Dr. Stice is the co-founder and CEO of Aruna Biomedical. He is also a Professor at the University of Georgia and is the director of the University’s Bioscience Center. He is considered a pioneer in cloning and stem cell research

Steve’s resume is crowded with firsts: he was the first
      + to clone a rabbit;
      + to clone bovine embryos from embryonic stem cell lines;
      + to clone a transgenic calf;
      + to clone the first human embryonic stem cells derived from discarded embryos;
      + to clone the first calf from a dead cow;
      + to clone the first motor neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells; and
      + to create the first human embryonic stem cell product to be commercialized.

In this podcast, Steve talks to us about stem cell research and where it is going. We also learn about how his company has developed a toolkit which is designed to accelerate the pace of neurological research for scientists working on treatments for spinal cord injuries and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, and even depression.

Jim Hudson is the founder and president of the newly opened HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology located in Huntsville, Alabama.

Jim founded a company in 1987 known as Research Genetics where he served as its CEO until 2000. The company merged that year with Invitrogen in a deal valued at $138 million. Prior to the merger, Research Genetics had become the world’s leader in genetic linkage products and was a critical partner in the Human Genome Project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. Jim has advised and incubated multiple companies in industries ranging from internet services to genetics research. In his role as President of the biotech institute, he is focused on building groundbreaking research and companies that can apply it for the benefit of society.

Jim is very well known in the biotech community and is often quoted by national, state and local media. This podcast is your opportunity to hear Jim in his own words talk about his life’s work and his newest and greatest venture.

Dr. Byrne is the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of OcuMedic which won $100,000 for first place in the Alabama Launchpad business plan competition ending May 2008.

Incubated at Auburn University, the company has developed ground-breaking technology that allows for medicines to be taken via a person’s eye contacts instead of old-fashion eye drops. The medicines typically help with eye comfort, allergies, infections and inflammation.

This is an exciting development that could revolutionize eye care for humans and animals in the not too distant future.

Chris co-founded Halo Monitoring which won the $50,000 inaugural Alabama Launchpad competition’s second prize award. Halo is a startup developing products to improve the quality of care giving for the senior population. Using innovative technology, Chris and his team have developed a wearable device and monitoring applications that allow caregivers to remotely monitor key vital signs and detect serious events, such as an elderly person, falling real time.

Listen to this story if you or someone you know has an elderly parent living alone.

Want to learn about what makes a hospital stay healthy? Listen to this podcast with Jay Weatherly of Salient Health Ventures. Jay has been an executive in the Hospital Management industry for 25 years. His perspective on the history and current trends of healthcare from a hospital, physician and patent perspective is insightful and likely to be different than what you think or have been told.