New podcast highlights biotech ecosystem on the Gulf Coast

Bio from the Bayou, a new podcast produced at Tulane University School of Medicine in collaboration with LSU Health New Orleans, brings listeners biotech conversations from the entire Gulf Coast region. It’s fitting the podcast records in New Orleans as the city is dynamic and resilient, and home to leading research institutions and experts in innovation, business, investment and more. The podcast delivers information and insight in short 10-15 minute episodes, so listeners can learn while traveling or between presentations and meetings.

The podcast’s first episode is co-hosted by James Zanewicz of Tulane University and Patrick Reed of LSU Health New Orleans.  They also serve as guests, with Zanewicz recalling how he was recruited to launch the School of Medicine’s unique business development efforts. He explains how his experience working with business development partnering in the corporate world motivated him to bring the practice to academia.

“To effectively partner with industry and investors, it is important that universities begin to present our research, tools, experts and assets the way they want to receive it. By employing a mindset of complete connectivity, we ensure that we are speaking the same language and adapting at the speed of business,” Zanewicz said.

Seeing the impact at Tulane, Reed expanded his portfolio of responsibility and brought business development and partnering into his technology transfer work at LSU Health. He recognized the old ways of moving technology off the lab bench and into the world were evolving, which required new strategies and expertise to develop businesses and partner with investors.

Reed believes that traditional academic tech transfer can be a very passive activity, even when done well.

“Often, our offices must wait at the bottom of the research funnel for innovation to result,” said Reed. “By bringing business development and proactive partnering into the mix, I have an opportunity to grow the top of the funnel by bringing in additional collaborations and partnerships that maximize translational research activities.”

Bio from the Bayou will release clusters of short episodes around key Bio-Industry events such as BIO, JPM HealthCare Week, BioNetwork West and AUTM. Join the conversation by listening to podcast here.