Three decades later, researchers in Winston-Salem are growing human bladders and heart valves using patients’ own cells. Keifer believes that spirit still endures:“We’re a community of innovators and leaders and entrepreneurs,” she told Straight Arrow. Residents stream in and out of the apartment buildings, which sit across from research companies and other businesses. Eva Mueller traded in the large, established biotech hub of Toronto to move to Winston-Salem for an opportunity in healthcare research and development in 2023. Today, the iQ is home to more than 150 companies, roughly a third of which operate in biotech, medtech or life sciences.