R&E Week - Day 2: BioInnovation Forum 2025: Frontiers of Biotechnology
About this Event
1220 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12203
https://events.albany.edu/event/research-entrepreneurship-week-20258:30 to 9:00 a.m. — Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:00 to 9:15 a.m. — Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Thenkurussi “Kesh” Kesavadas, Vice President for Research & Economic Development, University at Albany
9:15 to 10:45 a.m. — Keynote Talks: Frontiers in Biotechnology
- Matthew DeLisa, Director of the Institute of Biotechnology, R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University
- David Kaplan, Distinguished Professor, Tufts University School of Engineering
- Cynthia Collins, Senior Director, Head Of Small Molecule And Genome Recodong Business, Ginkgo Bioworks
Highlighted Topics
- Biologics
- Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine
- Industrial Biotechnology
10:45 to 11:00 a.m. — Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. — Advanced Manufacturing & Futures Panel
- Kelvin H. Lee, Institute Director, National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), University of Delaware
- Matthew DeLisa, Director of the Institute of Biotechnology, R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University
- David Kaplan, Distinguished Professor, Tufts University School of Engineering
- Cynthia Collins, Senior Director, Head Of Small Molecule And Genome Recodong Business, Ginkgo Bioworks
- Richard McFarland, Chief Regulatory Officer, Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)
Moderator: Jonathan Dordick, Institute Professor, Department Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Highlighted Topics:
- Future Visions
- Technical challenges
- Overlapping needs
- Unique hurdles
- Workforce development
12:15 to 1:15 p.m. — Networking Lunch
1:15 to 2:30 p.m. — Refining the NYS Ecosystem: Leveraging Support Structures for Innovation and Public-Private Initiatives Panel
- Eric Ledet, Professor & Director, Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Jason Coley, Founding Director, Center for Academic Innovation, Maria College
- Gavin McIntyre, Co-Founder & Chief Commercialization Officer, Ecovative
- Brad Chartrand, Chief Executive Officer, Preventogen
Moderator: Heather McDaniel, Chief Economic Development Officer, Center for Economic Growth
2:30 to 3:00 p.m. - Coffee Break & Poster Session for Start-up Valley & Translational Research Initiatives
Poster Presentations by
- Noah G Allen
- Payel Datta
- Marcy Ekanayake-Weber
- Myonghoo Hwang
- Sravya Kovvali
- Salima Lalani
- Andrés R. Muñoz-Rojas
- Vikas Pandey
- Pujhitha Ramesh
- Andreas Wilhelm Rebmann
Highlighted Topic:
- Postdoctoral scholars and early-career faculty and researchers showcasing their work in biotechnology, life sciences, and related fields.
Startup Valley
Highlighted Topic:
- Emerging and small biotech companies
3:00 to 4:15 p.m. - Frontiers in Biotechnology – Bio-Photonics and the Capital Region Hub Panel
- Margarida Barroso, Professor, Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College
- Xavier Intes, Co-Director, Center for Modeling, Simulation, & Imaging in Medicine, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Igor Lednev, Professor & Co-Director, Center for Biophotonic Technology and Artificial Intelligence, University at Albany
- Nate Cady, Professor & Associate Dean for Research, Department of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, University at Albany
Moderator: Josh Hilderbrand, Director, Head of R&D - MRI Magnets, Philips
4:15 to 4:20 p.m. - Closing Remarks
- Susan Sharfstein, Professor of Nanoscale Science & Engineering, College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, The RNA Institute, University at Albany
4:20 to 5:00 p.m. — Networking Reception
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Alongside poster presenters and Startup Valley startups, notable labs from RPI, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, UAlbany, and AMC will also attend the forum and be available for connections/conversations.
Sponsors