Letter from the President & CEO | | |
Dear Rhode Island Life Science Community,
It's been an exciting and active summer for the Rhode Island Life Science Hub and the state's growing life sciences ecosystem.
We are still energized from June’s 2025 BIO Convention in Boston, one of the world’s premier gatherings of biotech and life science leaders and investors. This year's convention showcased the power of connection, conversation, and collaboration, bringing together tens of thousands of participants from across industry, academia and government. During the convention, we were pleased to host the Rhode Island Biotech Summit, where over 250 participants came together to demonstrate how Rhode Island and surrounding states play a critical role in accelerating local and regional economic growth, strengthening supply chains, and attracting long-term investment that benefits communities across the region.
Back at home, I was fortunate enough to give a keynote speech at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Congressional Breakfast, where I shared our vision for transforming Rhode Island into a competitive and connected hub for life sciences innovation, technology development, and advanced manufacturing. Rhode Island is not only building a vibrant ecosystem for cutting-edge science and technology—we're helping to shape future economic growth and regional momentum across New England. More on that below.
We also recently announced another investment in our life sciences ecosystem, with nearly $1 million in new funding awarded to six Rhode Island-based organizations. This brings our total investment to $12 million to date in advancing scientific discovery, business development, enabling infrastructure, clinical trials, and advanced manufacturing in the life sciences in Rhode Island. The goal of these efforts is to create jobs, drive economic opportunities for R.I. communities and businesses, and build a strong foundational industry for the state.
In other exciting updates, we're seeing continued progress at the state's first dedicated life science incubator, Portal Innovations at Ocean State Labs, developing at 150 Richmond Street in Providence. Construction is underway and on schedule for a January 2026 ribbon cutting. Portal Innovations, LLC, our Ocean State Labs manager is actively searching for an inaugural executive director to lead incubator operations. Stay tuned for updates.
Prior to the end of the State’s legislative session, RILSH was also pleased to receive support from the Governor and General Assembly in approving our updated legislation, which provides elements that will allow RILSH to be stronger in achieving our mission.
At RILSH, we are working to shape a culture of Innovation fostered by resilience and a commitment to building what is needed to allow Rhode Island to prosper in its efforts to build our Life Science ecosystem.
As the summer winds down, we remain excited for what's ahead. Keep a look out for upcoming podcast productions featuring several of our portfolio companies and being produced by The Angel Nest Production. Thank you for your continued engagement!
Lastly, if you haven't already heard, after working for the past two years to establish the Life Science Hub, our founding Board Chair, Neil Steinberg, is stepping away from that role. We thank Neil for his service and commitment in positioning the State as an emerging leader in life sciences.
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Dr. Mark A. Turco
President & CEO of the Rhode Island Life Science Hub
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BIO 2025
Making Waves in the Ocean State 🌊
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Rhode Island Biotech Summit:
Small State, Big Impact in the Life Sciences
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During the convention, the Life Science Hub hosted the Rhode Island Biotech Summit, which drew more than 250 attendees and featured experts and leaders from Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, Portal Innovations, and other regional partners.
It was a powerful reminder that Rhode Island is not only keeping pace but actually shaping what’s next in life sciences. Thanks to our partners, sponsors, and participants for demonstrating the strength of the Northeast region and the critical role of Rhode Island within it.
If you weren't able to make it to the Rhode Island Biotech Summit, you can visit our Youtube Channel to find videos of Dean of Brown University's School Public Health Dr. Ashish Jha's keynote speech, panel sessions, and the fireside chat with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley.
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Courage Builder Promoting
Career Readiness & Workforce Development
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It was inspiring to attend the final presentations of Courage Builder’s Summer Externship Program, where a talented group of Rhode Island undergraduate students shared what they learned over five weeks immersed in our state’s life sciences sector.
From biotech site visits to real-world tech-healthcare projects, students shared their firsthand experiences and dataset analyses based on their understanding of the industry and the future of patient care.
Funded by the RI Life Science Hub Life Science Partner program, the externship provided students with direct exposure to companies, mentorship from industry leaders, and opportunities to apply their skills at the intersection of technology, research, and healthcare.
As University of Rhode Island student Adrian Mora shared: “Working on the heart disease model made it click for me—I saw how something I built could actually help people. It got me thinking more seriously about what I want to do with my career in tech and the future.”
Congratulations to the students, and thank you to Courage Builder for leading this important effort.
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Nearly $1M in New Awards to Advance Health Tech and Life Science Innovation | |
The Rhode Island Life Science recently awarded nearly $1 million dollars in new funding to six Rhode Island-based life science companies and organizations, supporting commercialization, infrastructure, and talent development. The six recipients were selected through a competitive process, with funding awarded across three of Hub’s core programs:
Life Science Partner
- Ursanex Ventures – Expanding startup support services for early-stage healthcare companies
- URI Wearable Biosensing Lab – Advancing biomedical engineering and launching a new capstone immersion program
Growth Catalyst
- Reach Neuro – Developing a device to restore motor function in stroke patients
Innovation Bridge
- Neuroam – Creating a subdermal EEG device to improve epilepsy diagnosis
- GeroSen Biotechnologies – Advancing diagnostics for aging and regenerative medicine
- Lilac BioSciences – Developing RNA modification detection tools for research and therapeutics
With these awards, the Hub has now committed $12 million to support the growth of Rhode Island’s growth in biotechnology, health & aging, neuroscience, RNA, workforce development, and enabling infrastructure.
Read the press release here.
| Organogenesis Expands Footprint with New RI Facility | | |
Regenerative medicine leader Organogenesis announced the launch of construction on its new 122,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing facility in Smithfield in May. The site will support manufacturing, R&D, warehousing, and distribution for advanced wound care and surgical products.
The project represents a multi-year, $100 million investment, with more than 200 high-paying jobs expected—and potential for further expansion.
“We are proud to welcome Organogenesis to Rhode Island and our growing life science community,” said Mark A. Turco, MD, President & CEO of the R.I. Life Science Hub. “The new biomedical manufacturing facility in Smithfield will produce cutting-edge products to aid in the care of patients in need, create high-quality jobs, and serve as another great spark for continued investment in our growing innovation economy.”
Read the full press release here.
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RI life science chief: We're wooing VC funders, luring global companies
By Mary Serreze
Rhode Island is attracting life science investment even amid an uncertain policy environment, said the leader of the state's central biotech booster organization.
Across the country, federal funding cuts are undermining medical research at hospitals and universities. That being said, "we must look for alternative opportunities" and "control what we can control" at the state level, said Mark Turco, CEO of the quasi-public Rhode Island Life Science Hub.
"To help support our scientists, our professors, and our academic institutions and academic health systems, we must find ways to continue to support early stage research," said Turco, a cardiologist and life science entrepreneur chosen for the Rhode Island job in December.
Turco spoke at a business breakfast hosted by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. He said that the hub has a strategy. It's investing in home-grown startups, creating research infrastructure, luring out-of-state and global companies, supporting workforce growth, and wooing venture capital.
"We need the key venture groups... to stop the train in Providence," said Turco. "Not to go from New York to Connecticut, skip over Rhode Island and head to Boston and Cambridge. And we are working very hard to bring that venture community here to Rhode Island."
Read the full article here.
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How R.I.’s new state health lab will be more ‘flexible, adaptable, and responsive to emerging threats’
By Christopher Gavin
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This fall, the Rhode Island State Health Laboratory is slated to open a new lab facility in Providence — a hub that will analyze everything from crime scene DNA to waste water testing.
Dr. Glen R. Gallagher, director of the state health laboratories, recently spoke to the Globe by email about the laboratory’s work, how the new 80,000-square-foot space at 150 Richmond St. will change lab operations, and what this all means for Rhode Islanders.
| | Researcher receives $500K grant toward developing RNA-based therapy for Alzheimer's Disease | |
Vivian Cheung was awarded the 2025 Roger Ackerman Memorial Grant by the Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART) Fund. The $500,000 award, raised by Rotary Clubs around the country and given annually in honor of CART’s founder, will fund Cheung’s research toward developing an RNA-based therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
Read the full story here.
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Native Orthopaedics, a Rhode Island Life Science Hub-supported company, has won the prestigious 2025 ACE Award at AOSSM for its groundbreaking Dragonfly™ and Native Root™ soft tissue repair system
Native Orthopaedics had the honor of being named the ACE Award Winner at the 2025 AOSSM Annual Meeting—one of the most prestigious recognitions in orthopaedic innovation.
The ACE (Accelerating the Cutting Edge) Award celebrates companies that are reshaping the future of sports medicine through groundbreaking technologies. For us, this is more than a win. It’s a validation of our belief that the operating room—and the patients it serves—deserve something better.
Learn more here.
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