When Dubai native Keith Runes was 18 years old, he moved to the United States from the United Arab Emirates to study bioengineering at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and he hasn’t left the East Coast since.

Runes always knew that he wanted to enter the medical field, and his time at Lehigh allowed him to see what different paths his career could take. 

“I went to school for my bachelor’s in bioengineering, specifically mechanical engineering,” said Runes. “So think along the lines of making prosthetics for patients – I was interested in that aspect of […]

Biological material, GXP supplies, cell and gene therapy cell lines, finished drug products, vaccines, and high-value equipment for academic research institutes, pharma companies, the biotech industry, and government are all part of what GenVault stores onsite. GenVault is one of the nation’s largest and most secure biorepositories, making its home in Greater Philadelphia.

The innovative company is providing a valued resource for the region’s biotechnology community and laboratories across the country with its state-of-the-art facility and sample management program. In addition, GenVault Transportation (GTS) makes it easier to move freezers, at temperature, across town or across the country. These assets, which […]

With more than 4,000 members, the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association (SAPA-GP) facilitates scientific and business cooperation and nurtures career development in the region’s pharmaceutical sciences and biotechnology sectors. The international all-volunteer nonprofit organization has been involved in this work for over two decades, supporting greater Philadelphia’s biopharma industry with conferences, forums, mentorship, and career development programs.

For the first time last year, SAPA-GP added the @Philly Cell and Gene Therapy Annual Conference to its offerings, providing a platform to showcase the region’s role in cell, gene, and RNA therapies and connect biotech business […]

International life sciences companies working in cell and gene therapy, biosciences, diagnostics, digital health, medical devices, MedTech, and therapeutics have a partner skilled in helping them expand to Greater Philadelphia and other parts of the United States. WorldUpstart, a Philadelphia-based United States accelerator founded by Karina Sotnik, has already assisted 54 companies from 16 countries with their U.S. expansion plans within the past three years.

“With the grim statistic of only one in four companies making the U.S. expansion, we are literally doubling their odds of success here,” said Sotnik.

Among those WorldUpstart has helped introduce to Greater Philadelphia […]

The Greater Philadelphia region’s expertise in talent development, research advancement, and scientific collaboration is the focus of a feature in the February 2023 edition of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN News). The article, “Fueling Growth through Partnership in Greater Philadelphia,” will serve as a new tool for the Chamber’s Business Attraction & Expansion team, who will have it in tow when they attend the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C. (April 3-6, 2023), and CPHI North America, held this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia (April 25-27, 2023).

For […]

For Natalya Figueroa, a summer science camp, her family, and the desire to see Latinx representation in STEM kick-started her passion for a career in the life sciences.

For this month’s “Discovery Starts with Me” story, we spoke with Figueroa, a Senior Research Associate at BioAnalysis LLC. BioAnalysis LLC is a non-clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) that partners with labs and organizations whose analytical needs range from R&D to cGMP release stages. Its twenty-person team provides rigorous investigations and recommendations using scientifically in-depth analyses for gene […]

A collaboration in Greater Philadelphia’s life sciences ecosystem has created an award-winning workforce training model. The Biomedical Technician Training Program: Aseptic Manufacturing, envisioned by The Wistar Institute, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, Iovance Biotherapeutics, PIDC, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, and Philadelphia Works, and launched in August 2022, has been honored by BioBuzz Media with its Workforce Champion of the Year Award. 

The annual awards program celebrates the important contributions that people, companies, and communities across the Greater Philadelphia, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. areas are making to help build […]

Talent looking to join Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy hub can hear firsthand from those living and working here about the industry’s opportunities and the region’s quality of life. So far, 12 talent ambassadors have shared their stories as part of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s “Discovery Starts with Me” series.

For this month’s “Discovery Starts with Me” story, we spoke with Jazmean Williams, Research Associate II at Integral Molecular. Since its founding in 2001, Integral Molecular, a biotechnology company that leads in developing membrane protein solutions, […]

Talent looking to join Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy hub can hear firsthand from those living and working here about the industry’s opportunities and the region’s quality of life. So far, 11 talent ambassadors have shared their stories as part of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s “Discovery Starts with Me” series.

For the latest installment of our Discovery Starts with Me series, we sat down with Raechel Manrodt, Manufacturing Lead (Director) at Imvax. A clinical-stage biotechnology company, Imvax is leveraging its unique immunotherapy platform to develop a pipeline of personalized, whole tumor-derived treatments targeting […]