A Look at the Next 10 Years in Life Science

The life science industry is in the midst of tremendous change, from the realignment of large pharma, to the convergence of digital health and traditional medicine, to changes in funding models for basic research, to the rise of agbio.  In fact, very little in 2015 looks as it did just 10 years ago.

That’s why the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the nation’s largest and longest-running entrepreneurial network, is focusing not just on today’s reality, but forecasting future opportunities at the 23rd Annual CED Life Science Conference – #TheNext10 –  scheduled for March 3–4 at the Raleigh Convention Center. We are pleased to work with our partners, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and NC Biosciences, to bCED LSC 15ring together scientists, innovators, and visionaries who are using science and technology to make our lives better and change the world.

Why should we care about the future of life science?  Because virtually no one will be unaffected by the changes that will occur in the next 10 years.  That’s why we’re honored to include as our opening keynote Herb Boyer, the co-founder of Genentech, who pioneered the field of genetic engineering a generation ago and continues to look ahead to the promise of further scientific discovery.  He will be joined on the main stage by John Lechleiter, CEO, president and chairman of Eli Lilly, sharing his perspective on leading global innovation; and Dennis Gillings, founder and executive chairman of Quintiles, breaking new ground at the intersection of big data and medicine.

Our speakers have been chosen for maximum disruptive thinking, including leaders in patient advocacy and venture philanthropy who are upending the traditional relationships between researchers and patient groups.  Our North Carolina-featured panelists include Josh Sommer, recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30” in Science and Healthcare, for founding the nonprofit Chordoma Foundation, dedicated to supporting research for his own rare form of cancer. The much-anticipated session on personalized medicine includes a company dedicated to turning back the clock on aging as the most effective way to reduce risk factors for disease, coupled with a principal scientist from Google X Life Sciences.  And throughout, North Carolina’s most cutting-edge startups will showcase the best thinking from our world-class universities and the labs based in the internationally renowned Research Triangle Park.

North Carolina has a reputation for fresh thinking in life science, and the conversation will be lively and provocative as we explore #TheNext10. We invite you to join us at http://www.cednc.org/lifescience/

Joan Siefert Rose is President of North Carolina’s Council for Entrepreneurial Development

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