Bio Buzz

CBC Covid Research Awardee Accepted for Publication
November 5, 2025
When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, under the direction of Dr. Rick Morimoto, committed $1.5M to fund urgent COVID-19 research, launching a competitive grant program in record time: just three months from concept to execution.

Today, we’re proud to share exciting news from one of our funded teams. Their collaborative research has been accepted for publication in ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Letters! Access the paper here: ▸ Access Paper Here

Building a Chicago Biotech Hub and Translating Discovery into Impact
October 30, 2025
Xtalks’ Clinical Edge spoke with our Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann, highlighting the CBC’s two-fold mission; to accelerate the translation of academic discoveries into biomedical innovations ready for investment and to build up the Midwest biotech ecosystem, creating long-term economic development in Illinois. ▸ Full Interview Details
 
 

“BioCentury This Week” Grand Rounds Recap featuring Michelle Hoffmann
June 12, 2025
“BioCentury Inc. This Week” podcast featured the CBC’s Executive Director, Michelle Burbea Hoffmann, who shared key insights from Grand Rounds US 2025 conference that was held in Chicago.

From emerging biotech trends to the power of regional collaboration, Michelle brings a unique perspective on how a new approach to funding early-stage innovation is helping to shape the future of life sciences in Chicago and beyond. Don’t miss her take on what’s needed to accelerate translation—and why the Midwest is more than ready to lead. ▸ Listen Here

How a Biopharma Hub and their Entrepreneurial Fellows are Placing Chicago as a Center of Biotech Innovation
June 4, 2025
Thanks to Candace Tebbenkamp, PhD and the Walder Foundation for highlighting our Entrepreneurial Fellowship program through the experience of EF Alum Amanda Christine Maldonado.

Our EF program is building the next generation of biotech leadership by embedding young scientists alongside industry veterans. That creates a talent layer that’s both local and launch-ready, without needing a coastal zip code. ▸ Full Story

A Funder-Backed Model to Translate Academic Science into Real-World Treatments

May 22, 2025
Paul Karon from Inside Philanthropy spoke with our Executive Director, Michelle Burbea Hoffmann, about how we apply venture-level rigor, industry expertise, and patient capital at the academic level—before companies exist—to transform early scientific discoveries into investable ideas.

In an era of shrinking federal investment, the CBC is emerging as a critical infrastructure play, not as a replacement for federal funding, but a commercialization engine that can help universities diversify their funding streams and provide a much-needed additional source of income. ▸ Full Interview Details

“BioCentury This Week” Grand Rounds Preview
May 6, 2025
Check out the latest special edition episode of BioCentury Inc.’s podcast previewing the upcoming Grand Rounds – US conference coming to Chicago June 4-6.

CBC’s Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann and P33 Chicago’s SVP of Deep Tech Meera Raja join BioCentury’s Simone Fishburn and Karen Tkach Tuzman and McKinsey & Company’s Daniel von Bornstädt for a preview of the conference, to share what makes Chicago’s ecosystem unique and explore McKinsey’s Grand Rounds report. ▸ Read Article

How Chicago is Strategizing Around NIH Funding Cuts: Q&A with Michelle Hoffmann
April 28, 2025
Pharmaceutical Executive spoke with our Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann about how biotech innovators in the Midwest is strategizing around NIH funding cuts.
The emerging biotech scene in Chicago has the potential to develop new treatments and technologies, but funding cuts from the federal government could have significant impact on this. ▸ Full Interview Details
 

U.S. budget cuts: what is the impact on therapeutic research?
April 28, 2025
CBC Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann shared her insights with Labiotech.eu on how federal budget cuts impact therapeutic research.
▸ Read Article

 
 

‘Fear and uncertainty’: Biotech investors warn of impact from NIH research cuts
February 25, 2025
Our Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann spoke with Gwendolyn Wu at BioPharma Dive about how the Trump administration’s plans to reduce NIH grant funding, layoffs and the uncertainty of what’s to come has long-term implications to the pharma industry as well as the academic labs where scientific discoveries often occur. ▸ Read Article

 

Chicago Area’s Life Sciences Scene Continues Making an Impression
January 30, 2025
CBC Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann recently spoke with BioSpace in an article highlighting the aspects and leading players in Chicagoland playing a pivotal role in enhancing the life sciences sector here, including the CBC’s leadership role in cultivating talent and raising awareness for investment to the region. ▸ Read Article

 

Scrip Asks… What Does 2025 Hold For Biopharma? Part 4: Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
January 24, 2025
CBC Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann recently spoke with BioSpace in an article highlighting the aspects and leading players in Chicagoland playing a pivotal role in enhancing the life sciences sector here, including the CBC’s leadership role in cultivating talent and raising awareness for investment to the region.

CBC’s Executive Director, Michelle Burbea Hoffmann was asked for her insights on artificial intelligence (AI) in biopharma for Scrip Pharma Intelligence’s Scrip Asks Series…”What Does 2025 Hold For Biopharma?” ▸ Read Article

Chicago’s biotech scene is growing up. What’s fueling it?
December 24, 2024
Check out insights in Endpoints News from our Executive Director Michelle Burbea Hoffmann, and other key opinion leaders including John Conrad, John Flavin, Shana Kelley, Jim Sullivan, Ryan Clarke, Max Zwolan, Dannielle Appelhans, and Joseph Nolan, from the Chicago hashtag#biotech ecosystem on how the CBC and others are working to shine a light on the incredible work being done to position Chicago as a gateway to the academic innovation happening in the Midwest.

 

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December 9, 2025
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December 9, 2025
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ▸ Full Story

 

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December 9, 2025
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ▸ Full Story