BioBuzz recognizes six categories annually: BioHealth Leader of the Year, Community Builder of the Year, Workforce Champion of the Year, Startup of the Year, Breakthrough Life Science Company of the Year, and Employer of the Year. Meet the people, programs, and organizations who made noteworthy impact regionally in the life sciences in 2024.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BioBuzz Networks announced the finalists for their 2024 BioBuzz Awards, presented by US Pharmacopeia (USP), Avantor, MilliporeSigma, Blackbird Labs, Integral Molecular, and Life Science Wealth.
Now in its fifth year for the BioHealth Capital Region (spanning Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia) and its second year for Greater Philadelphia, BioBuzz's Awards honor the outstanding people, programs, and organizations in the life sciences who go above and beyond to support the success of the community, the industry, and the patients that ultimately benefit.
"Since its inception BioBuzz has been committed to building a stronger, more connected life sciences community," said Chris Frew, CEO, BioBuzz Networks. "Our BioBuzz Awards are a reflection of that commitment. In recognizing those who are creating meaningful impact, we're not just celebrating their successes, we're inspiring the next generation of innovators and changemakers."
Six categories are recognized annually. An open community nomination period, followed by a 4-week community voting period precedes a celebration of the winners which will have both digital and physical elements this year within each market.
"Innovation flourishes in community which is why we're thrilled to support BioBuzz's community-driven Awards," said Courtney Warren, Account Manager, Pharma I Biotech I Industrial, VWR, part of Avantor. "For the life sciences, community is more than a support system—it's the engine driving discovery. When people come together, combining their perspectives, knowledge, and skills, they create something bigger than themselves, sparking new ways to solve complex challenges. In our industry, this interconnectedness strengthens the ecosystem, breaking down silos and encouraging collaboration across disciplines, regions, and companies. Community ensures that we're constantly learning, evolving, and pushing forward as a unified force, transforming what's possible for science and humanity."
Individuals wishing to vote can access the ballot here and are encouraged to vote once per day, every day through 11:59 p.m. EST Friday, December 13, 2024. Winners will be announced in late January 2025.
The finalists are:
BioHealth Leader of the Year Award
This award recognizes a regional biohealth leader who lives each day with a passionate pursuit of excellence and innovation in their own work to make a difference in the lives of others.
In the BioHealth Capital Region this award is named in honor of the late John Holaday, Ph.D., who was "a business man with the heart of a philanthropist; an activist; a man of deep passion and compassion; a scientist; a US Army Captain; a university professor; an entrepreneur; a founder and CEO of three public companies; a holder of over 80 patents; an acclaimed author of more than 230 articles and five books; a father; a husband; and a tireless champion of the underdog."
In Greater Philadelphia this award is named in honor of Life Sciences Care Philadelphia for their impactful work with life science leaders and partners to disrupt the cycle of poverty and inequality in Philadelphia.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 BioHealth Leader of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- Bert Vogelstein, MD, Johns Hopkins University
- Bill Niland, CEO, Regeltec, Inc., Member Board of Directors, NeuroIntact, Member Board of Directors, Secretome Therapeutics, Inc., Director, Sonavex
- Eric Edwards, MD, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Phlow
- Helen Sabzevari, PhD, President and CEO, Precigen
- Raymond H. Cypess, DVM, PhD, Chairman, CEO, ATCC
Greater Philadelphia
- Amanda Banks, MD, Former CEO, Co-Founder Blackfynn
- Joan Lau, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Partner, Militia Hill Ventures, Co-founder & CEO, Spirovant Sciences, Inc., and Member Board of Trustees, Brandywine Realty Trust
- John Swartley, Chief Innovation Officer, University of Pennsylvania
- Martin Lehr, CEO & Director, Context Therapeutics
- Nicholas Siciliano, Chief Executive Officer, viTToria Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Community Builder of the Year Award
This award honors a thoughtful community builder that fosters intentional collaborations and meaningful contributions of their time, energy, and expertise to support the biohealth ecosystems, creating a rising tide that makes a greater collective impact on public health and patients around the world.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 Community Builder of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- Jim Pannucci, PhD, Vice President - Entrepreneurship, Activation Capital
- Lynne Cooper, Principal, El Sea and President of the ISPE Chesapeake Bay Area Chapter (ISPE-CBA)
- Nikki Hastings, PhD, Co-Founder, Executive Director, CvilleBioHub
- Martha Wang, PhD, Associate Director - Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland
- Patrick Hanley, PhD, Chief & Director, Cellular Therapy Program, Associate Professor, Children's National and Director of CHARM (Capital Heath and Mid-Atlantic Regenerative Medicine)
Greater Philadelphia
- BioStrategy Partners
- Jennifer Gilburg, Deputy Secretary of Technology and Entrepreneurship, Pennsylvania - Department of Community and Economic Development
- Karina Sotnik, Founder/CEO, WorldUpstart
- Louis Kassa, CEO of the Hepatitis B Foundation, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC)
- The PROPEL Tech Hub, led by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Workforce Champion of the Year Award
This award recognizes a person, program, or organization that has made a measurable contribution to enhancing the biotech workforce, recognized for their outstanding contributions and innovative approaches to attracting, training, and/or growing the biotech workforce.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 Workforce Champion of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- Avi Silber and The Academy of Biotechnology at Northwest High School
- Athari BioSciences
- Building STEPS
- Nicanor Aquino, Adjunct Faculty Instructor, Montgomery College, and Laboratory Operations Support Manager, MilliporeSigma
- UMB CURE Scholars Program
Greater Philadelphia
- Eric Hacherl, PhD, Co-lead Viral Vector Program, NIIMBL, Principal, Persephoni BioPartners, Founder and CEO, SMART Bio Works
- Keystone LifeSci Collaborative
- Margaret Bryans, Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Education and Training, Montgomery County Community College
- Nafees Innovations
- Dr. William Wunner, Wistar professor emeritus - The Wistar Institute Workforce Development & Training
Startup of the Year Award
This award recognizes outstanding achievements and innovations within the field of life sciences, honoring startups that have demonstrated exceptional contributions to advancing healthcare, biotechnology, and related industries.
Recipients of this award are celebrated for their groundbreaking research, technological advancements, and overall impact on improving the quality of human life through cutting-edge solutions in life sciences. The award serves as a testament to the dedication and excellence of startups shaping the future of healthcare and biomedicine and who have pursued their mission with dedication and perseverance to build momentum toward commercialization.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 Startup of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- AgroSpheres (Charlottesville, VA) Website | LinkedIn
- AlgotmetRx (Washington, DC) Website | LinkedIn
- Clasp Therapeutics (Rockville, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- IntegerBio (Gaitherburg, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Springbok Analytics (Charlottesville, VA) Website | LinkedIn
Greater Philadelphia
- GEMMABio (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Latus Bio (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Radiant Biotherapeutics (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Tolerance Bio (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Unquity Bio (Malvern, PA) Website | LinkedIn
Breakthrough Life Science Company of the Year Award
This award recognizes a company who has pursued their mission with dedication and perseverance and built momentum towards commercialization with a substantial breakthrough this past year. Finalists were selected on their achievement of important milestones such as advancing to a clinical-stage company, achieving successful pivotal trials, or getting FDA approval for the commercialization of their technology to bring it to the patients who need it.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 Breakthrough Life Science Company of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- CoapTech (Baltimore, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Gain Therapeutics (Bethesda, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Longeviti Neuro Solutions (Baltimore, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Sonavex (Baltimore, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Theradaptive, Inc. (Frederick, MD) Website | LinkedIn
Greater Philadelphia
- Adaptimmune (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Annovis Bio (Malvern, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Every Cure (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Imvax (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Iovance Biotherapeutics (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
Employer of the Year Award
This award honors the life science employers who are the foundation of a vibrant biotech cluster. Being a great employer is about building an exceptional workforce, developing an employee-centric culture that keeps employees engaged and empowers them to be ambassadors for your company, and fostering a more inclusive and resilient workforce. It's also about the ability to attract top talent and achieve your needed growth without compromising these elements. Nominees should reflect these essential elements and have a talent brand.
The finalists for BioBuzz's 2024 Employer of the Year Award are (in alphabetical order):
BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia)
- AstraZeneca (Gaithersburg, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Becton Dickson (BD) (Hunt Valley, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- Civica (Petersburg, VA) Website | LinkedIn
- Precision for Medicine (Bethesda, MD) Website | LinkedIn
- US Pharmacopeia (USP) (Rockville, MD) Website | LinkedIn
Greater Philadelphia
- Abzena (Bristol, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- bioMérieux (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- GSK (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Rockland Immunochemicals (Limerick, PA) Website | LinkedIn
- Wuxi Advanced Therapies (Philadelphia, PA) Website | LinkedIn
For more information about the finalists, voting, and the BioBuzz Awards Celebration, visit https://biobuzz.io/2024-annual-awards/.
ABOUT BIOBUZZ
Since 2009, BioBuzz has been tirelessly committed to building community and fostering a stronger, more diverse life science workforce through storytelling, community building, and hiring solutions. What started as a networking event to support laid-off life science workers has evolved based on the industry's needs and today stands as a leading source for community and hiring within three of the leading biotech hubs. Visit https://biobuzz.io/ to learn more.
Media Contact
Cat Thoreson, BioBuzz Networks, 410-570-0988, [email protected], https://biobuzz.io/
SOURCE BioBuzz Networks

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