A biotech revolution is taking root in Virginia, and we brought in someone who’s building it from the inside. Sally Allain—Chief Health Science Growth and Innovation Officer at Virginia Tech and a double Hokie—shares how a career that began with undergraduate research evolved into leading global collaborations at Johnson & Johnson, launching JLABS in DC, and now accelerating translation and industry partnerships across the Commonwealth.

We dig into how a medicine actually gets made, from picking a target in the lab to surviving toxicology, raising venture capital, filing the IND, and navigating clinical trials. Sally breaks down the “valley of death” that stalls promising science and how smart alliances, philanthropic support, and experienced operators can close the gap. Along the way, we explore how Roanoke’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute is reshaping the region’s identity with physician‑scientist hires, a state‑backed Patient Research Center in oncology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular disease, and a plan with Children’s National to bring small‑scale GMP cell and gene therapy manufacturing to Southwest Virginia.

Zooming out, we connect the dots between AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and Merck’s major investments; Virginia Tech’s strengths in engineering, robotics, and AI; and the growing Mid‑Atlantic corridor that stretches from Washington to Roanoke and links into North Carolina. The result is a clearer picture of what it takes to convert academic breakthroughs into therapies, jobs, and regional growth—plus real steps for building a workforce pipeline that keeps graduates in the Commonwealth. If you’re curious about how ideas become medicines and why Virginia is suddenly on the pharma map, this conversation brings strategy, science, and urgency together.

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