VITALS

VITALS

VITALS, the pulse of Georgia life sciences, brings together the leaders, the thinkers, the movers, and shakers who are putting Georgia firmly in a leadership position for what is widely known as "the biology century." These closely curated conversations are led by the President & CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, Maria Thacker Goethe. Whether it is exploring topics from policy matters and venture funding to legislative matters and artificial intelligence, Maria expertly navigates and explores to flesh out actionable information from world class guests. VITALS is brought to the community by Georgia Life Sciences in conjunction with Cloudcast Atlanta, a division of Cloudcast Media. About Georgia Life Sciences About Cloudcast Atlanta and Cloudcast Media

Episodes

October 5, 2026 • 34 mins
Tim Opler, Managing Director at Stifel, discusses why bioinnovation should be understood as a public good and how drug costs can undermine public trust in the life sciences. He explores the widening funding gap between early- and late-stage biotech, the effects of M&A and interest rates, how AI could reshape medicine around consumers, and what it takes to build a lasting life sciences ecosystem in Georgia.

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Devin Dunn, Vice President for Innovation of Texas Medical Center, discusses how TMC intentionally built a leading life sciences and healthcare innovation ecosystem by focusing on specialized talent, translational commercialization, and aligned public and private capital. She explains the evolution from accelerators to a venture fund, the impact of Texas-wide initiatives like CPRIT and a new dementia-focused fund, and why focus, ec...
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Uncertainty isn’t going away. From AI and geopolitical shifts to supply chain disruption and changing healthcare policy, today’s life sciences leaders are navigating a landscape where the only constant is change.But what if uncertainty isn’t just something to manage—it’s something you can use to your advantage? 

In the latest episode of Vitals, Gary Lynch, Founder & CEO of The Risk...
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WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

In this episode Georgia Life Sciences President & CEO, Maria Thacker Goethe, sits down with Dave Penake, CEO of Saol Therapeutics and Chair of Georgia Life Sciences, for a conversation about leadership, biotech growth, rare disease innovation, and the future of Georgia’s life sciences ecosystem.Drawing on a career that has taken him from semiconductor manufactur...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    In this episode of Vitals: Georgia's Life Sciences Podcast, Georgia Life Sciences President & CEO Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Helen Tarlatin, Director of Employee & Community Engagement at UCB, to discuss one of the most significant life sciences investments in Georgia's history. Fresh off UCB's announcement of its $2 billion biologics manufacturing facili...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    David Dodd, CEO of Geovax, discussed the evolution of Georgia's life sciences ecosystem, emphasizing the persistence and collaboration of various stakeholders over decades. Geovax's focus is on developing the Geo MVA vaccine for monkeypox and smallpox, leveraging a platform with no contraindications. The company aims to establish advanced MVA manufacturing in Georgia, ini...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    Scott Rizzo, Vice Chair of Georgia Life Sciences, discussed his career journey from the automotive industry to pharmaceutical manufacturing, highlighting his roles at Hoffman Roche, Barrier Therapeutics, and Recrow Pharma. He emphasized the importance of local government support and the recent $20 million expansion of Bend, a CDMO in Gainesville, Georgia, which will creat...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    Courtney Law, Vice President of Innovation Economy at J.P. Morgan, discussed her career journey from PhD training to her current role, emphasizing the importance of ecosystem building and leveraging resources. She highlighted the positive investment environment in the Southeast, noting a significant uptick in biopharma venture funding and the highest med tech venture acti...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    At the core of every illness is an individual. Obvious, yes, but often the individual's voice is not heard, not empowered, not embraced.  In this very robust and thought provoking episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker Goethe, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Dorothy Leone- Glasser, a registered nurse specialist in rheumatology and immunology, who shared her jo...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker Goethe, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Scott McCarty, Managing Director of Sales, Origination, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Silicon Valley Bank, who discusses venture debt strategy, cautious optimism in today’s market cycle, robust biotech exits, and how executives can scal...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES

    In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Lynn Durham, President and CEO of Georgia Core, who discusses her journey from government and politics to leading a nonprofit focused on cancer care. Georgia Core, founded in 2003, aims to improve cancer care through research, education, and advo...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES


    In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Dr. Samir Patel, President and CEO of Moonlight Therapeutics, who discusses the company's development of a micro-needle stamp for food allergy treatment. The technology, which aims to reduce side effects and improve patient adherence, is curr...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES


    In this incredible, timely, and informative episode of VITALS, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews Mike Walker, Vice President of Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft, for a rubust discussion on the integration of AI in the life sciences industry. He emphasized the importance of focusing on non-sexy use cases like SOPs and document genera...
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    WELCOME TO VITALS, THE PULSE OF GEORGIA LIFE SCIENCES


    In this episode of Vitals, Maria Thacker, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, interviews David Crane, a venture partner at 1004 Venture Partners, about the biotech industry in Georgia as well as on a national level. David, with a PhD in physics and an MBA, discusses the importance of a diverse funding stack, including NIH, VCs, family offices, and strategic partnerships...
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    Welcome to VITALS Season 2!

    To kick off the new season, the CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, Maria Thacker-Goethe, is joined in studio by the President and CEO of BIO, John Crowley, who shared his journey from business to biotech after his daughter Megan was diagnosed with Pompe Disease. He emphasized the importance of time in biotech, highlighting the transformation of cystic fibrosis treatment from a death sentence to a ...
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    In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Avi Robbins, President of the Porex Life Sciences Institute, to discuss how Porex has evolved from a Georgia Tech-founded startup into a global leader in life sciences. Avi shares insights on public-private partnerships, the role of research collaborations, and how Porex is driving innovation in medical devices and diagnostic testing. Lea...
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    In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker-Goethe speaks with Johnna Hodges, Assistant Director of UGA’s Biomedical and International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences Program. They explore the growing need for regulatory professionals in the life sciences sector, how UGA’s program is preparing students for careers in regulatory affairs, clinical trials, and drug safety, and the evolving lands...
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    Welcome to VITALS, The Georgia Life Sciences Podcast—your source for the latest insights, innovations, and industry developments in Georgia’s thriving life sciences ecosystem. This podcast highlights how Georgia Life Sciences is driving industry growth, advancing policies, and fostering strategic partnerships that support biotech professionals and companies. Each episode features conversations with industry leaders, pol...
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    In this inaugural episode of Georgia Life Sciences podcast, Maria Thacker Goethe is joined by Steve Damon, CEO of Micron Biomedical. Steve is an experienced CEO with a demonstrated history of working and succeeding in the biotechnology and medical technology industries. His background includes 4P Thereapeutics, Femasys Inc, and Altea Therapeutics among others. He currently serves as Chairman of Georgia Life Sciences. Steve and Mari...
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    In this episode of the Georgia Life Sciences Podcast, host Maria Thacker Goethe sits down with Jon Getzinger, CEO of FERMWORX, to discuss how Georgia is positioned to become a leader in biomanufacturing. Jon shares insights on how FERMWORX is producing biopolymers and scaling bio-based manufacturing, the challenges of workforce development in biotech, and how federal partnerships are reshaping the U.S. bioeconomy. Tune in to learn ...
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