More than 220 people attended the 2007 Arizona Bio Expo earlier this week to hear presentations from state and national scientists and business leaders.
The expo, an event of the Arizona BioIndustry Association, was held in downtown Phoenix in conjunction with the third annual Excellence in Bioscience Awards dinner. The expo was kicked off by Department of Commerce Director Jan Lesher reading a statement from the Governor’s office to officially proclaim June 20, 2007, as Arizona Biosciences Day. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon welcomed the audience to the event, held at the new Phoenix Convention Center.
The expo featured experts from beyond Arizona as well, with Michael Weingarten of the National Cancer Institute providing insights on obtaining Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and Dan Kleesburg of Ernst & Young’s San Diego operations presenting the firm’s annual Global Biotechnology Report. Also at the podium was Patrick Kelly of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), who gave an update on key policy developments at the federal level and in other states.
The local keynoter was Edward Shortliffe, dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Campus in Partnership with Arizona State University. Shortliffe updated the lunchtime audience on the progress of the new medical school and Phoenix Biomedical Campus.
Panel discussions involving numerous Arizona bioscience leaders focused on:
- Regional developments on Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap
- Arizona’s leading medical device companies, featuring W. L. Gore, Medtronic, and Ventana Medical Systems
- An overview of three relatively new entities aiming to elevate Arizona to the level of international competitor and partner: Arizona Global Network, Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz), and SkySong
- Neuroscience research at Sun Health Research Institute
- Experiences in partnership and collaboration featuring the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), UA’s BIO5 Institute, and the Critical Path Institute (C-Path).
The event also featured an exhibition hall with booths and posters on the state’s leading research institutes and emerging bioscience companies.
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