First UVa-Tech Community Lunch a Success

 
Dr. Barry L. Johnson, founder of Privaris, a Charlottesville biometric security company, was the featured speaker at the first “Charlottesville Bio and Technology Luncheon,” held Thursday, April 17, in the Harrison Institute Auditorium at the University of Virginia.

This event was the first collaborative effort of The University of Virginia, the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO) and Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC). The law firm LeClair Ryan, was the premier sponsor of the event. Additional support was kindly provided by Latimer, Mayberry and Mathews IP Law.

Approximately 50 attendees from industry and academia heard how Dr. Johnson took Privaris from start-up to its current status. Dr. Johnson joined the U.Va. faculty in 1984 and co-founded Privaris in 1998. Privaris has now successfully raised two venture rounds of $15.6 million and $3.3 million as well as an angel round of approximately $8 million. Dr. Johnson still serves on the Privaris executive team and board, but is now Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia.

Also speaking at the event were Mike Drzal of LeClair Ryan, David Chen of UVa's Coulter Translational Research Program, Tracey Linkous of Diffusion Pharmaceuticals (and representing CBIC) and VaBIO Executive Director Mark Herzog. Sharon Krueger of UVa and Dawn Freeman of VaBIO provided the administrative support.

For more information about the joint initiative and the next meeting of the group, please contact VaBIO at 804-643-6360.