As Executive Director of the Institute for Biohealth Innovation, Amy Adams is responsible for nurturing and advancing biohealth research and innovation interests of more than 300 faculty and thousands of students who represent a broad range of academic disciplines. She is also leading Northern Virginia’s first Innovation District in partnership with Prince William County, City Manassas, and the surrounding business community. The 3,800 acre Innovation District builds on existing strengths and focuses in strategic sectors including: Life Sciences, Aerospace, Defense, Semiconductors, and Data Infrastructure. It is home to companies ranging from start-ups to high-tech businesses with a global footprint, a life science incubator, regional airport, entertainment hub, and town center with mixed-use development under construction. Ms. Adams is responsible for supporting the advancement of research, innovation, and workforce readiness by fostering partnerships, overseeing core laboratory facilities, and building strategic programs for industry, government, and academic engagement. Her efforts are aimed to ignite the launch of start-ups; recruit, retain, and support expansion of existing companies; and grow high-quality jobs. Ms. Adams brings 23 years of experience in higher education and 18 years developing and leading new programs and organizations focused on research, innovation, and workforce development. She has partnered with leaders across the state and region to foster connected ecosystems and build novel programs to accelerate biomedical innovation. She earned a M.S. in Chemistry, B.S. in Biology, and is an author on one patent and fifteen peer reviewed articles.