Entrepreneur of the Year 2020

Biao He, GRA Distinguished Investigator and the Fred C. Davison Distinguished University Chair in Veterinary Medicine, is a renowned virologist and vaccine developer who has founded numerous biotechnology companies to develop new vaccines. His UGA research has led to four issued U.S. patents and 19 foreign patents. He’s work on the virus known as PIV5, which has an excellent safety profile, has been translated into vaccines and treatments for deadly infections such as rabies, tuberculosis and HIV. University of Georgia earned the patent for the PIV5 vaccine platform that He developed, and many companies have since licensed it. The Georgia Research Alliance-funded startup company CyanVac is developing vaccines against several animal and human diseases based on He’s research. More recently, he founded Blue Lake Biotechnology, Inc., to develop PIV5-based vaccines for human disease with an initial focus on respiratory syncytial virus. In 2019, Blue Lake secured private investment of $6 million to fund RSV vaccine development.

Previous Award

• Inventor of the Year Award 2017