8:45 AM - Networking, Check-in

9:30 AM - Seating

9:45 AM - Morning Keynote

John R. Stuelpnagel - DVM, COO of Illumina, Inc.

10:45 AM - Morning Panels: IP/Finance & Personalized Medicine

Effectively Leveraging your IP to Finance Your Start-Up

Intellectual property protection is the key factor for economic growth and advancement in the biotechnology sector. Patents add value to laboratory discoveries and in doing so provide incentives for private sector investment into biotechnology development. The panel will discuss the proper steps to take in order maximize your idea. Discussion will include the various ways of obtaining financial support, licensing issues and where is the best place to get funding, as well as how to protect your intellectual property, how to obtain the patent, and the importance of lawyers in the process.
  • Moderator: Pedro F Suarez, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
  • Jane Moores, Interim Director of TechTips at UCSD
  • Jason Brown, Ph.D, Associate, Forward Ventures
  • Jeffrey W. Guise, J.D., Ph.D., Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, LLC.
  • Jen-shih Lee, CEO, Global Monitors, Inc.

Emerging Opportunities in Personalized Medicine

Prior to the recent decade, efficient pharmaceutical treatments that are tailored specifically to one's genetic and physiological make-up has been nothing but a dream, but the advancement of technology in healthcare has allowed personalized medicine to become a reality. The future of medicine is to be able to identify the genetic variations that would result in different responses to specific medication. These variations provide the blueprint to which medicine could be tailored to individual patients, ushering in a new generation of therapeutic methods that are unmatched in their effectiveness. A panel of distinguished leaders and pioneers in this new and exhilarating field join here today to explore the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in this emerging field.
  • Moderator: Dr. Daniel P. Gold, Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer Favrille
  • Mike Nerenberg, M.D., Medical Director, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Genoptix
  • Claude Benchimol, Senior Vice President, R&D, Invitrogen
  • Eric J. Topol, Chief Academic Officer & of Genomic Medicine and Translation Science, Scripps Health
  • Mark Erlander, Chief Scientific Officer, AviaraDx

11:45 AM - Lunch/Networking Session

12:45 PM - Afternoon Keynote

Gail Naughton - Ph.D, Dean of SDSU College of Business Administration

1:45 PM - Afternoon Panels: Breaking into Biotech & Non Medical Applications

From the Lab to the Boardroom

Having a strong background in research is no longer enough for getting ahead in the biotech business. While employers are looking for more than just pure biotech background, as the future leaders in biotechnology, we need to learn how to incorporate our knowledge in science into leadership and management abilities. This panel will focus on the many different paths of how to move from the lab bench to the boardroom. The panelists will share their experiences whether it be through networking or having a mentor that setup their successful career in biotech as well as provide insight into the specific trends and opportunities emerging in the industry today.
  • Moderator: Sheldon Schuster PhD. President and Professor, Keck Graduate Institute
  • John Dobak, M.D. Founder of JAKK Group
  • Alain Baron, M.D Senior Vice President, San Diego, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • Connie Matsui, MBA EVP-Knowledge and Innovation Networks, Biogen-Idec, Inc.
  • Judith W. Zyskind Founder of Elitra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Professor Emeritus, SDSU

Non-Medical Applications of Biotechnology

Biotechnology-related headlines in the main-stream media today have created the impression that biotechnology only has its applications in pharmaceutical industries. In fact, biotechnology has a vast range of applications that reaps benefits for mankind far beyond pharmaceutical products. Our distinguished panelists will help you explore the different realms of biotechnology and how they first started in fields of non-medical applications.

2:45 PM - Closing Remarks/Raffle/Networking