BioHealth Innovation, Inc. Names Ram Aiyar as Entrepreneur-in-Residence to NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

ROCKVILLE, Md. and BALTIMORE, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a regional private-public partnership focusing on commercializing market-relevant biohealth innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Central Maryland, today announced its selection of Ram Aiyar, Ph.D., M.B.A., as the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for BHI at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dr. Aiyar will help advance fundamental research discoveries to new therapeutics, diagnostics and devices that can be used clinically and commercially.

"We're pleased to add Dr. Aiyar to our roster of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence," said Rich Bendis, BHI President and CEO. "He is now our third EIR – joining Todd Chappell, who is EIR at NIH, and Ken Malone, our EIR working with the University of Maryland Ventures. The growth of this program will be a benefit to BHI and our partner organizations for years to come, and will result in transitioning more early-stage biomedical technologies to commercial potential."

As the newest EIR, Dr. Aiyar will rely on his extensive experience providing guidance to life science companies in the therapeutic, diagnostic and medical device space and evaluating commercial, scientific, regulatory, and development feasibility. He will work closely with NHLBI scientific, medical, and technology transfer staff members to identify, evaluate, and support the advancement of early-stage biomedical technologies within the NHLBI mission to practical application and public benefit. 

"I am excited to use my scientific, investment and operational background to help with commercialization of assets and technologies from within the NHLBI with the support of BHI," said Dr. Aiyar. "Working with phenomenal people at BHI – with the backing of many of the most talented and reputable health care advisors in the Maryland Area – is a unique and exciting opportunity. I look forward to working with both the BHI and NHLBI teams."

"This partnership between NHLBI and BHI will help us accelerate our efforts in the commercialization space," said Jodi Black, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research Activities, NHLBI. "We're excited about the opportunity to have Dr. Aiyar assisting our efforts to transition laboratory discoveries to practical application and public benefit."

About Ram Aiyar
Dr. Aiyar brings over five years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development and two years of healthcare investment experience to his role as CCO at FlowMetric, Inc. Dr. Aiyar is also an investment professional at Sofinnova Partners, a healthcare venture capital firm based in Paris. There, Dr. Aiyar is responsible for identifying, building and supporting biotech and medtech start-ups. Prior to Sofinnova, Dr. Aiyar worked at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in the oncology and immunology space. Most recently, Dr. Aiyar was focused on developing and identifying stratified medicine solutions for pulmonary and autoimmune diseases as part of the immunology biomarkers team. At J&J, Dr. Aiyar also contributed in identification and development of several novel large molecular compounds in oncology and immunology. Dr. Aiyar was a recipient of the Philip B. Hofmann award for "Outstanding Achievement in the field of Research and Development," the most prestigious award for a scientist at J&J.

Dr. Aiyar's doctoral research used a combination of experimental and statistical methods to differentiate the mechanism of action of three different erythropoietin agonists. Dr. Aiyar also completed an investment banking internship at J.P. Morgan (London) in the Healthcare Advisory group. His doctoral research combined with experience at J&J has led to the filing of several international patents and over 20 peer reviewed articles.

Dr. Aiyar received an M.B.A. from INSEAD, a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Drexel University and a B.E. from Mumbai University.

About NHLBI
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health

About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary focused on commercializing market-relevant bio-health innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Maryland. Learn more at www.biohealthinnovation.org.

SOURCE BioHealth Innovation, Inc.