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The State of Houston's Life Science Sector & Its Role In Diversifying Houston's Economy

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Regional Partner

Transwestern Development

Ann Tanabe

Ann Tanabe

CEO

BioHouston

Jan Odegard

Jan Odegard

Executive Director

The Ion

Tim O'Connell

Tim O'Connell

Senior Principal and Director, Science + Technology

HOK

Justin Brasell
Moderator

Justin Brasell

Executive Managing Director

Transwestern

Gayle Blakeley Farris

Regional Partner

Transwestern Development

Gayle is based in Houston and serves as Regional Partner for Life Science & Healthcare

development. She is responsible for the pursuit, conceptualization and execution of projects

focused around life sciences and healthcare asset class. This includes institutional and

corporate campuses, research buildings, and mixed-use placemaking projects in markets

where university and healthcare research are tech transfer real estate facilities and campus

placemaking demand drivers.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Gayle has directed and participated in some of the most innovative life science

developments in the country. Her work has been focused on translational research

campuses and urban revitalization projects involving some of the nation’s most respected

research universities, hospitals and bioscience companies. Her recent work as real estate

advisor to Harvard University focused on master planning its 375-acre Allston campus

including its Enterprise Research innovation campus.

Gayle also spent 25 years in Boston as CEO, Forest City Enterprises Science & Technology

Group where she directed the development of $2 billion of translational research and life

science facilities. Her work included:

 University Park @ MIT – 2.3 million square foot, 27-acre tech transfer campus

developed in partnership with MIT. The campus includes 1.5 million SF corporate

headquarters, research, R&D facilities for Novartis, Takada Oncology, and Mass

General/ Brigham & Women’s Hospital in addition to 700 residential units, a

hotel-conference center, and retail amenities.

 Science & Tech Park @ Johns Hopkins – Revitalization of an 88-acre Baltimore

neighborhood through a public private partnership anchored by Johns Hopkins.

The campus now includes a million SF of biomedical research facilities and a

hotel, mixed-income housing, and a new elementary school.

 University of Pennsylvania Translational Research Labs – Strategic partnership

with Penn to create biomedical research facility to foster collaboration and drug

commercialization between university and corporate research projects.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/RECOGNITION

Mass Biotech Council & International Board

MIT Center for Real Estate

Research affiliate MIT School of Architecture & Planning New Century Cities Initiative

ULI

Past President & Chairman of NAIOP Massachusetts chapter

Frequent industry speaker on university tech clusters and urban placemaking

EDUCATION

Gayle has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, International Relations and Urban

Planning from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN.

Ann Tanabe

CEO

BioHouston

Ann Tanabe was appointed CEO of BioHouston in October 2015 after serving four years as the

company’s COO. Prior to joining BioHouston in 2011, Ann served as vice president of investor relations

at Synthesis Energy Systems, a publicly traded alternative energy company from May 2008 to December

2010.

Prior to this position, Ann served as vice president of corporate communications and investor relations

and investor relations director at Encysive Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biotechnology company

from July 2003 to May 2008.

From October 2000 to July 2003, Ann served as investor relations manager and corporate

communications coordinator to Texas Biotechnology, the predecessor company to Encysive

Pharmaceuticals. Prior to 2000, Ann held a variety of positions at Rochem Separation Systems. Ann

earned a BA degree from Loyola Marymount University.

Ann is a member of the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Product Development

Advisory Committee. Additionally, Ann is a member of The University of Houston BME Industrial

Advisory Board, Rice University’s Professional Science Master’s Program Advisory Board and Houston

Community College’s Biotechnology Advisory Committee. Ann has been an active member of the

Houston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) since 2000 and is a current Board

Member.

Tim O'Connell

Senior Principal and Director, Science + Technology

HOK

Tim O’Connell is a senior principal and director of HOK’s global Science + Technology practice. As a key member of HOK’s office in Washington, D.C., he has more than 25 years of architectural experience with extensive knowledge in lab planning and programming for highly complex projects.

Tim has served as lab planner, lab architect, project manager and project architect on numerous research facility projects, including the DC Consolidated Forensic Laboratory Facility, a LEED Platinum building that won the R&D Magazine Lab of the Year Special Mention Award for Collaborative Science.

His experience programming and planning lab spaces for corporate and commercial life science clients gives him a unique perspective of the needs of industry and how to shape innovation developments to meet those needs. Tim’s experience working with commercial life sciences developers allows him to help those clients and design teams to program and plan the right innovation facilities and at the right size - developing projects from the inside-out.

Tim frequently speaks on the topics of research facilities and scientific workplaces and has been published on the subjects of sustainable design and lab design. His focus on responding to the needs of each unique client and innate understanding of scientific environments has enabled Tim to repeatedly produce innovative design solutions and establish himself as a multifaceted Science + Technology thought leader.

Justin Brasell

Moderator

Transwestern

Justin serves as Executive Managing Director of Transwestern’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Advisory Services Group and leads the Houston Healthcare & Life Sciences Brokerage Team. With 16 dedicated professionals, the Team leases over 8 million square feet of clinical & lab space, more than any other local firm, and has transacted over 2,000 lease and building sales in the last 5 years. The team specializes in agency leasing, tenant representation, investment services and strategic account management.

Justin has been with Transwestern since 2007 and specializes in providing real estate solutions within this niche space to investors, developers, end users and VC firms. His expertise in leasing, investment services, development, construction and asset management, allows him to apply a holistic lens to any real estate opportunity, resulting in optimal outcomes for Transwestern clients

It's All About The Process: Translating Science Into A Physical Built Environment

Mary Le Johnson

Mary Le Johnson

Manager, Facilities Planning

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Scott Paden

Scott Paden

Director

Harvey Builders

Laura Vargas

Laura Vargas

Project Director / Associate Principal

EYP

Jim Gaughan
Moderator

Jim Gaughan

Project Executive

Turner Construction Company

Mary Le Johnson

Manager, Facilities Planning

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Mary Le is a Registered Architect and serves as Manager of Facilities Planning at the University of Texas

MD Anderson Cancer Center. She leads a team that supports the institution’s 1.2 million square feet of

research space.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in Art Education from the University of Nebraska at

Kearney, a Professional Degree in Interior Design from El Centro College and a Master of Architecture

from the University of Houston.

Prior to her work at MD Anderson Mary Le spent over 25 years in the practice of architecture and

interior design, focused on research, science, and health science buildings.  She served as Principal and

Education and Science Studio Leader at WHR Architects and Project Executive at EYP. Much of her work

has been focused in Houston and the Texas Medical Center including the UTHealth Medical School

Expansion, UTHealth School of Dentistry, Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing, the Michael E.

DeBakey High School for Health Professions and the University of St. Thomas Center for Science and

Health Professions.

Mary Le supports a number of educational and community nonprofit organizations, recently leading

design efforts for facility renovations at Arts for Rural Texas in Fayetteville and the Round Top Family

Library and serving on the President’s Advisory Board at the University of St. Thomas.

Scott Paden

Director

Harvey Builders

Scott brings a unique perspective to the design and construction of life science research labs. Despite his

multi-generational family history as electrical contractors, he felt called more to the problem solving

inherent in science. Ultimately armed with degrees in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, he spent the first

few years of his career as a research assistant in the neurobiology department at UC San Diego studying

the proteins that drove the kick-back reflexes of California spiny lobsters. During those years, he worked

in a new research tower on the campus and became keenly aware of how building planning and design

directly affects research. That formative experience led him to believe his path was not doing research

with a builder mentality, but rather being a builder with a research mentality. From that point he found

alignment on that vision with Harvey/Harvey-Cleary, where he has been building labs for the past 25

years.

Over that time, Scott has completed over 6M square feet of life science and material science research

projects around the country focusing on projects with highly technical requirements and challenging

project delivery mechanisms, such as lump sum design/build for clients that range from the federal

government to commercial developers. This broad base of laboratory knowledge allows him to navigate

the unique and often disparate requirements that may separate the needs of a major hospital or

university lab with that of a start-up biotech company.

Laura Vargas

Project Director / Associate Principal

EYP

Laura is drawn to helping people. As a Project Director, she enjoys

spending time with researchers and educators, each with a unique

story, all with the shared mission of advancing science. By providing

spaces that support their achievements and inspire discoveries,

Laura has contributed to their respective projects and goals.

Highly technical laboratory spaces are exciting and challenging.

No two are alike. Each holds its own significance and importance

in advancing our world. Laura has had the pleasure of planning,

programming, designing, and managing projects for science,

technology, and higher education clients for more than a decade,

working with high-profile companies and organizations such as

Curative, Inc., Shell, Dow, DuPont, the University of Houston, Texas

A&M University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Southern

California, and Texas Tech University.

With over two million square feet of laboratory and support

space completed, Laura’s experience has focused on

research and development in the academic and private industry

setting, spanning a diverse range of scientific fields, including

analytical chemistry, physical sciences and engineering, consumer

product development, material science, life sciences, aerospace

engineering, manufacturing and production, and veterinary

medicine.

Laura is a heartfelt leader dedicated to client satisfaction and uniting

project teams with their clients and constituents’ goals.

Jim Gaughan

Moderator

Turner Construction Company

Jim has more than 40 years of experience on complex construction projects and has completed more than $1.3 Billion of pharmaceutical and life sciences projects. He has worked nationally with Turner’s large Pharmaceutical clients including Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Genentech, Baxter, MedImmune, Edwards Lifesciences, DuPont, Pfizer and Unither Pharmaceuticals. He has experience across all Life Sciences facilities including vivarium, process equipment, cGMP labs, research buildings and manufacturing plants. Prior to starting his career at Turner, Jim graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Opening Remarks

Monique Salas
Opening Remarks

Monique Salas

National Healthcare Business Development Manager

SageGlass

Monique Salas

Opening Remarks

SageGlass

Monique Salas, MPP, is the North American Director of Health & Wellness at SageGlass. In her role, she focuses on the impact Saint-Gobain SageGlass bears in Healthcare spaces. She has a rich history in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Healthcare Tech space. Monique is passionate about design that incorporates health & wellness as she has a strong belief that it uman performance. Some of her recent clients include Emory Healthcare, Geisinger Health, University of California Davis and University of California Davis Health.

Fireside Chat

One on One With Torrey Adams enior Director, Global Life Sciences at Greater Houston Partnership

Torrey Adams

Torrey Adams

Senior Director, Global Life Sciences

Greater Houston Partnership

Torrey Adams

Senior Director, Global Life Sciences

Greater Houston Partnership

Torrey A. Adams joined the Greater Houston Partnership on January 18th. He comes to the Greater

Houston Partnership with over 16 years of domestic and international experience in business

development, sales, marketing, marketing research and communications, sales/account management,

and project management and planning in chemicals and pharmaceuticals projects. He has previously

worked for several life science companies including BASF in Florham Park, NJ, Cambrex in Durham, NC

and Sanofi in Bridgewater, NJ.

Torrey is responsible for leading the Partnership’s work to position Houston as the Third Coast for Life

Sciences. He works to coordinate the efforts to support growth of the life science ecosystem and assist

with the recruitment of both domestic and international life science companies to the Greater Houston

region.

Torrey has a B.S in Chemistry from Marquette University and a Ph.D. in Synthetic

Organic/Organometallic Chemistry from Wake Forest University. He also has an MBA with a

concentration in Marketing from Wake Forest University.

Why This Matters

What You'll Learn: 

  • The steps being taken to diversify Houston's and make it major life sciences hub.

  • How Houston is adapting to the maturing research and development environment.

  • How Houston's top investors are accessing private and public capital to fund their next project.

Who You'll Meet: Owners, developers, investors, architects, engineers, general contractors, technical consultants, brokers, government officials, and biotech companies. 

Why You Should Attend: Hear from the cities top CRE and healthcare executives on why Houston is primed to be the next major hub for life sciences investment and development. We will dive into the newest projects transforming the Houston skyline like and the impact they will have on Houston's strained economy. Learn where you should be placing your bets to cash in on Houston's up-and-coming life sciences scene.  

What You Get: Access to all live content, panel replays on-demand, and live networking that is dynamic and actually useful. Networking tools include direct messaging, lobby chat and speed networking which have led to over 5,000 matches this year.

Agenda

Time Activity
3:00 PM
3:20 PM
Early Access

For those of you who like to plan ahead, join the event 30 minutes before networking to build out your profile and familiarize yourself with the platform.

3:20 PM
3:50 PM
Opening Networking

Our virtual networking tool is dynamic and actually useful. Send direct messages, set up meetings, and chat over video to make deals happen. Speed networking kicks off the event before the main program begins and helps you make connections immediately. More than 3,000 speed networking matches have been made so far. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to reach out.

4:00 PM
4:45 PM
The State of Houston's Life Science Sector & Its Role In Diversifying Houston's Economy

Houston isn't just an oil and gas city anymore. Houston is primed to be one of the most lucrative areas for those looking to invest in the life science sector. Hear about the latest trends in life science development, the companies entering the market and how to maximize your investment in the sector.

4:45 PM
5:30 PM
It's All About The Process: Translating Science Into A Physical Built Environment

What are the newest projects in the pipeline? Who are the major players in the life science sector? Where is development hot? Hear from top commercial real estate companies on the trends shaping life science construction and development.

5:30 PM
6:00 PM
Closing Networking