Forensic Lab Named in Honor of Dr. Paul Ferrara
The Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS) laboratory building, located in Richmond at 700 North Fifth Street in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, has been named in honor of the late Dr. Paul B. Ferrara, former Director of the state’s forensic laboratory system. Dr. Ferrara, who retired from DFS in 2006, passed away earlier this year.
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Lab Expansion in BioTech Park Bringing 653 New Jobs
Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced a planned expansion by Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. that would bring $68.5 million in capital investment and 653 new jobs to the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park. The health-management company started in 2009 and has experienced such rapid growth that it realized in September that it would need to relocate or expand its 30,000 square-foot presence in the downtown research park, said Tonya Mallory, the company’s president and chief executive officer. The company decided to remain in Richmond at the BioTech park in light of its proximity and existing relationships with VCU Medical Center.
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GRP From Virginia Visits Sweden
On November 8th-9th, the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce welcomed representatives from the Greater Richmond Partnership, a long-time partner to SACC-USA, to Stockholm and Malmö. The host of the seminar in Stockholm was Sweden Bio and they welcomed the participants by introducing the biotech market in Sweden, as SwedenBio is the national organization of biotech companies in Sweden. The Greater Richmond Partnership covered topics such as how to be successful in doing business in the U.S., specifically in the biotech sector.
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Ampliphi Biosciences Announces First Closing of $2.7M
AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation (APHB.PK), the leader in the development of bacteriophage-based anti-bacterial therapies to treat drug resistant infections, has announced that it has closed on an initial amount of $2.7M in equity investment and convertible loan notes to support the further progress of the Company. In total, the Company is seeking up to $5m in this round.
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Cantor, Biotech Business Leaders Discuss Investment
The day after President Barack Obama swept through Virginia rallying audiences to support his jobs plan, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor sat with biotech business leaders in Richmond to get their ideas for policies that encourage entrepreneurial activity and investment. He made clear his opposition to a piece of Obama’s American Jobs Act that would direct money to hire teachers and first responders, while citing areas of agreement, one of which is slated for action in the House next week. “We don’t agree on more stimulus money,” Cantor, R-7th, told reporters after the jobs roundtable at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park.
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VCU News and Research

Researchers Examine Role of Inflammatory Mechanisms in a Healing Heart Opening New Avenues for Prevention and Treatment of Heart Failure
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved. Following a heart attack, an inflammatory process occurs in the heart due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. This process helps the heart to heal, but may also promote further damage to the heart. The mechanisms by which the heart responds to injury are not fully understood, so researchers have been examining the cellular pathways involved to gain further insight.
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VCU McGlothlin Medical Education Center Celebrates Completion of Critical Stage of Construction with ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony
With the final steel beam now in place, faculty, medical students, residents and practicing physicians at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine are a step closer to a state-of-the art training hub that will launch a new standard in medical education. On November 15th, a “topping out” ceremony of the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, which is currently under construction at the VCU School of Medicine, marked the completion of a critical phase of the project.
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VCU Massey Scientists Defeat Hurdle to Eradicating Inactive Multiple Myeloma Cells
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have developed a novel treatment strategy for multiple myeloma that delivers a deadly one-two blow to kill even the most inactive, or cytokinetically quiescent, cells. Because multiple myeloma can rest in a non-proliferative state for extended periods of time, this discovery may help to overcome a major hurdle to treating this fatal disease.
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VCU Performs Separation Surgery on Conjoined Twins
A team of Virginia Commonwealth University pediatric surgeons today successfully completed the separation of 19-month-old conjoined twins Maria and Teresa Tapia of the Dominican Republic. The complex, 20-hour procedure commenced around 6 a.m. and was the first surgery of its kind at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Led by David Lanning, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the VCU Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief, the team was made up of about 45 physicians and pediatric subspecialists who volunteered their time. The twins, classified as omphalopagus, were joined at the lower chest and abdomen and shared a liver, part of their biliary system, pancreas glands and the first part of the small intestine or duodenums.
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Researchers Work with Platelet-Rich Plasma to Heal Chronic Wounds in Veterans
During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, blast injuries resulting from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, and roadsides bombs took countless lives and left thousands of soldiers who managed to survive with devastating injuries.  Many of these troops experienced polytrauma injuries including spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs, damage to various organs, internal injuries, orthopedic injuries and a whole gamut of dermal injuries. Immobile patients – particularly those with spinal cord injuries – are at risk of developing chronic pressure ulcers. Working to stimulate healing and promote tissue repair of chronic pressure ulcers are Scott A. Sell, Ph.D., a polytrauma research fellow at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center with an affiliate appointment in the VCU School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and his mentor Jeffery J. Ericksen, M.D., associate professor in the VCU Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who is also affiliated with the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center.
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HDL, Inc will sponsor The American Heart Association’s Richmond Heart Walk on October 22, 2011 at the Snag-A-Job Pavilion
Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. (HDL, Inc.), a CAP accredited leader in health management, has announced that it will sponsor The American Heart Association’s Richmond Heart Walk on October 22, 2011 at the Snag-A-Job Pavilion. “Health Diagnostic Laboratory is proud to support The Heart Walk and celebrate the American Heart Association’s success in raising funds for life-saving cardiovascular research and community education programs.”
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Changes at Lab Reflect the Times
When the nation was terrorized by deadly anthrax attacks in late 2001, Virginia’s state laboratory played a crucial role in the response, performing more than 1,000 tests on samples. Nearly 10 years later, the state’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services has become an even more important link in the nation’s bioterrorism defense network. Located in a secure building in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond, the laboratory receives more than 600,000 samples and performs more than 6 million tests annually. It is capable of identifying myriad pathogens, toxins and bio-warfare agents in human tissue and environmental samples.
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Virginia Company Obtains Funding for Fuel-Saving Technology
A Richmond-area company has just received funding that will allow it to take a final step toward commercialization of a technology which it believes will have a major impact on the trucking industry. Marz Industries, which was the first company to be selected as a member of the Dominion Resources Greentech Incubator, has developed a system designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions for heavy trucks. This system (the Marz Ranger Fuel Efficiency System) uses hydrogen to enhance diesel combustion, enabling more energy to be harnessed from a given quantity of fuel.
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Memory of Navy Hill Preserved
Named for a naval war memorial that was never built and originally settled by German immigrants in the early 1800s, Navy Hill became a thriving African-American community by the turn of the 20th century. The school that bore its name was the first Richmond public school to employ black teachers. Construction on Interstates 95 and 64 dealt a fatal blow to the neighborhood, which once included the Richmond Children’s Museum. The engraved stone marker, dedicated in 1993, was one of the few tangible signs that a residential neighborhood existed in the area now dominated by the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park.
Local historian Selden Richardson brought the marker’s demise to my attention three years ago. Upon reading about the plight of the marker in my column, photographer Earle Taylor, a former resident of Navy Hill, contacted Bob Skunda, president and CEO of the BioTech Park. Taylor, Skunda, Richardson and David Herring of the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods met and began strategizing on how to give the marker a proper home. Another former Navy Hill resident, retired Richmond Deputy Police Chief Wille C. Jones, became part of the drive to reclaim the neighborhood’s legacy from the scrap heap.
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Powering Up
Eastlight Renewable Ventures recently became the first company to graduate from the Dominion GreenTech incubator in Ashland.  The company builds solar energy systems for businesses, universities and municipalities, then sells the electricity to them at a reduced rate.  Charles Valentine, who worked in energy financing, joined forces with real estate developer David Caldwell to start the company in 2009. Both men had been working out of the state but returned to their Richmond roots to get their firm started and take advantage of the new incubator taking shape in Hanover.  BizSense caught up with Valentine to find out more about Eastlight and their plans now that they are out on their own.
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FDA Tentatively Approves Intelliject’s Lead Product, e-cue™
Intelliject, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted tentative approval for the company’s New Drug Application (NDA) for a novel epinephrine auto-injector, e-cue™, for emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. The tentative approval of e-cue™ following a first cycle, 10 month review by the FDA provides validation of Intelliject’s vision of developing patient-centric products and of the company’s ability to execute. According to Spencer Williamson, President and CEO of Intelliject, “e-cue™’s tentative approval is another important step along our journey to empower patients living with serious medical conditions.”
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VCU News and Research

New VCU Parkinson’s Center Focuses on Research, Treatments and Education
Virginia Commonwealth University recently celebrated the opening of its Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Evaluation Center, one of the very few of its kind in the United States. The evaluation center brings specialists together to work collaboratively to evaluate, create a treatment plan and provide disease management for each patient. The multidisciplinary team includes movement disorders neurologists, clinical neuropsychologists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologist/therapists, sleep medicine neurologists and gastrointestinal physiology neurologists.
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Researchers Develop Stem Cell-Based Models for Studying Mitochondrial Disorders
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers from the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine have developed a novel approach for generating stem cell-derived cell models to study neurodegenerative disorders that have defects in their mitochondrial genome and physiology such as Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, Leigh’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These findings offer researchers the ability to have the right model systems in place to study the path of a disease and use it to discover new potential drugs or other therapies.
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International Society of Psychiatric Genetics honors VCU’s Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., with Lifetime Achievement Award
The International Society of Psychiatric Genetics has named Kenneth Kendler, M.D., professor of psychiatry, and human and molecular genetics in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, a recipient of the 2011 ISPG Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a scientist who has made a major contribution to the advancement of the field of psychiatric genetics. Kendler is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in psychiatric genetics.
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Jennett Named Interim Dean of VCU School of Engineering
Virginia Commonwealth University announced the appointment of J. Charles Jennett, Ph.D., as interim dean of the VCU School of Engineering, effective Sept. 15, 2011. Jennett is president emeritus of Texas A&M International University and a member of the Board of Directors of Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., one of the world’s leading engineering, procurement and construction companies and a major process technology licensor. “Dr. Jennett brings a wealth of experience in higher education administration, including service as a university president, provost and dean,” said Beverly Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. “As a former dean of a school of engineering, Dr. Jennett has a keen understanding of academic programs and accreditation standards. He will be a strong asset to our leadership team while we search for a permanent dean to the School of Engineering.”
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VCU Massey Cancer Center Researchers Overcome Barrier to Cancer Immunotherapy
In lab studies, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have effectively reprogrammed cells of the innate and adaptive immune system to overcome a key cancer defense mechanism and develop long-lasting memory to reject breast cancer cells and guard against tumor relapse. Reported in the Journal of Immunology and led by Masoud Manjili, D.V.M., Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at VCU Massey, the study discovered a way to improve adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) for breast cancer.
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RICHMOND, VA. (December 1, 2011) – The Science Museum of Virginia and Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL, Inc.) jointly announced today the largest corporate gift in the Museum’s history, marking the beginning of a key transformation. The $2.2 million gift from HDL, Inc., a rapidly growing advanced testing laboratory based in Richmond, will fund the development of a major new exhibit gallery called, Improving Grounds.

HDL, Inc. and the Science Museum first recognized a common ground when Governor McDonnell awarded HDL, Inc. with the Governor’s Award for Science Innovation in January 2011. In presenting the award, Governor McDonnell said, “I was honored to recognize Virginia’s top science talents for 2011.  HDL, Inc. has designed a service program to help patients better understand and manage chronic diseases. Their creativity, contributions, and dedication will make a better Virginia and a better America for all of us.”

Health Diagnostic Laboratory’s Improving Grounds is the first project of a recently completed Exhibit Master Plan that serves as the blueprint for dynamic new exhibit projects for the coming years. “The new exhibit sponsored by Health Diagnostic Laboratory will showcase the science of physical and mental self-improvement on a competitive scale,” said Tonya Mallory, co-founder, president, and CEO of HDL, Inc.

The Science Museum will design the new exhibit to highlight behavior and choices cast in the light of optimism and empowerment, while lifespan issues will be explored against a backdrop of shared human experience. “Science and innovation are key to the advanced testing and wellness initiatives offered by Health Diagnostic Laboratory,” said Russ Warnick, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at HDL, Inc. “Our lab focuses on saving lives through evidenced-based medicine and early intervention, so it’s fitting that we partner with the Science Museum to emphasize ways in which we can all measure – and improve – our health at any age.”

HDL, Inc., which serves as a Premier Partner of the Museum, will also direct a portion of its gift to support the creation of an original, interactive media piece and accompanying curriculum for Virginia schools that will encourage wellness and self-improvement.

“The Science Museum has a bold new vision that was heavily influenced by great companies like HDL, Inc. They are motivating us to work even harder to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and people who make our lives better through scientific innovation,” Richard C. Conti, Chief Wonder Officer of the Science Museum of Virginia.

About Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc.

Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. (HDL, Inc.), a CAP accredited leader in health management, offers a comprehensive test menu of risk factors and biomarkers for cardiovascular and related diseases. Our systematic approach identifies factors contributing to disease and provides a basis for effective treatment, allowing physicians to more effectively manage patients.  As an added value, patients receive a personalized overview of their risk factors along with intensive counseling from expert Health Coaches at no additional cost, improving compliance and enhancing satisfaction.

About The Science Museum of Virginia

Our mission: Inspiring Virginians to enrich their lives through science. Since its founding by the Virginia General Assembly in 1970, the Science Museum of Virginia has become the premier center for hands-on science education in Virginia. The Science Museum has permanent exhibitions on health, energy and natural science and includes hundreds of interactive exhibits, fascinating artifacts, live animals, a theater company and cutting edge technology. The IMAX®DOME creates the ultimate “you are there” experience with the largest film screen in Virginia wrapped around you. The Science Museum also features visiting exhibitions, educational programming, overnight adventures, lectures, demonstrations, and summer camps.

Contact

Paul Spicer
Director of Public Relations & Marketing
Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.
Phone: 804-343-2718 ext. 164
Email: PSpicer@hdlabinc.com