for American Medical Innovation (CAMI) and was held to focus on a new national research study on the topic and how findings affect Colorado.

Link to a pdf of the study

Link to the news release about the conference

Video recaps of the presentations are now posted:

Welcome: Kelly Brough, Pres & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber

Walt Plosila, Ph. D., Senior Advisor, Battelle Technology Partnership

Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. -- State of Colorado Innovation in Practice

Richard Duke, Ph. D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CID4

Dana Dzwonkowski, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Denver Post: "High-quality research and innovation are in ample supply; it's the financing that's lagging"

"'There isn't enough capital coming in to fund all of the good deals,' said Denise Brown, interim executive director of the Colorado BioScience Association. 'Our whole pipeline of innovation is going to be stymied unless we come up with a new model.'

The problem is national, even global, in scope. But it's being felt acutely in Colorado's biosciences community of mostly small companies served by a dwindling handful of local venture-capital firms.

To a degree, it's a symptom of the success the state has had in fostering the 18,000-employee bioscience sector in Colorado, Brown said. High-quality research and innovation are in ample supply; it's the financing that's lagging."

Link to the Sunday Denver Post article

Check out the June issue of the CBSA FOCUS Newsletter

Inside this new issue, you'll find:

Letter from the Director

Northern Colorado Cluster Growth

Gov. Ritter Executive Orders

2010 Ballot Initiatives

AdvaMed 2010

Staff Changes at CBSA

Stay on top of the Colorado BioScience Association News.

Link to the newsletter pdf

Link to the CBSA website

Ritter’s New Executive Orders Encourage Venture Capital Investment

"Gov.Ritter signed a pair of executive orders late last week designed to encourage venture capital investment in the state’s clean energy, bioscience, aerospace and information communication technology startups. He made the EO’s official at a Colorado BioScience Association gathering at the state Capitol.

'Over the past four years, Colorado has made huge strides in building a pro-business environment, especially in the areas of clean tech and bioscience,' Gov. Ritter said. 'Our economic development strategy is focused on the industries that are leading in innovation – industries like new energy, bioscience, aerospace and technology. For Colorado to build on these strengths and continue our success, we have to find new and creative ways to increase access to capital for our businesses. That’s what these executive orders are all about.'"

Link to Colorado Energy News