The 12th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum brought leaders from industry, academia, government, investment, research institutions, economic development, and entrepreneurship together on September 15 and 16 at U.S. Pharmacopeia in Rockville, Maryland.
Under the 2026 theme, “Growing the BioHealth Capital Region of Tomorrow,” the two-day Forum focused on the people, technologies, infrastructure, capital and partnerships needed to strengthen the region and support its next stage of growth.
The Forum was part of BioHealth Capital Region Week, which continued September 17 with the BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference.
2026 BioHealth Capital Region Week by the Numbers
This year’s participation reflected the strength and reach of the regional ecosystem.
Nearly 1,100 people registered for the BioHealth Capital Region Forum, bringing together leaders from across the region and beyond.
The BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference drew approximately 350 registrants, creating another opportunity for companies, investors and strategic partners to connect.
The Crab Trap Competition received a record 82 applications, highlighting the depth of the emerging company pipeline.
And more than 50 sponsors supported BioHealth Capital Region Week, helping make an event of this size possible while keeping the Forum free for everyone to attend.
Day 1: The Region Today and Where It Goes Next
Welcome Remarks
Rich Bendis, Founder, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), opened the Forum alongside Fouad Atouf, Chief Science Officer at U.S. Pharmacopeia, welcoming attendees and setting the stage for two days focused on the future of the BioHealth Capital Region.
GEN Top 10 BioCluster Update
Alex Philippidis, Senior Business Editor at Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, returned to the Forum with the annual GEN Top 10 BioCluster Update.
The BioHealth Capital Region again ranked among the Top 3 U.S. Biopharma Clusters, marking the fourth consecutive year the region has held a Top 3 position. The update provided a national view of how the region compares across research, talent, companies, funding, and other factors that shape leading life sciences ecosystems.
BioHealth Capital Region Update
Pete Briskman, Executive Managing Director at JLL, followed with the annual BioHealth Capital Region Update, sharing a look at market conditions, development trends, and the broader forces affecting companies, institutions, and communities across the region.
Philippidis and Briskman then came together for a Q&A, connecting the national BioCluster rankings with what is happening on the ground throughout the BioHealth Capital Region.
EY Keynote: The Race for Growth: How Competition, Capital and Innovation Are Reshaping Life Sciences
Subin Baral, EY-Parthenon Global Life Sciences Deals Leader, delivered the Day 1 keynote.
His remarks looked at a changing life sciences environment in which access to capital, differentiated science, strategic partnerships, and execution are increasingly shaping how companies grow and compete.
The BioHealth Capital Region as the Nation’s Standard-Setter
Moderator: Amanda Cowley, Executive Vice President, Programs, Regional Operations & Strategy and Chief Growth Officer, USP
Panelists:
- Rebecca Bradford, Senior Vice President, ATCC Federal Solutions
- Sheng Lin-Gibson, Chief, Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, NIST
- Laurie Locascio, President and CEO, ANSI
- Diane McCarthy, Vice President, Global Biologics, U.S. Pharmacopeia
The panel highlighted a major strength of the BioHealth Capital Region that extends beyond company formation and biomedical research. The region is also home to institutions that help establish the standards, measurements, and quality systems supporting life sciences nationally and internationally.
Securing the Future of the U.S. Medicine Supply: Investments in Onshoring and Innovative Production of Medicines in the Capital Region
Moderator: Betsy Baer, Senior Resiliency Center Business Development Director, USP
Panelists:
- Karina Barao, Policy and External Affairs Advisor, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology
- Stanley Kwok, Director in Biologics Product Development, AstraZeneca
- Andrew Maygar, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Capra Biosciences
The conversation examined onshoring, advanced manufacturing, supply chain resilience, and the investment required to expand U.S. medicine production, including the role the BioHealth Capital Region can play in strengthening domestic capacity.
Biotech in the BioHealth Capital Region
Moderator: John Newby, CEO, Virginia Bio
Panelists:
- Eric Arocho, Associate Vice President and Site Head, Eli Lilly and Company
- Tshaka Cunningham, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Director of Research & Development, Polaris Genomics Inc.
- Timothy Dec, Senior Vice President of Finance, Supernus Pharmaceuticals
- Dan Wygal, Vice President, U.S. Corporate & Government Affairs, AstraZeneca
The panel focused on what helps biotech companies start, stay, expand, and invest in the BioHealth Capital Region, along with the challenges the ecosystem must continue to address to support future growth.
Computational Health
Moderator: Matt Cimino, Senior Manager, Business Development, Life Sciences, Maryland Department of Commerce
Panelists:
- Harry Coker, Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce
- Rozalina McCoy, Associate Professor and Vice Chief of Clinical Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Eric Van Gieson, CEO, Epoch Epigenetic
- Rose Wang, Founder and CEO, 1104Health
The panel explored how AI, data, and computational technologies are influencing research, clinical care, company development, and decision-making across health and life sciences.
The Infrastructure Behind the BioHealth Capital Region: Design, Financing, Construction and Demand
Moderator: Brian Darmody, Chief Strategy Officer, Association of University Research Parks
Panelists:
- Stephen Blair, Principal and Science & Technology Practice Leader, CannonDesign
- Matt Brady, President, Scheer Partners
- Mark VanderZyl, Director, Connect Labs Baltimore, Wexford Science & Technology
The discussion focused on the physical infrastructure behind a growing biohealth ecosystem, including laboratory and innovation space, financing, construction and how future development can respond to changing demand from companies and researchers.
Rich Bendis closed Day 1 before attendees moved into the evening networking reception.
Day 2: Quantum, Commercialization, Talent and Investment
Opening Remarks and Fireside Chat on Quantum in BioHealth
Day 2 kicked off with a Fireside Chat on Quantum in BioHealth, moderated by Rich Bendis, Founder, President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
He was joined by:
- Cameron Chehreh, Vice President of Engineering and CTO, IonQ
- Travis McCready, Head of Industries, Leasing Advisory, JLL
The conversation looked at where quantum technology is headed, what emerging capabilities could mean for life sciences and healthcare, and how the BioHealth Capital Region can position itself as quantum and biohealth continue to converge.
Quantum in BioHealth: From Infrastructure to Research Impact
Moderator: Matt Cimino, Senior Manager, Business Development, Life Sciences, Maryland Department of Commerce
Panelists:
- Matt Keesan, Vice President and GM, Quantum Platform, IonQ
- Wolfgang Losert, MPower Professor of Physics, University of Maryland
- Geetha Senthil, Deputy Director, Office of Special Initiatives, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health
- Amanda Stein, CEO, Quantum Catalyzer
The discussion moved from quantum infrastructure to potential research and life sciences applications, connecting emerging capabilities with translational science, partnerships, and future commercialization opportunities.
Universities and Innovation Districts Driving the Region Forward
Moderator: Tatiana Litvin-Vechnyak, Ph.D., Vice President, Office of Technology Commercialization, Georgetown University
Panelists:
- Amy Adams, Executive Director, Institute for Biohealth Innovation, George Mason University
- Norman Beauchamp, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, Georgetown University Medical Center
- Noah Olson, Vice President of Innovation, Enterprise and Expansion, Delaware Prosperity Partnership
- Patrick O’Shea, Vice President and Chief Research Officer, University of Maryland, College Park and Baltimore enterprise
The panel examined how universities, commercialization programs, innovation districts and economic development organizations can connect research, talent, entrepreneurship and physical infrastructure to create stronger pathways from discovery to company formation and growth.
Bridging the BioHealth Commercialization Talent Gap
Moderator: Donna Edmonds, CEO, BRAINBox Solutions Inc.
Panelists:
- Liz Doerr, Partner and Co-Founder, Sandbox
- Sam Gussman-Toh, Small Business Program Portfolio Manager, ARPA-H
- Luis Gutierrez, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
- Caron Trumbo, Vice President of Operations, Virginia Bio
The conversation examined how universities, startups, and early-stage companies can access leadership, fractional C-suite support, workforce talent, and commercialization expertise as they work to move discoveries toward viable products and companies.
Turning Breakthrough Medical Innovation into Impact for Military and Civilian Markets
Moderator: Liz Powell, Founder and CEO, G2G Consulting
Panelists:
- Deborah Hemingway, Managing Partner, Ecphora Capital
- Benjamin Holmes, CEO and Founder, Nanochon
- Retired Commander Chris Steele, Chief of Strategy and Business Development, MTEC
- David Stewart, COO, Theradaptive
The panel looked at how companies can navigate funding, partnerships, product development and commercialization when technologies have applications across both military health and civilian healthcare markets.
2026 BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition
The afternoon then shifted to the 2026 BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition, bringing six finalists to the stage from a record field of 82 applicants.
Actuated Medical, Inc. of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was named the 2026 Crab Trap winner.
Maureen L. Mulvihill, Ph.D., President, CEO, and Co-Founder, presented the company’s NeuralGlider® platform, a precision brain access and deep brain therapy delivery technology.
As the winner, Actuated Medical received $15,000 from VIPC and BioHealth Innovation, Inc., $10,000 in IT and cybersecurity services from Info Pathways, and $10,000 in CRO services from Noble Life Sciences.
Building a Thriving BioHealth Economy Through Investment Funding and Public-Private Partnerships
Moderator: Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
Panelists:
- Danny Chavez, Vice President of Business Development, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation
- Rebecca “Becky” Fisher, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Program Management, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
- Sam Gussman-Toh, Small Business Program Portfolio Manager, ARPA-H
- Tami Howie, Deputy Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Matt McMahon, Director of SEED, National Institutes of Health
The final conversation brought together federal funding, economic development and commercialization perspectives to look at how companies can access resources, build partnerships, attract investment and grow within the region. The published program had originally listed Howie, McMahon, Smith and Gussman-Toh alongside Bendis as moderator.
Closing Remarks
Rich Bendis and Ron Piervincenzi, CEO of U.S. Pharmacopeia, closed the two-day Forum before attendees moved into the final networking reception and a live performance by the USP House Band, the Impurities!
Also in Attendance: The Next Generation of BioHealth Leaders
Also in attendance at the 2026 BioHealth Capital Region Forum was a group of students from the Georgetown University Biotechnology Program, representing the next generation of biotechnology and biohealth professionals.
The students bring diverse backgrounds, scientific curiosity, and a shared interest in innovation. Georgetown’s Biotechnology Program combines science, business, entrepreneurship and hands-on industry experience, preparing students to translate scientific advances into meaningful impact across biotechnology, healthcare and society.
Having students in the room alongside industry executives, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and public-sector leaders is an important part of building the future of the BioHealth Capital Region. We were glad to welcome the Georgetown group to this year’s Forum and give them an opportunity to connect directly with the people and organizations shaping the region today.
The Investment Conference Continues the Conversation
BioHealth Capital Region Week continued on September 17 with the BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference, bringing companies, investors, and strategic partners together for a full day focused on introductions, conversations, and potential opportunities to work together.
The morning also marked the return of the Quick-Pitch Session in the U.S. Pharmacopeia Auditorium.
A total of 20 companies took the stage for seven-minute introductions, giving the audience a quick look at their technologies, businesses, and plans for growth. Each presentation was followed by a few questions from the crowd, providing an opportunity for companies to introduce themselves to a wider audience before conversations continued throughout the Investment Conference.
The Quick-Pitch Session complemented the day’s one-on-one meetings, giving investors and other attendees another way to discover companies, make connections, and identify follow-up opportunities.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
An event of this size does not happen without the organizations that choose to support it.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc. is grateful to the more than 50 sponsors who helped make the 2026 BioHealth Capital Region Forum and BioHealth Capital Region Week possible.
Their support helps bring together entrepreneurs, researchers, executives, investors, government leaders, universities, economic development organizations, and ecosystem partners from across Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and beyond.
It also allows BHI to keep the BioHealth Capital Region Forum free for everyone to attend.
That accessibility is an important part of BioHealth Capital Region Week. Emerging companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, government leaders, and other members of the ecosystem can participate, build relationships, and be part of the conversation without a registration fee determining who gets to be in the room.
Thank you to every organization represented on this year’s sponsor graphic for investing in the region and helping make an event of this scale possible.
