BREAKFAST – 8:00AM

Fuel Up & Find Out: A Conversation about the Future of Life Sciences academia & research

120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108

Start the day with an engaging conversation over breakfast featuring leaders from the life sciences industry and academia. The conversation will address topical issues in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the growing demand for professionals with specialized training in this sector. In addition, learn about Suffolk University’s newest interdisciplinary, graduate degree that combines coursework in law, science, and business, the Master of Science in Law: Life Sciences (MSLL). This graduate-level program is designed for people aspiring to pursue or further a career in the life sciences sector.

Presented by Suffolk University Law School

The Potential of Synthetic Biology biotech & pharma

27 Drydock Avenue, 8th Floor, Boston

Go behind the scenes at Ginkgo’s HQ for a fascinating look at this state of the art foundry and headquarters. Attendees will then enjoy breakfast while experiencing a panel discussion with Ginkgo executives discussing what the future of biotech may look like.

Presented by Ginkgo Bioworks

Data Collection in the Age of Genomics: Succeeding with Novel Datasets in Research Health & Technology

606 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210

Harmonizing diverse sets of data across EHR, surveys, EMA, and wearables data has always been a complicated process for research teams. Now genomics provides great promise – and great challenge to incorporate. But there are tools and techniques to simplify the data collection and data harmonization of genomics with any of your other datasets, as proven by the NIH All of Us Research Program, and many other emerging genomics studies across the country. In this session, we’ll explore strategies from three genomics studies for data collection, eConsent, and data harmonization – among other themes – to reveal what research teams can do to successfully run genomics studies.

Presented by Vibrent Health

9:00AM

On Air! First Opinion academia & research

Boston Globe Headquarters, 53 State Street, Boston, MA 02109

Listen in while Pat Skerrett is joined by a guest for his very popular podcast, First Opinion. This is STAT’s weekly podcast to discuss the people, issues, and ideas that are shaping the life sciences.

Presented by STAT

Putting Patient Centricity into Action: The LEAP Experience biotech & pharma

121 Seaport Blvd., Boston, MA 02210

Patient centricity is a value shared by biotech and pharmaceutical organizations worldwide. But what does it truly mean and, more importantly, how do you make such an abstract term actionable so that it is both meaningful for patients and advances science? Join this interactive LEAP (Learn, Evolve, Activate, and deliver for Patients) experiential learning session that will immerse you in the patient journey and challenge your assumptions about navigating life with a rare disease.

Presented by Alexion

Building Trust With Underserved and Underrepresented Populations Using Informed Consent Health & Technology

606 Congres Street, Boston, MA 02210

Participation from diverse communities is an essential ingredient for quality health research. Unfortunately, many studies fall short. Racial and ethnic minorities make up more than 35 percent of the population but account for about 10 percent of health research participants—even though minorities often have higher rates of many diseases. However, there are a few field-tested best practices that can drive trust at scale in research programs – with results such as 50% of participants from ethnic minorities, or 80% recruited participants from underrepresented groups. In this session, we’ll talk with attendees about the best approaches for: (1) Presentation and user experience (2) Translation and language usage (3) Support for key decisions (4) Knowledge reinforcement (5) Accessible records management post-consent

Presented by Vibrent Health

11:00AM

Broad Discovery Flash Talks academia & research

415 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Opening in October 2022, the Broad Discovery Center will be an active, public educational space that showcases how researchers at the Broad Institute and their colleagues in Kendall Square and around the world are seeking to understand and treat human disease. Broad Discovery Center will showcase five galleries, where visitors can immerse themselves in interactive and informative exhibits and learn how researchers at Broad along with collaborators across the globe are chasing down the basis of psychiatric conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, rare genetic conditions, and more. The 45-minute experience will include two parts: (1) Discovery Flash Talks: Listen to five 3-minute “flash talks” from Broad scientists studying many of the disease areas showcased in the Discovery Center. (2) Tour of the Broad Discovery Center: Enjoy a self-guided tour of the new exhibits in the company of scientific communicators and curators.

Presented by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

A Celebration of Boston Innovation biotech & pharma

255 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02142

Celebrate the thriving innovation in the Boston region, and imagine the future of biotech innovation, as you connect with like-minded innovators, entrepreneurs and investors at the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center in Cambridge.

Presented by Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Taking the Pulse of Clinical Trials Health & Technology

Cambridge Innovation Center, Room: Mosaic (3rd floor), 245 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142

In 2021, there were over 1.5 million changes in the U.S. clinical trials registry alone. Only a fraction of them — about 8% — were actually noteworthy. To put that into perspective, that’s an average of over 4,100 daily updates for you to keep track of. STAT Trials Pulse dynamically watches data from trusted sources — including press releases, the National Library of Medicine, clinicaltrials.gov, and scientific papers from PubMed — and delivers the information you need in one place.

Presented by STAT Trials Pulse

LUNCH – 12:00PM

Networking Lunch academia & research

The Glass House. 450 Kendall St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Meet up in Kendall Square for a networking lunch. Attendees will enjoy a spirited panel discussion comprising STAT editors and industry experts while enjoying lunch. More details to be announced shortly.

Presented by STAT

Innovation to Accelerate Drug Discovery biotech & pharma

87 Cambridgepark Dr., Cambridge, MA

Enjoy lunch while connecting with innovation leaders, as Roger Palframan, UCB’s Head External Innovation and U.S. Discovery Science, leads a discussion about how the UCB Boston Research & Development Hub is helping drive UCB’s work areas in targeted protein degradation, protein biochemistry, gene therapy, and structural biology to discover new medicines for treating patient populations with severe neurodegenerative and immunological diseases.

Presented by UCB

Treating Rare, Inherited Retinal Disease Health & Technology

Cambridge (Address TBA)

Enjoy this lunch while learning about AGTC, the science driving its cutting-edge technology, and more on the disease-states that these novel therapies are aimed at treating and contributing to improved health outcomes for patients affected by rare, inherited retinal disease. Then explore a state of the art mobile-vision clinic. As part of AGTC’s innovative approach to meet patients where they are by improving accessibility. AGTC partnered with 20/20 Onsite and rolled out a mobile-vision clinic that travels across the U.S., offering eye examinations to patients enrolled in AGTC’s ongoing clinical trials.

Presented by Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation

1:00PM

Exploring Innovation Through Art academia & research

MIT List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames Street, Building E15, Cambridge, MA 02139

Inspired by the science and technology happening throughout MIT’s campus, join us for a guided walking tour where a museum educator leads the group through MIT’s campus, stopping to highlight the public art and renowned artists featured in the MIT collection.

Presented by MIT

Unlocking the Body’s Best Defense biotech & pharma

1 Museum Of Science Driveway, Boston, MA 02114

“Unlocking the Body’s Best Defense: Exploring Cell Therapy and Novel Combinations to Reset the Immune System and Restore Homeostasis” is an important discussion about how COVID-19 highlighted the limitations of immunosuppressants in impacting vaccine efficacy for people with autoimmune disorders. New science in immunology shows promise to get beyond simply suppressing the immune system toward resetting it, and even potentially restoring the immune system back to its original state through targeted treatments. BMS is leveraging its long-standing immunotherapy experience in oncology to investigate the potential of combination and cell therapies in a similarly challenging area: immune disorders. Hear from Bristol Myers Squibb, GentiBio and Accelerated Cure Project to learn more about this exciting research and aspirations to unlock the body’s best defense against autoimmune disorders to offer patients better protection against infectious disease and the future hope of remission. Moderated by freelance science writer, editor and podcaster, Elie Dolgin. Elie’s work has appeared in Nature, Science, Newsweek, Discover, STAT, Nautilus and elsewhere.

Presented by Bristol Myers Squibb

MoS Boston Science Common Health & Technology

1 Museum Of Science Driveway, Boston, MA 02114

Experience the exhibit Mind Matters — an interactive experience that allows you to understand the history of mental illness and to build empathy. The aim of the Mental Health Spotlight is to advance the public’s understanding of mental health through the lens of wellness – that is, to understand that “mental health is health.” In the first 30 minutes, attendees will be treated to a special private show in our Charles Hayden Planetarium featuring the very latest images from NASA’s James Webb telescope. Together, these two experiences illustrate the concept of the MoS Boston Science Common, a new initiative that aims to bring important new issues in science, technology, and medicine to the public by leveraging the immense resources that exist in all these areas in Boston/Cambridge.

Presented by Museum of Science

3:00PM

An Insider’s Guide to the ‘Healthy Building’ Movement academia & research

Ariadne Labs, Landmark Center, 401 Park Dr, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02115

We spend about 90% of our time indoors. Yet we typically know very little about the safety of the air we breathe, the carpets we walk on, or the dust that settles on our desks. It’s past time to take a closer look. The 45-minute event will include two parts: (1) Join Joe Allen, associate professor and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for a welcome note and short introduction to the program and team. (2) Visit the six research booths and learn how to “interview” your home, school, or office to identify potential upgrades that can improve health, cognition, and productivity. You’ll hear about the latest research from Prof. Allen’s lab, including research suggesting that everyday dust may be hormonally active and disruptive due to the toxic presence of “forever chemicals” in building materials. You’ll even get an up-close look at several types of environmental sensors, including the latest technology for assessing indoor air quality. Meet the Healthy Building Team and learn more about the latest tools, guides, studies, and reports you can use to improve health in your home, office, or school. Throughout the event, there will be plenty of time for Q&A.

Presented by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

A Conversation With Moderna, The Past and Future biotech & pharma

Cambridge (Address TBA)

Join us for an engaging conversation where we uncover both the past triumphs and the future plans for Moderna. Moderna has become synonymous with the fight against COVID-19; what has that meant for the company and what’s next? This conversation and experience will involve some interactive elements for attendees.

Presented by Moderna

Ancient Future Tech Health & Technology

MIT Media Lab (6th Floor, E14 LH-633), 72 Amherst St., Cambridge, MA 02139

Scientific practice is inseparable from the ways in which we choose to represent the world. From indigenous land management that honors spirits in nature, over traditional Chinese medicine that visualizes the body as an ecosystem, to Japanese robotics design that produces artificial companions—our diverse cultural identities, norms, and values intimately shape how science is developed, applied, and accepted. At a time where the quest for ethical standards has become a shared concern of many scientific communities, we want to challenge prevalent science-culture distinctions and develop a more holistic, inter-cultural perspective to redefine ethics for the age of global participation.

Presented by MIT Media Lab

4:00PM

Growing Human Heart Tissue & New Sources of Protein academia & research

245 Beacon St., (Rm 501) Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Hear how Glenn Gaudette, professor and inaugural chair of BC’s new Engineering Department, has pioneered the use of plants as scaffolding for heart regeneration and cultivating new sources of protein. Explore 245 Beacon Street, BC’s new 150,000-sq.-ft. science facility, home to The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, the departments of Engineering and Computer Science, and the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship.

Presented by Boston College

RNA interference (RNAi) and the Central Nervous System biotech & pharma

675 W Kendall St., Cambridge, MA

Alnylam has led the translation of RNA interference (RNAi) from Nobel Prize-winning discovery into an innovative, entirely new class of medicines. In this session we explore a new area for Alnylam – the Central Nervous System (CNS). Gain insight into how Alnylam is working to deliver RNAi to the brain by viewing beautiful 3D images of mouse brains that have been dose with our molecule. To further the immersion, get hands on with interactive screens to explore “brain maps” as well as opportunities to view microscopic slides. Light bites will be served and time will be set aside for networking and Q & A.

Presented by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Biota Beats Health & Technology

MIT Media Lab (6th Floor, E14 LH-633), 72 Amherst St., Cambridge, MA 02139

In the mirror, we all see ourselves as one whole, independent organism. Wave at your reflection. Smile. Wiggle your ears. You might think, ‘Hey, this is me.’ But think again.You easily overlook the trillions of bacteria that live on and inside your body – your very own microbiota. The earth is teeming with bacteria and other microorganisms, and guess what? The place in the world with the highest density of these tiny creatures is in your own body! What if you could make music from your microbiota?

Presented by MIT Media Lab

6:00PM

Celebration Hub Event

Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St., Boston, MA

Come celebrate Open Doors 2022 and its day of scientific exploration. At this celebration, all Open Doors collaborators and attendees, across all 21 events, are invited to come together to live our community purpose: to connect, celebrate, and collaborate. Taking place at the renowned Boston Public Market, an indoor bazaar featuring New England artisans and food producers, all collaborators and attendees gain free admission. Enjoy an evening featuring live music, incredible food and drinks, and plenty of cool humans to connect with.

Presented by STAT