Strategies in Biophotonics announces schedule of speakers

The first Strategies in Biophotonics conference and exhibition, scheduled to take place September 9-11, 2014, in Boston, MA, has announced its lineup of speakers—all of whom have been deeply involved in development and commercialization of biomedical technologies and products based on optics and photonics.

Related: New event on bringing biophotonics to market launches

Keynote speakers for the event include:

• Robert S. Langer, ScD, MIT Institute professor, whose patents have been licensed by over 250 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, and medical device companies: "Creating and implementing breakthrough technologies"
• David Walt, Ph.D., Tufts and Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor and co-founder of Illumina, the first DNA sequencing company to achieve the $1000 genome: "Lessons learned from taking discoveries from the academic lab through commercialization"
• Ellen Strahlman, MD, MHSc, senior VP of R&D and CMO at BD Biosciences: "Meeting market needs with innovation"
• Gregory Altshuler, Ph.D., DSc, senior VP of R&D at Palomar Medical: "Creating new products for the life sciences markets"
  

In addition, well-known leaders in their fields will address topics ranging from the role of optics and photonics in the life sciences marketplace to global opportunities in the trends toward point-of-care and mobile health care services. These speakers include:

• Robert Alfano, Ph.D., director of the Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy & Lasers, City College of the City of New York, speaking on light advances in biomediphotonics
• Anita Goel, MD, Ph.D., CEO of Nanobiosym and winner of the Nokia XChallenge, speaking on personalized medicine and global health
• Robert Nordstrom, Ph.D., program director of the Cancer Imaging Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), speaking on translating biophotonics ideas into commercial utility
• Joseph Schmitt, Ph.D., VP of advanced development at St. Jude Medical, speaking on commercializing diagnostics
• Amy Kerdok, Ph.D., manager of clinical development engineering at Intuitive Surgical, speaking on lessons learned integrating optics into surgical robots
• Myron Greenspan, attorney at Lackenbach Siegel LLP, on what innovators should know about intellectual property (IP) and patent law

Two expert panels include:

• Fabian D'Souza, MD, president of Boston Strategic Partners, who will lead a discussion with medical practitioners, including John Frangioni, MD, and Penny Ford-Carleton, RN, MS, on meeting their needs with optics and photonics technologies
• John Dexheimer, president of LightWave Advisors, who will head a group of investors providing insights on funding and acquisition strategies

“We are very excited to have such prominent speakers from across a variety of medical and technology fields, and from academia, business, finance, and government,” says Barbara Goode, co-chair of the conference and editor-in-chief ofBioOptics World. “I think attendees will find very valuable resources and knowledge here, as we bring together a truly unique and diverse group of people who are all involved in the development and commercialization of biophotonics-based products that are revolutionizing the life sciences.”

The event, which will be held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, is owned and produced by PennWell and organized by BioOptics World and Laser Focus World. To register online and to learn more, please visit www.strategiesinbiophotonics.com.