This episode brings together three leaders working at the intersection of pediatric innovation, health security, and early-stage commercialization. Kolaleh Eskandanian, Program Director of SPARK, is joined by founders Dori Jones of AcQumen Medical and Jugal Suthar of Vesynta for a conversation about advancing breakthrough solutions for children. They discuss the mission behind the BARDA-funded SPARK for Innovations in Pediatrics Hub at Children’s National Hospital, the challenges of developing technologies for pediatric populations, and the impact of public-private partnerships in moving lifesaving tools to market. Dori and Jugal share what their companies are building, the inflection points that shaped their journeys, and how BioHealth Innovation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence program supported their progress. The group reflects on lessons learned, the value of mentorship, and how collaborative accelerator ecosystems help drive breakthroughs in pediatric care, preparedness, and health equity.
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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Dr. Kolaleh Eskandanian is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric health innovation with more than twenty years of experience across academia, government, and industry. She previously served as Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Children’s National Hospital, where she founded Innovation Ventures and secured significant federal funding, patents, and licensed technologies. She now leads the BARDA-funded SPARK Accelerator Hub for Pediatrics and serves as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Compremium AG, while also supporting early-stage innovators as an angel investor with Citrine Angels.
Dori Jones is the Co-Founder and CEO of AcQumen Medical, a medtech company developing UltraTrac, the first ultrasound-guided impedance technology designed for rapid assessment of hemodynamics in critically ill infants and children. She brings nearly two decades of experience across R&D, clinical education, and commercialization roles supporting cardiac and critical care devices at organizations ranging from early startups to Abbott and Medtronic. Her commitment to pediatric innovation is shaped in part by her experience as the mother of a NICU and PICU patient.
Dr. Jugal Suthar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vesynta, a precision medicine company developing the DosoLogic platform, the first marketplace-enabled precision prescribing software aimed at improving accuracy and safety for every patient. His background includes clinical work as a hospital pharmacist and roles in drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. His PhD in precision medicine fuels his focus on bringing personalized dosing insights to populations often underrepresented in clinical research.
RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly (Lilly), and Merck to develop the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (APM) was executed by Governor Glenn Youngkin at a statewide gathering with key leaders from Virginia’s life sciences ecosystem, higher-ed universities, and community colleges on October 31. This landmark public-private industry partnership commits $120 million of workforce investment from AstraZeneca, Lilly, and Merck, and builds directly on their recently announced $12.5 billion of capex expansion investment in Virginia, which will create thousands of new jobs over the next several years.
The Virginia Center for APM will span Virginia’s Richmond-Petersburg-Charlottesville corridor in central Virginia – a U.S. EDA-designated tech hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing – and create a neutral, industry-aligned workforce training and education center that offers opportunity for all Virginians. The Center will prepare students and workers for the next generation of high-quality, high-demand advanced manufacturing jobs in biopharma through hands-on GMP-simulated training, industry credentials and certifications, and employer apprenticeships and internships. Operating in close collaboration with Virginia’s leading universities and community colleges, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University, James Madison University, and Hampton University, as well as Brightpoint Community College, Reynolds Community College, Piedmont Virginia Community College, and Blue Ridge Community College, the Center will enable workforce training pathways across technician levels as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs.
VIPC serves as Virginia’s designated statewide economic development authority for accelerating innovation ecosystem growth throughout the Commonwealth and across key strategic industries by fueling research, commercialization, entrepreneurship, talent, place-making infrastructure, access to capital, and public-private partnerships. VIPC has supported Virginia’s life sciences innovation ecosystem by catalyzing new statewide initiatives including Virginia’s Research Diamond for university research and science development, Virginia’s Lab-to-Launch for technology commercialization, the Virginia Accelerator Network for startup entrepreneur support, and Virginia Invest for access to investor capital. VIPC leads with collaboration, working closely with regional stakeholders and other state economic development agencies including VEDP, GO Virginia, Virginia Works, Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.
“Talent and workforce are essential ingredients in cultivating a thriving innovation ecosystem. VIPC is thrilled to partner with life sciences industry leaders, regional ecosystem stakeholders, and our world-class universities and community colleges to grow talent, innovation, and opportunity in the Commonwealth,” said Joe Benevento, President and CEO of VIPC. “Together, we are accelerating growth in Virginia through the power of collaboration and innovation.”
“VCU was a pioneer and has long been committed to the nation’s pharmaceutical engineering and drug development pipeline. Our overall goal has always been simple yet profound: unite talent and spark innovation through thoughtful research to produce better public health outcomes. This partnership accelerates that mission and positions Virginia to improve, and save, countless lives,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D.
“Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge research, the University of Virginia is driving discoveries that shape the future and create real-world impact. We are proud to be part of this collaboration that will advance knowledge and strengthen Virginia’s innovation ecosystem, fueling economic growth and creating opportunities that benefit communities across the Commonwealth,” said Brie Gertler, UVA Interim Executive Vice President and Provost.
“I am thrilled at the opportunities the Center will provide for educators and workforce professionals to better work with industry to provide Virginia’s secondary and higher education students as well as our adult learners, transitioning military service members, and other job seekers and career switchers with industry-aligned instruction, credentials, assessments, and work-based learning,” said Elizabeth Creamer, Vice President, Community College Workforce Alliance, a division of Reynolds and Brightpoint Community Colleges.
“This moment reflects the power of partnership at its best: public and private sectors coming together to build better medicine, create meaningful careers, and strengthen the supply chain infrastructure that serves us all,” said Robby Demeria, founding Board Chair of the Alliance for Building Better Medicine. “This transformative investment embodies the mission that has guided the Alliance since its formation and represents the type of momentum we set out to create as a region just five years ago. Together, we are building better medicine.”
“The industry partnership with AstraZeneca, Lilly, and Merck – alongside – the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation – demonstrates – the power of collaboration to drive transformative growth in our life sciences ecosystem,” said John Newby, CEO of the Virginia Biotechnology Association. “Virginia is building a model that connects innovation, education, and industry like never before. This initiative will strengthen Virginia’s position as a national leader in biomanufacturing and ensure a robust talent pipeline to support the industry’s future, in Virginia and beyond.”
“Building a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce demands true alignment between industry, academia, and community – and Virginia is stepping into that future with intention and boldness. This new center will create exactly the kind of on-ramps, training, and upward mobility our region needs, while strengthening the commercialization engine that drives Virginia’s biotech future,” said Nikki Hastings, PhD, Executive Director of CvilleBioHub.
About VIPC
Connecting innovators with opportunities . The Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) is the designated state economic authority responsible for fueling Virginia’s innovation-driven economy by amplifying entrepreneurial startup ecosystems, accelerating technology commercialization pathways, and attracting early-stage investment capital. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
Contact
Jennifer Hiltwine
Senior Writer & Editor
jennifer.hiltwine@virginiaipc.org
This month, a new Northern Virginia International Soft-Landing Accelerator (NISA) program, designed to help start-ups from around the globe find guidance, connections, and lab or office spaces at no cost, was launched to help develop new technologies in life sciences.
Applications are now open for the first NISA cohort. Participants in the six-month program will have access to George Mason University’s cutting-edge labs, research, and strong business and government network across the region, propelling ideas from lab to market quickly. Selected companies can work from lab or office space at Endeavor234 and Centerfuse while drawing on support from local legal, financial, real estate, and accounting partners to ease their move into the community.
The program is led by George Mason in partnership with Naugen, a global innovation accelerator recognized for helping ventures enter and grow in untapped markets, at its Science and Technology Campus, located in the heart of the new Innovation District, founded by Prince William County, the City of Manassas, and George Mason. Naugen and George Mason are collaborating with regional economic development groups and private-sector partners on the initiative.
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BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a leading public-private nonprofit organization supporting healthcare innovation in the BioHealth Capital Region, announces the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors: Matthew Keesan, Vice President and GM of Quantum Platform at IonQ, and Prashant Panchal, Director of Business Planning and Operations at AstraZeneca. Their backgrounds strengthen BHI’s commitment to advancing a region known for scientific leadership, emerging technologies, and next-generation workforce development.
Matth Keesan brings deep experience in software engineering, cloud infrastructure, and quantum computing. As Vice President and GM of Quantum Platform at IonQ, he leads the teams responsible for the APIs, tools, integrations, and services that make IonQ’s systems available around the clock to customers across the globe. His career began after studying computer science and literature at the University of Pennsylvania and helping build AddThis, which was later acquired by Oracle, where he played a key role in scaling products to more than 1 billion monthly users. Before joining IonQ, he served as CTO of Ando, later acquired by Uber, and advised several early-stage companies across manufacturing, ecommerce, video streaming, and identity-as-a-service.
Since joining IonQ in 2017, Mr. Keesan has led the development of IonQ’s Quantum OS, guided the launch of IonQ’s systems on Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud, and built the company’s security and global operations functions. His leadership has spanned product management, engineering, and distributed quantum computing as IonQ continues expanding its footprint in the United States and Europe.
Prashant Panchal offers more than 15 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, drawing from roles that combine scientific training with business strategy and operations. As Director of Business Planning and Operations at AstraZeneca, he oversees capacity planning, capital expenditure, contracts, portfolio management, and governance for a department of more than 1,100 employees supporting over 100 drug programs. His previous experience includes positions at Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Teva Biopharmaceuticals USA, and AGC Biologics, one of the largest contract manufacturers in the sector.
Mr. Panchal also serves on the board of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College (PIC MC), where he supports academic-industry collaboration and workforce development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a focus on Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics from the University of Maryland and earned both a Master of Science in Biotechnology Management and an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
“We are pleased to welcome Matthew and Prashant to the BHI Board,” said Rich Bendis, Founder, President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation. “Their experience in quantum technology, biopharmaceutical operations, and regional workforce development will strengthen our work and help guide BHI as we continue supporting entrepreneurs, researchers, and partners across the BioHealth Capital Region.”
BHI extends its appreciation to John A. Sackett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Adventist HealthCare, for his service as a member of the Board. Adventist Healthcare was one of the founding members of the BHI Board, and John has been a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Compensation Committee for several years. His leadership and commitment have supported BHI’s mission and contributed to the growth of the region’s life sciences ecosystem.
About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) is a public-private nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating biohealth (therapeutic, diagnostic, medtech, and health IT) commercialization in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC, and Virginia). For more information, please visit www.BioHealthInnovation.org.
In this episode of BioTalk, CEO Gerard Eldering explains how Perfusion Medical is addressing a problem that trauma physicians and military medics have been struggling with for decades: capillary compression. Perfusion Medical is developing a drug aimed at treating hemorrhagic shock and other ischemic conditions. PM‑208 is a novel IV therapeutic designed to restore capillary blood flow, resolve ischemia, and protect vital organs. The team has advanced this work with $19 million in Department of Defense funding. He describes the scale of the unmet need, why PM‑208 is both organ- and disease‑agnostic, and how its simple formulation and strong safety profile position it for broad medical use.
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Eldering also reflects on the company’s path through the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition. After a second‑place finish a few years earlier, Perfusion Medical returned to the stage and won the 2025 competition. He shares what that experience has meant for the team and why building the company in the BioHealth Capital Region—particularly from a Virginia base—has been a strategic advantage.
The conversation moves through the role of early federal funding and programs like SBIR/STTR in de‑risking breakthrough therapies, and how university research partnerships have strengthened PM‑208’s development. Eldering highlights how public‑private collaboration has shaped the company’s progress and made it possible to push a complex medical solution toward patients more quickly.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant
About Gerard Eldering Gerard Eldering is the CEO of Perfusion Medical and a nationally recognized expert in technology transfer and venture formation. Since becoming an entrepreneur in 2007, he has helped launch more than a dozen startups, raised more than $15 million in seed funding, and led the turnaround and sale of a technology consulting firm. Before founding Perfusion Medical, he built and led The MITRE Corporation’s Technology Transfer Office. Eldering is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a helicopter pilot and instructor. He holds a B.A. in Physics, an M.B.A., and is a registered patent agent.