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Termeer Foundation Announces Transatlantic Connections Award Recipient

Mar 28, 2024

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

 

 

Termeer Institute Announces 2026 Transatlantic Connections Award Honorees

Shana Wang of PathCision Medicine and Arno Bisschop of Genewity Named as This Year's Recipients

The Termeer Institute today announced the recipients of the 2026 Transatlantic Connections Award (TAC), recognizing two life sciences entrepreneurs — one in the United States and one in the Netherlands — whose work has the potential to strengthen the relationship and thought partnership between the two regions’ life sciences communities.

This year’s honorees are Shana Wang, co-founder and CEO of PathCision Medicine (United States), and Arno Bisschop, CEO of Genewity (Netherlands). Both honorees join the Class of 2026 Termeer Fellows and become members of the Termeer network. Each will receive support to travel to and engage with the life sciences community in the other’s region.

The Transatlantic Connections Award was established in 2021 with support from the Termeer Institute and Health-Holland, and is rooted in the Massachusetts–Netherlands life sciences partnership formalized through a 2019 memorandum of understanding between the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

“Scientific discovery knows no borders, and the Transatlantic Connections Award reflects that belief,” said Catharine Smith, CEO of the Termeer Institute. “Shana and Arno each bring deep expertise and a patient-first orientation to their work. We look forward to seeing the connections they build as members of the Termeer network and the exchange of ideas that will follow.”

Shana Wang, Co-Founder and CEO, PathCision Medicine

Shana Wang, co-founder and CEO of PathCision Medicine, brings a background in analytics, strategy and operational leadership to her work in life sciences. Prior to founding PathCision, she served as head of marketing and analytics at a femtech company, where she led cross-functional teams to launch new products and implemented data-driven strategies to support market growth. Earlier in her career, she worked in strategy and analytics consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies and developing predictive models to support data-informed decisions. She holds an M.A. in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University and a B.A. in economics and English from Wellesley College.

“Being named a Transatlantic Connections Award honoree is an extraordinary opportunity to learn from and contribute to a community of leaders united by a commitment to patients,” said Shana Wang, co-founder and CEO of PathCision Medicine. “I look forward to building connections across the Atlantic and bringing those perspectives to the work we are doing.”

Arno Bisschop, CEO, Genewity

Arno Bisschop is a medical doctor and entrepreneur in health and life sciences. Trained at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, he holds a PhD in orthopedic and neurosurgery and a master’s degree in management and policy in health and life sciences. Over the past decade, Bisschop has co-founded and exited several health care companies. He currently serves as CEO of Genewity, a clinical-stage company developing gene therapies for patients around the world.

“I am honored to receive the Transatlantic Connections Award and to join the Termeer Fellows community,” said Arno Bisschop, CEO of Genewity. “Collaboration across regions is essential to advancing the science and solutions that patients need, and I look forward to building those connections.”

Wang and Bisschop join a Termeer network that includes more than 600 life science industry leaders— mentors, advisors, board members and community partners — spanning nine countries and united by a shared commitment to patient-centered innovation. Fellows across the program’s history have collectively raised $3.45 billion in funding, with 73% remaining in their roles as CEOs and 87% of their companies continuing to advance. The exchange of ideas and experiences across borders is central to how the Institute drives progress, with the ultimate goal that every patient has a cure.

About the Transatlantic Connections Award 

The Transatlantic Connections Award recognizes one U.S.-based and one Netherlands-based life sciences entrepreneur annually. Honorees become members of the Termeer Fellows class and the broader Termeer network, and receive support to engage with the life sciences community in the other’s region. The award was established in 2021 with support from the Termeer Institute and Health-Holland.

About the Termeer Institute 

The Termeer Institute supports and empowers brilliant life science innovators through values-driven leadership programming, including mentorship, network development and thought leadership to advance groundbreaking, patient-centric solutions. Learn more at termeerinstitute.org.