Arizona Bioscience News: Barrow Neurological Institute CEO retires; ASU breaks ground on Biodesign building; Venture Madness seeks applications

October 20, 2016

By Matt Ellsworth

barrow-neurological-instituteRenowned brain surgeon to retire as CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute / Arizona Republic

Internationally renowned brain surgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler is resigning as president and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute after 30 years of leadership that helped define Barrow as a top facility for neurological and neurosurgical care, and will be replaced by former Barrow resident Dr. Michael Lawton of the University of California at San Francisco.

Doctors: More research needed to rid Arizona, California of rampant valley fever / Arizona Republic

Two out of every three cases of valley fever originate in Arizona, but experts worry that doctors and the public know too little about the incurable fungal disease that sickens tens of thousands of people in this state every year.

ASU breaks ground on $120M Biodesign C Research Building / AZ Big Media

Arizona State University broke ground on the third building in its Biodesign Institute complex, a $120 million, 188,000-square-foot facility that will accommodate multiple types of scientific research and will house the world’s first compact X-ray laser, a drug discovery and bioenergy research tool.

ASU opens first co-working space in Scottsdale / Phoenix Business Journal

ASU is opening its first co-working space in Scottsdale this month—a 7,200-square-foot space called 1951@SkySong—to offer its entrepreneurial programs to the public.

Phoenix bone-marrow transplant recipient meets his donor / Arizona Republic

The HonorHealth Cancer Transplant Institute’s annual Celebration of Life in Phoenix, which reunites patients and families who have received bone-marrow transplants while raising awareness about the need for donors, featured the first meeting of a bone-marrow transplant recipient and his donor.

Venture Madness call for applications; new seminar to prepare startups to apply / Phoenix Business Journal

The fourth annual Venture Madness bracket-style competition will be accepting applications Nov. 1 to Jan. 5 for its 2017 competition, where 64 early-stage companies will compete for a chance at the $100,000 shared prize.

New treatment at TGen Phoenix saves cancer patient’s life / 12 News

A Phoenix man is beating the odds of survival after getting the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the third-largest cancer killer in the United States, and his treatment from Translational Genomics Research Institute could mean a breakthrough for future patients.

Making the Case: What’s missing, and what’s right, in the Phoenix startup community / Phoenix Business Journal

City and business leaders from across the Phoenix area met with AOL co-founder Steve Case Oct. 7 as he toured the region’s successful startups through his Rise of the Rest bus tour. Read also: AOL co-founder’s tour highlights Phoenix entrepreneurial community

UA’s Tech Launch Arizona spurs new technologies for use around the world / Inside Tucson Business

University of Arizona’s Tech Launch Arizona has helped spur 14 new startup companies, 278 new U.S. patents and 250 new invention disclosures, according to its latest annual report, including a beating heart patch and a cream that assists in the development of melanin in the skin without UV exposure.