Life-changing innovation taking place in Virginia Beach
Speaker:
Rony Thomas has served as president and CEO of LifeNet Health since 2004. In 2012, under Thomas’ direction, LifeNet Health inaugurated the LifeNet Health Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The 50,000-square-foot research institute sits on the LifeNet Health campus in Virginia Beach and serves as a research facility for developing allograft-based cellular therapy products, future biologics therapies and medical devices to speed and improve recovery rates and patient outcomes. Thomas spearheaded the formation of the LifeNet Health Lifesciences Division in 2015 which specializes in isolating cells for drug discovery and toxicity testing. Prior to joining LifeNet Health, Thomas served as CEO and held other executive leadership positions at USA Instruments, a General Electric company. He presently serves on the board of directors and in advisory roles for a number of for-profit and nonprofit organizations including RVA757 Connects.
UPDATE: Read the story in the Virginian Pilot’s Inside Business section on the webinar.
Innovation is the driving force behind Virginia Beach-based LifeNet Health, one of the world’s largest life sciences not-for-profit organizations specializing in organ, tissue and cell procurement for transplantation and the utilization of tissue and cells for biomedical applications in a variety of surgical disciplines, research and drug discovery.
A relentless focus on advancing the biologics industry has resulted in technologies that have revolutionized transplant procedures and expanded the applications of donated tissue for traumatic injuries, debilitating conditions, and life-threatening illnesses. LifeNet Health also remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field of regenerative medicine and life sciences.
Three key divisions are keeping the organization at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to help advance medical research and ultimately improve patient outcomes:
The LifeNet Health organ procurement organization leads efforts to expand donation through infrastructure investments, community outreach, and enhanced staffing models. Serving most of Virginia, the organ procurement organization continues to drive change and advance the field.
The LifeNet Health Biologics division has provided over 10 million grafts worldwide, serving as a trusted name in the industry. Innovative products and techniques have made transplants safer, giving hope to countless patients in need.
The LifeNet Health LifeSciences division is dedicated to providing researchers with all-human biospecimens to help develop the next generation of therapies. The latest innovation, TruVivo, is a pioneering liver system that represents the largest co-culture advancement in more than a decade.
Rony Thomas, president and CEO of LifeNet Health, will talk about LifeNet and about what makes innovation work.