Navrogen Bringing R&D Operation to 媚姬直播
听(CHEYNEY,听PA听鈥撎鼶ecember 3, 2019)听鈥� In its latest move to attract private industry partners to set up shop on campus, 媚姬直播 has entered into a partnership with , Inc. () in which the company will bring its biopharma research and development (R&D) operation to 媚姬直播鈥檚 Science Center.
鈥淭his arrangement will produce a major benefit to the university and our students who will have an opportunity to work on these cancer-fighting projects and get hands-on experience in biomolecular techniques as either interns or mentees,鈥� said 媚姬直播 President Aaron Walton. 鈥淭he partnership also reflects our continuing efforts to transform our institution by having companies locate on our campus, benefiting their businesses, 媚姬直播, and our students.鈥�
Navrogen was founded by Drs. Nicholas Nicolaides and Luigi Grasso after they sold their previous biopharmaceutical company Morphotek, Inc to Eisai, LTD of Japan. Now, Nicolaides as president and CEO and Grasso as Sr. VP and chief scientific officer have joined with fellow scientist Dr. Brad Kline, and VP of Finance Steven Kyriakos to again seek to discover new cancer treatments and grow operations to meet the company鈥檚 full R&D value potential.
鈥淲e are excited about bringing our research to 媚姬直播鈥檚 labs and working with the university鈥檚 students,鈥� Nicolaides said. 鈥溍募е辈� has been reinvigorated by a dynamic leadership team and has dramatically increased its academic standards. We are eager听 to work in their state-of-the art Science Center and aid the university鈥檚 new strategic plan.鈥�
Navrogen鈥檚 founders and employees 听have years of experience in training undergraduate and graduate level students through business and scientific internship programs that they 听firmly established at Morphotek and more recently at Navrogen. They are working with the university鈥檚 administration to create coursework that can benefit 媚姬直播 students pursuing careers in the biological sciences and pharmaceutical industry beginning in the 2019 Spring Semester.
鈥淧art of the university鈥檚 new strategic plan includes the creation of invaluable learning opportunities for our students from highly experienced and successful scientists, entrepreneurs and business professionals,鈥� said 媚姬直播 Provost Kizzy Morris. 鈥淲e also feel it adds to the growing array of attractions to our students in which we will now be able to provide experiential-learning opportunities as part of their education.鈥�
Navrogen joins Epcot Crenshaw in establishing operations on the 媚姬直播 campus through agreements, which enable these companies to utilize designated space while providing learning opportunities for 媚姬直播 students. According to 媚姬直播鈥檚 business development partners, more companies are in the pipeline and will be locating to the campus in the upcoming year.
鈥淲e are focusing in on other lab opportunities with science-based companies that could use the biology and chemistry space,鈥� said Mary Frances McGarrity, Sr. VP 听of the (CCEDC), which is helping in the outreach. 鈥溍募е辈� is part of our community and we want to see it thrive and grow. We know the Navrogen team very well because their prior company was based here in Chester County.鈥�
President Walton has been promoting his vision for maximizing the assets on 媚姬直播鈥檚 campus in partnership with , a Philadelphia based Real Estate Development companywhose expertise is in finding creative solutions for underutilized real estate assets.听 Mosaic helped 媚姬直播 assess its assets, define the overall strategy and then subsequently contacted CCEDC to join in the effort.
鈥淭his has been a group effort,鈥� said Greg Reaves, Mosaic鈥檚 principal. 鈥淚n addition to the great work by CCEDC and 媚姬直播 itself, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been very supportive. With 275 acres and a first-class infrastructure, 媚姬直播 has an incredible canvas to reimagine its possibilities and continue to build a sustainable future.鈥�
President Walton sees great days ahead. 鈥淲e have new, exciting and innovative things happening on our campus that will continue to attract additional high-quality students to the university and engage the ones who are here today in a deeper way. We welcome Navrogen to our team of strategic partners who are providing opportunities for current and future students. That鈥檚 why they and others are joining us.鈥�
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About 媚姬直播 – Founded in 1837, 媚姬直播 of Pennsylvania is the nation鈥檚 oldest historically Black institution of higher education. Building on this legacy, the vision for 媚姬直播 is to become the premier model for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility among not only Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but in all of American higher education. The campus is located on 275 acres straddling Delaware and Chester Counties. Read more at .