BioUtah Announces 2016 Utah Life Science Award Recipients

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioUtah, Utah’s official industry association for the life science community, today announced the winners of the 2016 Utah Life Science Awards. The awards will be presented October 6, 2016, at the seventh annual Utah Life Science Summit awards luncheon at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The BioUtah Life Science Awards luncheon will feature honored guest Senator Curt Bramble for the presentation of the prestigious Willem J. Kolff Lifetime Achievement Award, which is selected by the BioUtah Board of Directors, as well as four BioUtah Life Science Community Outstanding Contribution Awards, which were public nominations selected by a judging committee comprised of seasoned and respected professionals in the life science industry. In addition, Mike Mussallem, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Edwards Lifesciences, will present a keynote address entitled Patient-Focused Innovation in Today’s Healthcare System.

The highlight of the Utah Life Science Awards is the presentation of the Willem J Kolff Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the father of artificial organs who played a major role in making Utah a global medical device epicenter. The winner of the 2016 Kolff Award is Fred Lampropoulos, Chairman and CEO of Merit Medical. Lampropoulos founded Merit Medical Systems, Inc. in 1987, and has invented and holds almost 200 patents on devices used in the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of cardiovascular disease. Previous honorees include Utah transplant and genuine renaissance man, Dr. Ted Stanley, global robotics legend Steve Jacobsen, Nobel laureate Mario Cappechi, medical informatics pioneer Homer Warner and prominent biotech entrepreneur and investor Dinesh Patel.

The BioUtah Outstanding Public Service Award recognizes the significant contributions and achievements made by an individual or organization that has enhanced the business environment for Utah’s life science ecosystem through public service. This year, the public service award will be awarded to Mike Alder, director of Brigham Young University Technology Transfer Office. Alder has gone above and beyond at helping students and faculty become successful and has a true desire of showing the rest of the world what top quality technologies BYU’s educational environment can offer, especially to the life science industry.

The BioUtah Outstanding Corporate Contribution Award, which recognizes the company that best demonstrates the highest standards of quality, community building, and success that showcase Utah’s desirability as a place to do business and commitment to Utah’s life science industry, will be presented to Merit Medical, a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable devices used in interventional, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology and endoscopy.

The BioUtah Outstanding Individual Contribution Award, which recognizes a leader in the life science field who has made a substantial scientific, service and/or professional contribution to Utah’s life science community, will be awarded to Shawn Fojtik, CEO of Control Medical. Fojtik’s clinical experience includes cardiovascular, electrophysiology and interventional oncology, and he has more than 40 issued and pending patents.

The BioUtah Outstanding Entrepreneurial Spirit Award acknowledges an individual that has taken risk and shown commitment, vision and entrepreneurial spirit, accomplishing change by advancing life science innovation. This year’s recipient will be Dr. David Bearss, CEO of Tolero Pharmaceuticals. Bearss has published more than 70 manuscripts and book chapters, has more than 30 patents issued and pending, and has won several awards for his scientific achievements.

In addition to the Utah Life Science Awards luncheon, the 2016 Utah Life Science Summit will incorporate an all-day regulatory theme that will provide valuable discussions and insight into new regulations that affect the life science industry. Topics will include the new CE Mark requirements for MDRs, patient preference information in FDA submissions and the use of post-market data to support pre-market approval. The summit attendees will also be able to hear first-hand of the vision driving Utah’s leadership in medical innovation and trends. Start-up life science attendees will also be able to interact with seasoned investors.

For additional agenda and registration information for the Utah Life Science Summit visit: http://utahlifesciencesummit.com/.

About BioUtah

BioUtah, the state’s independent life science association, was created to elevate the stature and influence of Utah’s life science community on the local, national and global stage. Launched in 2012, the organization serves Utah’s medical device, biotech/pharma, diagnostics and healthcare industries through networking, advocacy and education programs. BioUtah creates value for its members through events, legislative initiatives and communications outreach. BioUtah fosters collaboration within and between industry, government and education to provide growth opportunities through access to funding sources, talent acquisition/development and strategic collaboration.