Connecticut Children’s Medical Center CEO James Shmerling has been named to the board of directors of a Mass. biotechnology company that his hospital recently bought a stake in.
James Shmerling will serve on the board for Holliston, Mass.-based Biostage Inc., which bioengineers organ implants to treat life-threatening conditions of the esophagus, bronchus and trachea.
In January, Biostage announced funding of $4.2 million from a group of investors from China, which included a $100,000 investment from Connecticut Children’s. The medical center had said the investments into the organ implants would accelerate their regenerative technology procedures.
Biostage CEO Jim McGorry on Thursday said Shmerling’s experience leading the pediatric hospital will be “invaluable” as the company continues its collaboration with Connecticut Children’s to develop its cellframe technology from pre-clincial studies to clinical trials in order to address pediatric esophageal atresia, a condition in babies in which the two ends of the esophagus are separated by a long distance.
Shmerling said Biostage offers “valuable” medical technology that improves outcomes for patients.
“I hope my deep experience in delivering medical solutions to pediatric patients will help guide the company in moving its technology from the lab to the clinic,” he said.
Shmerling was hired to Connecticut Children’s in Nov. 2015, serving in executive positions at several pediatric hospitals including eight years as CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado.
He is a fellow in the American College of Heath Care Executives and an adjunct faculty member in the Hospital Administration programs, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
