On February 24, join Life Science Tennessee members, researchers, and industry executives from across the state for a daylong advocacy event. During our Day on the Hill, members and stakeholders meet with Tennessee state lawmakers to discuss how we can better support life science companies, advance research and development, and continue to grow Tennessee's bioscience economy.

This annual event will begin with a policy briefing for attendees, followed by a day of meetings with state legislators. We will cap off the day with a "Toast to Tennessee Innovation" legislative reception cohosted with Launch Tennessee.

Registration is required. See details below.

Save the date for the next Life Science Venture Program education session! On March 10 we will be in Nashville for a session focused on commercialization. More details to be announced.

Immediately afterward, we’ll host our Beer & Biotech for Middle Tennessee. Enjoy a complimentary drink and light bites while meeting researchers, postdocs, entrepreneurs, and representatives from Middle Tennessee’s growing biotech landscape. 

We hosted an Ecosystem Building Breakfast this week featuring Stuart McWhorter, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD); Nathan Buttrey, senior advisor to the Commissioner, Office of Innovation, TNECD; and Lori Odom, Senior Vice President of Economic Development & International Business, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The conversation focused on the recent alignment of industry and government to spur innovation and celebrated how Tennessee is building real momentum as a center for life science and biotech innovation. The speakers also discussed ways to build on the state’s growing visibility and sustain progress. Reflecting on our industry’s strengths while defining long-term priorities led to a thoughtful and energizing discussion. 

Susan Margulies, former assistant director of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Engineering and a distinguished professor at the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been appointed vice provost for research and innovation. Her appointment begins June 1.

Margulies will be instrumental in working with university leadership to forge innovative partnerships with funding agencies, foundations and private industry.

“Susan Margulies is a world-renowned scholar and leader whose career reflects the full arc of research excellence — from foundational discovery to real-world impact,” said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver. “Her deep understanding of the federal research enterprise, her success building ambitious cross-sector partnerships and her commitment to supporting researchers at every stage make her uniquely suited to lead Vanderbilt’s next era of innovation and discovery.”

As a scholar, Margulies is internationally recognized for pioneering studies to identify mechanisms underlying brain injuries in children and adolescents and lung injuries associated with mechanical ventilation, leading to improved injury prevention, diagnosis and treatments.

Nashville Biosciences has announced the appointments of two executive leadership roles. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center-backed health care data company has named Wacey Richards as chief technology officer and Elizabeth Ann Stringer as chief operating officer. 

Richards brings 25 years of experience in technology and engineering leadership to the role. Richards previously served as NashBio’s vice president of engineering, leading the development of its trusted research environment and the buildout of its cloud infrastructure and other supporting technologies. 

Stringer leads NashBio’s scientific, clinical and product teams and oversees the tailoring of the company’s multi-modal datasets to meet customer needs. Stringer previously served as NashBio’s chief scientific officer and has led the company’s contributions to the Alliance for Genomic Discovery initiative over the past three years. 

“These two leaders have unparalleled expertise that will propel NashBio to the forefront of real-world omics innovation, firmly establishing us as an indispensable resource shaping the future of life sciences research and development,” Leeland Ekstrom, co-founder, chief executive officer and director of NashBio, said in the release. 

Thank you to everyone who turned out for our Life Science Venture Program education session and Beer & Biotech in Knoxville earlier this month. See photos and read a recap in Teknovation!

Frontiers 2026, held February 19-20 in Nashville, is a deal-making summit at the intersection of technology, biology, and healthcare. Designed by Phase Capital, Frontiers convenes founders, investors, health system leaders, policymakers, and operators for two days of candid conversation, market-shaping insight, and relationship-driven outcomes.

This is not a passive conference. Frontiers is built to surface where capital is moving, how innovation is actually being deployed, and what it takes to translate scientific and technological breakthroughs into real-world impact.

The session will showcase how the Technology Maturation Grant supports post-validation technical and commercial de-risking, rather than early-stage research or general business support. Participants will gain an understanding of how the program supports activities such as prototype refinement, performance validation, scale-up feasibility, and regulatory preparation to strengthen a technology’s position for industry engagement. The session will also examine how the Technology Maturation Grant fits within Launch Tennessee and TTAC’s broader commercialization pipeline.

From June 22-25, biotech companies of all sizes will be in San Diego, California for the 2026 BIO International Conference. The conference will attract more than 20,000 life science executives and researchers from across the world to develop business connections.

This year, Tennessee will expand its presence with the Tennessee Booth and Tennessee Reception during BIO's signature conference. If you'll be there, stop by the Tennessee Booth (booth #3117) to connect with the biotech and economic development representatives from across the Volunteer State. If you would like to be involved in Tennessee's presence at BIO, please email Hannah Taylor.

Legislation targeting the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) was passed by Congress, with the goal of greater transparency and increased pharmacy access.

Each dollar of LaunchTN's InvestTN capital is estimated to attract about four dollars of private investment.

A recently released state audit of Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager and subsidiary of national drug store operator CVS Health, identified nearly a dozen violations related to reimbursement and other practices. 

BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley testified before the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee and highlighted PBMs’ impact on drug prices.

Roane State’s Knox Regional Health Science Education Center is now open, including the facility’s flagship Roane State Simulation Center – the first of its kind in Tennessee.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the selection of 15 high-cost prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D and, for the first time, drugs payable under Medicare Part B.