The rest of the 100 (in alphabetical order): James Flynn, Susan Wente, Ancora Innovation
Ancora Innovation, a $65m fund managed by healthcare investment firm Deerfield, was set up in March this year to support innovation and commercialisation in the life sciences field at Vanderbilt University.
The joint venture was described at the time as “important and meaningful” by Deerfield managing partner James Flynn, while Susan Wente, provost and vice-chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University, said: “Our collaboration with Deerfield will provide our researchers with the resources and support needed to translate biological insights into technologies that will have real impact on people’s lives.”
Ancora Innovation is one of several partnerships between academic institutions and Deerfield – the first was launched with Johns Hopkins University in November 2017.
Flynn held several roles in the pharmaceutical industry before joining Deerfield in 2005. Meanwhile, under Wente’s stewardship, Vanderbilt has accelerated its technology transfer and spinout activity. In 2017, the university was ranked 10th by Reuters in its list of the most innovative global institutions.
