Prestigious Award Given to Co-Founder of Tissue Regeneration Company Focused on Women’s Health
BOSTON (March 28, 2024) – The Termeer Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on connecting life science innovators and catalyzing the creation of new medicines, announces Dan Jing Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of Netherlands-based VivArt-X as this year’s Henri Termeer Transatlantic Connections Award (TAC) recipient. The TAC was established in 2019 to increase collaboration between the United States and the Netherlands – two countries the late Genzyme founder and Foundation namesake, Henri Termeer, called home.
“We’re thrilled to have Dan Jing as this year’s Transatlantic Connections Award Winner,” said Catharine Smith, Executive Director of The Termeer Foundation. “Her work in Women’s Health is deeply aligned with our foundation’s goal of ensuring every patient has a cure. With half of our world’s population identifying as female, Dan Jing’s focus on women and wellness is key to our mission.”
Wu’s research is centered around creating advanced materials that interact seamlessly with the human body, particularly for tissue repair and regeneration. This involves designing substances that mimic biological tissues, enabling them to integrate into the body and aid in healing processes after surgery or injury.
VivArt-X’s primary focus is to revolutionize breast reconstructive surgery for women who have undergone breast tissue removal following a breast cancer diagnosis. This research holds potential for significant advancements in medical treatments, offering patients new hope and options.
“Breast cancer is a prevalent disease, affecting 1 in 7 women over their lifetime,” said Wu. “Among the approximately 2.7 million breast cancer patients worldwide, 63 percent require breast reconstructive surgery. Our technology aims to provide innovative solutions for patients who undergo this life-altering diagnosis and surgery.”
In addition to her work at VivArt-X, Wu is a co-founder of NOYA NOIR, a Dutch fashion company, and a scientific ambassador for The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization dedicated to advancing science and literature in the Netherlands.
Wu will be joining the 2024 cohort of Termeer Fellows. The group will be announced in April 2024.
ABOUT THE TRANSATLANTIC CONNECTION AWARD
In July 2019, the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, created and signed a Memorandum of Understanding laying the basis for a Massachusetts-Netherlands Transatlantic Life Sciences Partnership. The Transatlantic Connections Award was established in 2021 with support from the Termeer Foundation and Health-Holland. The Award recognizes and honors two life science entrepreneurs, one in Massachusetts and one in the Netherlands, who are leading innovative biomedical research activities, and whose programs have the potential to strengthen relations between the two life science regions. Biotechnology leaders who qualify and are selected as Transatlantic Connections Award honorees will become members of the Class of Termeer Fellows and receive membership in the Termeer network, an ever-expanding group of emerging and established healthcare innovators.
ABOUT THE TERMEER FOUNDATION
The Termeer Foundation is a nonprofit organization working to connect the world of healthcare innovators until every patient has a cure. We build and support an ever-expanding network of biotech entrepreneurs, CEOs, academics, and other innovators because we believe that helping people succeed will ultimately help their innovations reach patients. Our support includes mentoring, networking, professional development, and financial grants intended to facilitate connections, break down silos, strengthen skillsets, and ultimately enable a diverse array of current and future healthcare leaders who bring much-needed solutions to patients. Find out more about The Termeer Foundation and how you can support, engage with, and join our network at termeerfoundation.org and on LinkedIn @TermeerFoundation.
For questions or comments about the TAC Awardee or the Termeer Foundation, please contact:
Catharine Smith
Executive Director, Termeer Foundation
catharine@termeerfoundation.org