Life Science Tennessee presents LSTCON, an annual conference that brings together Tennessee‘s life science ecosystem to collaborate, learn, and build meaningful connections across the state.
Join us on November 18 to hear from state and national industry leaders and researchers about topics that affect life science companies daily. The day will conclude with the crowd favorite Venture Forum where life science startups will pitch their prospective companies to the full conference audience for a chance to win $10,000!
The event will take place at the Westin Downtown in Nashville, Tennessee. If you would like to sponsor a session, suggest a speaker, or learn about other opportunities during the conference, please email us at [email protected].
This year, we’re using Brella to maximize our networking. Brella leverages artificial intelligence to drive smarter and more impactful matchmaking – connecting you with the right people, faster and more efficiently. All attendees will receive complimentary access to the Brella app to request, book, and coordinate 1-on-1 meetings with other attendees.
Attendees, check your inbox for communication from Brella about setting up your profile and getting started (if you can’t locate it, we suggest checking your spam and promotions folders).
Before you arrive, download the Brella app to make one-on-one connections with other attendees. Have questions? We recommend reviewing this help guide. Or ask when you check in on Tuesday morning and we’ll be able to assist.
Networking breakfast begins at 8:00am.
9:00 AM Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Jenn Adams, Life Science Tennessee board chair
9:15 AM New Frontiers: Exploring How Gene Therapies Will Alter Patient Care & Delivery – sponsored by Vertex
Groundbreaking gene therapies such as CASGEVY modify or replace faulty genes with healthy ones to cure disease. Moving beyond treatment to cures changes the game and raises issues around reimbursement, availability and more. This panel will explore gene therapy’s effective cure of sickle cell disease, the application for other chronic disease, and the path to ensuring that these cures are available to patients.
- Rep. Harold Love; Lametra Scott, Breaking the SSickle Cell Cycle Foundation Inc.; and Karen Bernstein, BioCentury (moderator)
10:00 AM Tennessee Innovation Parks Driving Life Science R&D – sponsored by Covalent Properties
Building Tennessee’s innovation economy is as much about infrastructure as it is R&D. This panel of industry and academic leaders will discuss how innovation parks, university partnerships, and private development are redefining where and how life sciences growth happens across the state.
- Brad Day, University of Tennessee – Knoxville; Eric Jorgenson, ETSU Research Corporation; Christopher Rowe, Vanderbilt University; Jessica Snowden, UTHSC; and Eric Elmquist, Covalent Properties (moderator)
11:00 AM Breakout From Lab Bench to Term Sheet: De-Risking Academic Discoveries for Venture & Industry Investment
While early-stage academic discoveries often pave the way toward transformative therapies and technologies, the road from breakthrough science to investable opportunity involves significant risk. This panel brings together voices from academia, venture capital, and industry to discuss practical approaches to forming effective partnerships that bridge the “valley of death.” We’ll provide candid insights into what investors and industry partners look for when evaluating opportunities, the extent to which the current funding climate affects how open investors/industry partners are to engaging at different stages, and how academic teams can accelerate engagement.
- Lana Caron, Solas BioVentures; Craig Lindsley, Vanderbilt University Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery; Jim Stefansic, OmniBuds Inc.; and Alan Bentley Vanderbilt University Center for Technology Transfer & Commercialization (moderator)
11:00 AM Breakout Tennessee’s Radiopharmaceutical Edge: Powering the Next Frontier in Medicine
Tennessee’s assets in the fast-growing radiopharmaceutical sector are unmatched. From Oak Ridge National Laboratory — the nation’s leading producer of medical isotopes — to new partnerships emerging among UT Knoxville, UTHSC, Vanderbilt University, and St. Jude, the state is primed to be a national leader. Join this panel to explore how Tennessee’s expertise, infrastructure, and collaborations are fueling innovation and commercial opportunity in this transformative field.
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Adam Rosenberg, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Dave Rotsch, ORNL; Andrew Vila, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals; and Jeffery Cornett, ORNL (moderator)
12:00 PM Networking Lunch – sponsored by Bennett & Pless
12:30 PM Panel Life Science Policy Outlook
There has never been a better or more important time to talk about how to advance life science policy at the state and federal levels. Join this panel of experts to hear about effective strategies for communicating the benefits of life sciences and maintaining American leadership in biotech R&D.
- Sarah Balog, PhRMA; John Carr, Tennessee Medical Association; Bailey McCue, BIO; David Mills, UT Health Science Center; and Michael Werner Holland & Knight (moderator)
1:30 PM Breakout Cutting Edge: Next Generation Surgical Innovations
Breakthroughs in robotics, imaging, AI, and minimally invasive tools are transforming surgery to make procedures safer, faster, and more precise. This panel brings together engineers and innovators to discuss how they are developing and deploying these new technologies; what additional training is required; how data, devices, and design are coming together to improve outcomes, training, and patient recovery — and what’s next for the operating room of the future.
- Justin Baba, YaYa Scientific; Greg Mancini, UT Graduate School of Medicine; Mike Miga, Vanderbilt University; and Tanner Hargens Medical Murray (moderator)
1:30 PM Breakout Middle Tennessee Life Sciences Market Report
As the region’s leading advisor at the intersection of science and real estate, Covalent Properties has a unique window into the space that’s needed to innovate. During this session, Covalent founder and principal Eric Elmquist will present proprietary findings from the firm’s 2025 Nashville Life Sciences Market Report—a detailed analysis of lab space, investment flows, and the talent trends that are shaping Middle Tennessee.
- Eric Elmquist, Covalent Properties
3:00 PM Life Science TN Update and Member Vote
- Abby Trotter, Life Science Tennessee
- Tom Womack, AgLaunch
3:30 PM Venture Forum – sponsored by Holland & Knight
- Karrie Dudek, Life Science Venture Program
- Sara Klock, Holland & Knight
5:00 PM Networking Reception with Tennessee Medical Association
The Venture Forum is a unique pitch competition for Tennessee’s emerging life science startups that takes place during Life Science Tennessee’s annual conference, LSTCON. Startups will pitch their companies to a panel of investors for the chance to win a $10,000 cash prize. Attendees will also vote on their favorite pitches to select the “People’s Choice Award.”
Yaya Scientific develops innovative diagnostic, therapeutic, and integrated hardware solutions for biomedical problems. There currently isn’t a technology that identifies nerves in the intraoperative field during surgical procedures and accidental nerve injury is a major source of negative outcomes and poor quality of life post-surgery. We are developing AlinaTM as an operating room (OR) label-free, non-contact imaging device utilizing unique tissue identification colors of light combined with polarization filtering to provide clear and highlighted visualization of nerves, via live video feed, to the surgeon. AlinaTM has a demonstrated accuracy >95% in preclinical surgery procedures and our alpha prototype scanner is currently undergoing proof-of-concept clinical studies on human subjects at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University Hospital.
NatureFound Biotech uses materials found in nature to solve to ongoing challenges in biotechnology. Our first product is a new dental barrier membrane that better meets the expressed needs of oral surgeons and periodontists. This membrane improves the surgeons experience and widens their patient base by using non-animal sourced polymers.
Kifa Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing first-in-class, orally bioavailable, mutant-selective inhibitors of the G2019S LRRK2 protein to slow or stop Parkinson's disease progression. By targeting the genetic root cause of disease, Kifa aims to deliver a true disease-modifying therapy beyond dopaminergic symptom control. The company, a participant in the Michael J. Fox Foundation's LITE Consortium, is advancing its lead program toward IND-enabling studies under the leadership of Dr. Chris James and scientific founder Dr. Craig Lindsley of Vanderbilt University.
Miller Co. is a forward-thinking company dedicated to creating innovative and high-quality products that blend functionality with modern design. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement, Miller Co. stands out for its commitment to excellence and attention to detail. The company values innovation, reliability, and integrity in everything it does, striving to deliver solutions that make a meaningful impact. Whether developing new products or enhancing existing ones, Miller Co. remains passionate about driving progress and setting new standards in its industry.
2025 Scipreneur Winner Presenter
EndoLimb Orthoplastic Solutions, Inc. is an innovative medical device company dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals with amputations. We will set new standards in amputee care starting with our first product, EndoThumb, a permanently implanted, skin covered prosthetic thumb. Our cutting-edge technology will restore functionality, independence, and quality of life for patients while reducing long-term healthcare costs.
