Colorado has one of the best talent pools in the United States, top-tier research institutions, a major international airport, a favorable tax climate, a mountain-enhanced quality of life, and supportive organizations committed to growing this ideal environment for life sciences. The state attracts mavericks and trailblazers who are dauntless in their exploration of novel health innovation. Learn more about some of the organizations featured in our 2023-2024 BioScience Colorado Magazine, Forging the Life Sciences Frontier.

CU School of Medicine Department of Bioinformatics: Engineering Serendipity

Casey Greene, Ph.D., is the founding chair of the CU Department of Biomedical Informatics. He works on the leading edge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data, harnessing it to transform healthcare.

Hear Casey Greene talk about the future of AI with Thomas Flaig, M.D., the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in a recent podcast.

LumenAstra: Measuring Body Temperature for Safer Surgeries

Zoya Popovic, Ph.D., exemplifies the breadth of scientific and engineering expertise contributing to bioscience innovation in Colorado. Her research group’s work has involved sensors for radio telescopes; transmitters and receivers for military and space radar and communications equipment; and even a way to use microscopes to turn trash into fuel. 

Watch a video narrated by LumenAstra’s Co-Founder & CEO, Jim Pollock, to learn how the company’s technology works.  

Visit the LumenAstra website to learn more about the company and its milestones.

PharmaJet: Vaccinating the World with Colorado-Built Medical Technology

Since its founding in 2005, PharmaJet has sought to solve the problems posed by needles by combining single-use needle-free syringes with an injection system designed for at least 20,000 repetitions.

The company’s Tropis® ID system has been used for millions of inections in multiple immunization campaigns worldwide. Administering vaccines without needles boost vaccine compliance by about 20%.

Learn more about Heather Callender-Potters, Co-Founder and Chief Advocacy and Shareholder Relations Officer of PharmaJet, in an upcoming CBSA event, The Leader Within: Crafing Your Expansive Career with Heather Callender-Potters.

Umoja Biopharma: Building the Future for Cell and Gene Therapy

Umoja Biopharma recently invested in a new manufacturing facility in Louisville, which allows the company room to grow. Company Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Ryan Crisman says he envisions putting Colorado on the map as a cell and gene therapy hub.

He says the decision to develop products and manufacture in Colorado came down to abundant talent here and an environment that’s attractive to employees willing to relocate.

Learn more about the company’s Colorado facility.