BOCA RATON, Fla., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Atlantic University will host The Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida’s (EDC) 6th annual bioscience conference in conjunction with FAU’s “Research Week” on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 in the University Center on FAU’s Boca Raton Campus located at 777 Glades Road. The theme of BioTech 2007 is New Frontiers in South Florida Bioscience and will focus on industry, clinical and academic collaborations and the region’s 60-year life science history.
“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 http://www.fau.edu/research. For more information about the EDC or BioTech 2007, visit http://www.edc-tech.org or contact Jane Teague, executive director, at jteague@edc-tech.org or call 561-620-8494 ext.15.
About the EDC:
Founded in 1994 as a non profit, public/private partnership, EDC provides assistance to emerging science and technology companies throughout South Florida. Through its mentoring program, EDC offers expertise in new product development and commercialization, business strategy development and execution, technology transfer, strategic alliances, and preparing for fundraising. EDC also manages the Technology Business Incubator located in the Florida Atlantic Research & Development Park and produces two major conferences each year in support of South Florida’s emerging science and technology sector. EDC’s overall economic impact in the region is in excess of $285 million. The organization maintains offices in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
About FAU
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses strategically located along 150 miles of Florida’s southeastern coastline. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts nine colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Barry Kaye College of Business and the Colleges of Education, Engineering & Computer Science, and Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs.
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Florida Atlantic University
CONTACT: Gisele Galoustian of Florida Atlantic University,+1-561-297-2010, or ggaloust@fau.edu
