About
LauraLee Hughes serves as Director, New Ventures at Texas A&M Innovation, where she leverages more than 15 years of experience in driving commercialization, technology development, and strategic initiatives across academia, industry and government. Most recently, LauraLee served as Director, Corporate Development & Strategy at SalioGen Therapeutics, a venture-backed genetic medicine startup, where she was responsible for leading business intelligence and development, external alliances, investor relations, and patient advocacy. Prior to her role at SalioGen, she held multiple roles across the Texas A&M System, including at the Texas A&M Health Science Center and McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, where she developed and led various programs to directly support faculty, staff and students in launching technology-based startups and small businesses. In these roles, she has extensive experience working with industry and government partners, having successfully secured and managed over $380 million in state and federal grants for the Texas A&M System, including a $285 million contract awarded in 2012 by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to establish the Texas A&M Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing. In addition, LauraLee has served as a faculty member and advisor for graduate level courses in entrepreneurship at Texas A&M and consulted with multiple early-stage biotechnology companies. LauraLee is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she earned a Master’s in Biotechnology, a Bachelor’s in Science with a Double Major in Biochemistry and Genetics, as well as a Certificate in Business from Mays Business School.
