BioMed X Launches New US Institute in New Haven, CT

• Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, and Josh Geballe, Managing Director of Yale Ventures, participated in the launch ceremony of the new BioMed X Institute on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

New Haven, CT, USA, June 13, 2024 – BioMed X, an independent research institute founded in Heidelberg, Germany, has expanded its operations with the opening of a new institute in the United States. Located in New Haven, CT, in the vicinity of Yale University, the new facilities are part of the Elm City Bioscience Center, a state-of-the-art lab and research building owned by The Hurley Group. This significant milestone was celebrated with a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, June 11, and attended by BioMed X fellows, partners, collaborators, and distinguished guests.

Governor Ned Lamont joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome BioMed X to the bio-ecosystem of Connecticut: “The spirit of innovation is in the DNA of our state. BioMed X chose an excellent location for their first institute on US soil, and we are happy to welcome them to our community.” The warm welcome was echoed by the mayor of New Haven, Justin Elicker, who was also present at the event.

Similarly to the BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, the one in the US is located in a vibrant biomedical research environment centered around Yale University. Yale Ventures Managing Director Josh Geballe took part in the opening ceremony on Tuesday and expressed his excitement for the collaboration potential that BioMed X brings to New Haven: “Yale is committed to global partnerships that foster innovation. We warmly welcome BioMed X to our bio-ecosystem and are looking forward to future collaborations.”

The new institute is managed by Mark Johnston, an experienced biotech CEO and entrepreneur. “We are so grateful for all the local support. New Haven is such a vibrant life sciences hub, coming here was the right choice for us,” explains Johnston. The first US research team, in partnership with AbbVie, started its activity at the new institute last year. Their aim is to develop complex human ex vivo models for tissue inflammation. Led by Dr. Alicia Cutler, who joined BioMed X from the University of Colorado Boulder and mentored by Prof. Dr. Carla Rothlin from the Yale Cancer Center, the team now has four additional members working together at the BioMed X facilities within the Elm City Bioscience Center.

Dr. Christian Tidona, Founder and Managing Director of BioMed X, explains the rationale behind the start of their new institute in New Haven: “During the past decade, we were able to attract and relocate over one hundred outstanding early-career researchers from around the world to our BioMed X Institute in Heidelberg, Germany. After this successful proof-of-concept of our innovation model, we felt it was time to extend our operations to the USA. With Yale University at its center, New Haven has turned out to be the perfect place for us.”

The launch event on Tuesday was a celebration of long-term partnerships and innovation at the interface between academia and industry. To find out more about the current and future projects of BioMed X, visit their website: https://bio.mx/.