2025 BioDiscovery Summit

On September 18th, CvilleBioHub and Cooley come together to host the full-day 2025 BioDiscovery Summit!

The 4th Annual BioDiscovery Summit brings together the biotech community and funders to witness Biospark, the high-energy, life science start-up pitch event, and also to engage with expert insight around the latest industry advancements and trends, and to celebrate another year fostering innovation. Mark your calendars and don’t miss the opportunity to take part!

The morning breakfast and evening celebration will invite informal networking and meaningful connection over food and drink by Flavor Exceptional Catering.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

BioSpark Introduction and Winner Announcement

BioSparkVA Winner Presentation

Panel: Translational Leadership - Building Companies that Bridge Science and Market
This panel of experts will discuss how scientific breakthroughs are being translated into real-world therapies by leading biotech companies, what advancing innovations and trends are shaping the future of drug discovery from early innovation to market launch, and how leadership strategies and regional strengths are fueling the rise of Virginia’s biotech ecosystem.

Introducing the Keynote Conversation

Keynote Conversation with Dr. Mark T. Esser

Closing Remarks

Sol Collado, Ph.D.
Senior Director and Head of Drug Discovery, Rivus Pharmaceuticals

Dr. M. Sol Collado is the Senior Director and Head of Drug Discovery at Rivus Pharmaceuticals, where she leads early-stage discovery initiatives focused on advancing novel therapeutics in obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases.

Before joining Rivus, Dr. Collado spent nearly 12 years at HemoShear Therapeutics in Charlottesville. She began in 2012 as a Senior Scientist and steadily rose through the ranks—serving as Preclinical Program Leader from 2015 to 2021, then as Executive Director and Head of Discovery Biology from November 2021 until February 2024. In that latter position, she oversaw internal rare disease discovery programs and drove key partnerships, including the development of groundbreaking human tissue-based liver rare disease models under HemoShear’s REVEAL‑Tx™ platform in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Collado earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology/Neuroscience from the University of Houston (2001–2006) and holds a B.S. in Biotechnology from Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina (1995–2000). During her early career, she served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Research Scientist at the University of Virginia (2007–2012), where she investigated targets for tissue regeneration after age-related hearing loss.

Walter Colsman, MBA
CEO, BrightSpec

Walter H. Colsman is the Chief Executive Officer of BrightSpec, a Charlottesville-based life science instrumentation company pioneering the commercial use of Molecular Rotational Resonance (MRR) technology. Under his leadership, BrightSpec is advancing innovative analytical tools that support pharmaceutical and chemical research and manufacturing.

Before joining BrightSpec, Walter held a variety of leadership and advisory roles across the healthcare, investment, and technology sectors. He served as Chief Financial Officer at CereVasc LLC, a development-stage medical device company, and spent over a decade as a senior equity analyst covering the healthcare sector at Columbia

Threadneedle Investments. His investment career also includes roles at hedge funds such as Standard Pacific Capital and Palo Alto Investors.

Earlier in his career, Walter was involved in founding and leading several internet startups and worked in strategy consulting with Bain & Company and the Lucas Group. He also served as a financial planning analyst for Pepsi-Cola International.

Walter earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from Dartmouth College and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. His career reflects a deep commitment to innovation at the intersection of science, business, and technology, from both investor and operator perspectives.

Michelle Higgins, Ph.D.
CEO, Pharma Directions

Michelle is a versatile Development & Regulatory Strategist in all phases of drug development. She has supported the virtual biotech model for the past 15 years and has conducted numerous health authority meetings (eg. Pre-IND Meetings) and successfully opened 40+ INDs/IMPDs/CTAs/NDAs in US, Europe, and Australia in many therapeutic areas (neuroscience, psychiatry, oncology, GI and cell/gene therapies). Her primary competencies are in aggressive program management of: Discovery, DMPK, CMC, preclinical pharmacology, nonclinical, regulatory, and early phase clinical trials. She has played leadership roles in a number of biotech companies including but not limited to: Complexa, Cavion (now Jazz), Cortendo (now Strongbridge). Michelle currently holds leadership roles in several other biotech companies.

Mark T. Esser, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer and Head, UVA Paul and Dianne Manning Institute of Biotechnology

Mark Esser is the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of the UVA Paul and Dianne Manning Institute of Biotechnology, and Thomas A. Saunders III Family Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished University Professor. Previously, he was Vice President of Vaccines and Immune Therapies Early Research and Development for AstraZeneca. In this role, he oversaw all antibody and vaccine discovery, research, and translational medicine for AstraZeneca’s infectious disease programs, bringing early science from concept to the clinic.

He led Evusheld, AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody program, to a successful emergency use authorization and supported research and development efforts for the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria. He also played a key role in the development and FDA approval of the antibody Beyfortus for the prevention of RSV in infants.

Before his role at AstraZeneca, Esser was the director of the Vaccine and Biologics Center of Excellence at Pharmaceutical Product Development. Before PPD, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Merck Vaccines and was instrumental in the approval of GARDASIL for the prevention of cervical cancer.

Esser received his B.S. in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University, his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Virginia, and completed postdoctoral fellowship training at the AIDS vaccine program at the National Institutes of Health. He holds more than 100 peer-reviewed research and clinical publications, five patents, and has contributed to more than 20 drug and vaccine discovery and development programs.

Lila Inman, JD
Associate, Cooley

Lila Inman’s practice focuses on the representation of emerging and high growth companies and the investors that back them, throughout all stages of their life cycle, helping clients navigate complex business issues associated with building, growing and ultimately exiting. She regularly counsels clients on a diverse range of critical transactions, including angel, seed, venture and private equity financings and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to law school, Lila worked as a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she audited clients in the Consumer and Industrial Products and Services industry.

She holds a BA in German from the University of Virginia, a BS in Accounting from UVA’s Mcintire School of Commerce, and a J.D. from William and Mary University.

Info: Pick up your badge at the registration table and enjoy some breakfast bites and a cup of tea or coffee.

Info: BioSpark is a live pitch competition for life sciences start-ups. Pitches are limited to an 8-minute presentation plus a 5-minute Q&A with a panel of judges. Companies compete for $15,000 and other prizes.

Info: Pick up your badge at the registration table.

Info: The main stage program will feature a presentation from the BioSpark Pitch Competition First Prize winner, a panel of professionals discussing how biotech leaders are advancing innovation in drug discovery, remarks from biotech community leaders, and more!

Info: This evening celebration will invite informal networking and meaningful connection over food and drink.

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