Thursday - October 8, 2009

Barnhardt Student Activities Center, UNC Charlotte

Agenda

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE 2009 PROGRAM BOOK


8:00 am – 3:30 pm

Registration

8:00 am – 11:00 am

Sponsor Booth Setup

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Sponsor Booth Exhibit

9:00 am – 11:30 am

Graduate Student Poster Competition
(students to be available at posters)

11:30 am – 12:45 pm

Lunch and Keynote Speaker


Anthony Atala, M.D.

Scientific Founder and Chairman of the Tengion Scientific Advisory Board
Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the William Boyce Professor and Chair of the Department of Urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Dr. Atala is also a renowned surgeon, researcher and expert on tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and stem cell biology. His work focuses on growing and expanding new human tissues and organs to repair or replace diseased tissues or organs. Dr. Atala has received numerous awards and honors, including the U.S.-Congress-funded Christopher Columbus Foundation Award, bestowed on a living American who is currently working on a discovery that will significantly affect society, and the Scientific American, Research Leader Award, for his contributions to tissue and organ regeneration.

12:45 pm – 1:00 pm Break

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Federal Agency Panel: Future Trends in Biotechnology Funding

The primary source of funding to support early-stage biotechnology innovation comes through federal institutions. This panel will provide a national perspective on nearly 40 billion in funding opportunities for both university researchers and small businesses.

Moderator:  Michael Luther, Ph.D., President, David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) -- For Luther Presentation Click HERE

Panelists:

  • June Blalock, Office of Technology Transfer, US Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service -- For Blalock Presentation Click HERE
  • Daniel Shaughnessy, Ph.D., Program Administrator, Susceptibility and Population Health Branch Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health  -- For Shaughnessy Presentation Click HERE
  • Joanne Tornow, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Director - Directorate for the Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation -- For Tornow Presentation Click HERE

 

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Business Leaders Panel: The State of Biotechnology in the Charlotte Region

As the United States looks to recover from the recent economic downturn, industry sector diversification serves as a key strategy for all regions throughout the country.  In Charlotte, nearly $3 billion dollars in public-private investment has been committed to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, bioenergy and medical device sectors in the past five years. This executive level panel will provide a “view from the top” in terms of the strategies, educational outreach, economic development, finance, research and political solutions designed to expand these key strategic growth sectors.

Moderator: Mark Rumsey, News Host & Community Engagement Coordinator, WFAE 90.7-FM

Panelists:

  • Simon Pedder, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, Chelsea Therapeutics International, Inc.
  • Tammy Trexler-Whaley, Regional Manager - Economic Development, Duke Energy
  • Todd Wiebusch, CEO and Board President, Saebo, Inc.

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Break

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm Research Highlights

UNC Charlotte is the fourth largest research university within The University of North Carolina System with nearly $40 million in research expenditures.  The $1.5 billion dollar NC Research Campus serves as the epicenter of biotechnology research, commercialization and collaboration in the region. Eight universities are contributing to the NCRC; including Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, UNC Greensboro, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, Appalachian State University & North Carolina A&T State University. Featured will be a series of research projects conducted at UNC Charlotte, Carolinas Medical Center and the NC Research Campus. Each researcher will provide an 8-minute presentation of their technology followed by a 2-4 minute Q&A session. All presentations will include an opportunity for partnership, licensing and/or spin-out.

Moderator: Daniel B. Vorhaus, Attorney, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. TOPIC: Commercialization Strategies for Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical & Genomics Research -- For Vorhaus Presentation Click HERE

Presenters:

  • Mirsad Hadzikadic, Ph.D., Director - NC Complex Systems Institute, UNC Charlotte  TOPIC: Complex Software Systems and 411fit.com -- For Hadzikadic Presentation Click HERE
  • Jeffrey A. Kline, M.D., Director - Emergency Medical Research, Carolinas Medical Center  TOPIC:  Commercializable Research from CMC -- For Kline Presentation Click HERE
  • Carol Cheatham, Ph.D., Assistant Professor - Nutrition Research Institute, UNC Chapel Hill  TOPIC: Nutrition Impact on Pediatric Brain Development -- For Cheatham Presentation Click HERE
  • Pinku Mukherjee, Ph.D., Irwin Belk Endowed Scholar for Cancer Research & Associate Professor of Biology, UNC Charlotte  TOPIC:  Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Metastasis

4:15 - 4:45 Charlotte Biotechnology Cluster Report

Honorable Walter H. Dalton

Lieutenant Governor, State of North Carolina

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO OF LT. GOV

Lt. Governor Dalton is a proven leader with a passion for education, innovation and a track record of getting results for the citizens of North Carolina. Prior to his election as lieutenant governor, Walter Dalton served six terms in the North Carolina Senate, where he was known for his ability to find common-sense solutions to the tough problems facing our state. He was consistently ranked as one of the body's most effective members. Born in Rutherfordton, Lt. Gov. Dalton graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration and a J.D. in Law.

Lt. Governor Dalton will present the preliminary results of a recent biotechnology cluster study conducted by the NC Biotechnology Center, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Central Piedmont Community College and the Charlotte Regional Partnership.

4:45 - 5:00 pm Closing Remarks

5:15 pm - 7:30 pm Networking Reception, Bioinformatics & Genomics Center, UNC Charlotte