“We are delighted that this conference, which began as a joint effort between EDC and Dr. Gary Perry, dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at FAU, has come full circle after being hosted by each of the four South Florida universities,” said Jane Teague, EDC executive director. “This year’s event will demonstrate how new clinical and academic partnerships are changing South Florida’s bioscience landscape and highlight some of the most innovative work being done in our region.”

Conference highlights will include sessions on new collaborations in bioinformatics and biomedical science, funding for life science companies and other businesses, regulatory and patent protection issues, poster presentations and a sponsor exhibit.

Among BioTech 2007 presenters and panelists are keynote speaker Dr. Richard A. Houghten, founder and president of Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies; Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan, bioinformatics expert from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at FAU; Dr. Nick Tsinoremas, human genome expert from Scripps Florida; and Pete Martinez, vice president of IBM Consulting Services. Other panelists and presenters will also include individuals from Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, HIG Capital, GeneEx, Grant Thornton and Biotools. Nabi Biopharmaceuticals is the sponsor of the lunch session. Academic representation will include researchers from FAU, the University of Miami, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University and the University of South Florida.

“The EDC has assembled outstanding leaders in research, academia and industry to address critical issues on clinical and academic partnerships and to help propel this region to become a true global leader in the life sciences,” said Dr. Larry F. Lemanski, vice president for research at FAU. “We are extremely proud to host BioTech 2007 here at FAU in conjunction with our Research Week.”  

The roots of South Florida’s life science industry date as far back as 1948 when the Coulter brothers developed the first blood counter which led to the establishment of the field of hematology. In 1959, Cordis Corporation was established in Miami as a medical device company in the field of vascular medicine. Today, South Florida is home to more than 1,000 life science businesses and institutions that employ nearly 20,000 people and generate over $4 billion in revenues.

FAU is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “Research University– High Research Activity” institution.  FAU’s  many talented faculty and students are conducting vital research across a broad range of fields in the life sciences, investigating and addressing some of the most debilitating and deadly diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological disorders. 

FAU’s “Research Week,” which takes place from April 2-6, will highlight and promote the research, scholarly, creative and entrepreneurial activities of the University. For more information about Research Week visit www.fau.edu/research. For