The Nexus of Life Sciences and Engineering: A Symposium

President Robert A. Brown and the Trustees of Boston University will host an exploration of topics concerning the intersection of life sciences and engineering. Distinguished researchers from a variety of fields will discuss the strategic application of interdisciplinary collaboration as a springboard to new discoveries in life processes and human wellness.

September 15 | 8:30 am–4 pm
Questrom School of Business Auditorium (Room 105)
Rafik B. Hariri Building
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts

Registration

Welcome: Robert A. Brown—President, Boston University

Plenary: “The Role of Philanthropy in Funding Basic Science”
Marc Kastner—President, Science Philanthropy Alliance; Donner Professor of Science, Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Break

Panel: “The Future of Biology and Engineering”

Moderator

  • Christopher Chen—Founding Director, Biological Design Center, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University

Panelists

  • Richard Kitney—Co-Director, EPSRC National Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation, and Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering, Imperial College-London
  • Robert Langer—Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Feng Zhang—Core Institute Member, Broad Institute; Poitras Professor in Neuroscience, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Break

Panel: “The Future of Neuroscience”

Moderator

  • Michael Hasselmo—Director, Center for Systems Neuroscience, and Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University

Panelists

  • Joseph Coyle—Director, Laboratory for Psychiatric and Molecular Neuroscience, McLean Hospital; Eben S. Draper Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
  • Robert Desimone—Director, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and Doris and Don Berkey Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Eve Marder—Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience, Brandeis University

Break

Panel: “Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research at Boston University”

Co-moderators

  • Karen Antman—Provost of the Medical Campus, and Dean of the School of Medicine
  • Kenneth Lutchen—Dean of the College of Engineering

Panelists

  • Xue Han—Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Ahmad “Mo” Khalil—Associate Director, Biological Design Center, and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Visiting Scholar, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University
  • Darrell Kotton—Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine, and David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine

Break

Above-Listed Panel, continued

Closing Remarks: President Brown

RSVP to the Symposium and the Kilachand Center Open House and Tours