The Vanderbilt Industry Collaborations team recently welcomed Gondola Bio, a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics for genetically defined diseases, for a two-day campus visit coordinated by Swapneeta Date, PhD, assistant director of Life Sciences Collaborations. The event was focused on accelerating translational research, fostering scientific exchange and exploring new opportunities in genetic disease therapeutics; and it highlighted the growing importance of collaboration between academic researchers and industry partners in moving scientific discoveries toward clinical impact.
The program showcased Vanderbilt’s depth of expertise across different fields such as genetics, rare disease, neuroscience, drug discovery, engineering and translational medicine. Researchers from across VU and VUMC presented work spanning biomedical engineering, cancer drug discovery, nephrology, matrix biology, neuroscience and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Featured presenters included:
- Alexander G. Bick, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine, director of the Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology and Edward Claiborne Stahlman Chair
- Jennifer (Piper) Below, PhD, professor of Medicine and director of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute
- Jill Pulley, MBA, executive director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR)
- Cheryl Lynn Gatto, PhD, research associate professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- W. David Merryman, PhD, Walters Family Professor and associate chair of Biomedical Engineering
- Alex G. Waterson, PhD, research professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Cancer Drug Discovery
- Gordon Stott, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health
- Matthew H. Wilson, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
- Billy G. Hudson, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology, Elliott V. Newman Professor of Medicine
- Sergey Budko, PhD, research assistant professor of Medicine
- Ethan Lippmann, PhD, associate professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Neurology
- Colleen Niswender, PhD, associate professor of Pharmacology and director of Molecular Pharmacology for the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery
- Lisa Monteggia, PhD, Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and professor of Pharmacology
- Jeffrey L. Neul, MD, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair and professor of Pediatrics
About the Industry Collaborations Team
The Industry Collaborations team identifies, supports, and stewards corporate research and development partnerships across Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Focusing on Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, our team cultivates collaborative research partnerships in a variety of industries. From automotive to pharmaceuticals to defense tech, their focus is to grow our industry-sponsored research portfolio with partners who seek to further develop and commercialize Vanderbilt technologies. Connect with the team.