SBS Conference Speakers
On The Leading Edge
 This year’s lineup of conference speakers includes two respected scientists who will tackle critical “big picture” topics in molecular biotechnology
and genomics.
Immunologist Dr. Roger Perlmutter, Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Amgen, will present an executive overview of drug discovery, elucidating the many challenges
involved in managing global drug-discovery operations. A recent article in BusinessWeek Online referred to Dr. Perlmutter as a “highly regarded scientist” and “strategist”
who aims to foster more cooperative relationships among scientists in different disciplines.
Biotech pioneer Dr. Leroy Hood, President and Director of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, will share his vision of a systems approach to deciphering life’s biological
complexity in an Awards lecture. Systems biology—the idea that all the elements in a biological system can be studied simultaneously in response to genetic and environmental perturbations—represents
a significant departure from the current approach to biology, which is to look at one component of a cell at a time. A systems approach is feasible now, says Dr. Hood, in light of the
completion of the human genome, the emergence of cross-disciplinary science, and the rapid availability of vital resources on the internet and World Wide Web.
The keynote address will take place during the opening session on Monday, September 22, at 9:30 am (Dr. Perlmutter); the award lecture will take place Wednesday, September
24, at 8:00 am (Dr. Hood).
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SBS Launches Academic Outreach Committee
By Amy E. Wilson, PhD
AOC Committee Chair
In April, the SBS Board of Directors approved the formation of the Academic Outreach Committee (AOC), which will serve as a liaison between the industry and vendor communities and the academic communities that are involved in screening efforts. Investigators at many academic institutions are studying a variety of problems that are directly applicable to the issues that people involved in drug discovery face every day. In addition, several universities have established programs not only to more effectively screen their own proprietary targets, but also to provide training to graduate students and post-docs. The AOC would like to assist these and future programs by providing guest lecturers, helping to shape program curriculums, and by providing financial assistance to students wishing to attend the annual meeting. This type of hands-on experience is invaluable, especially in a competitive job market.
The goal of the AOC is to establish the SBS as the number one resource for academicians wishing to expand or establish these types of programs by:
Giving academic groups a forum for sharing ideas through on-line discussion groups and at networking events at SBS conferences. These events will give them the opportunity to not only interact with each other, but also with professionals in industry and with vendors and service providers.
Providing assistance to groups wishing to establish training programs or short courses to educate students or young professionals within their ranks.
The 2003 SBS Conference and Exhibition will host the inaugural Academic Row, which will consist of 10 table-top displays in the Exhibit Hall. Academic groups, both established and emerging, will display information about their programs. This will allow them to interact with one another and other members of the drug-discovery community. Information about this exciting new addition to the conference is available here on the SBS web site
The Academic Outreach Committee Members are:
- Robert M. Campbell, SBS Board Liaison
(Eli Lilly & Co.)
- James Marks, SBS Board Liaison
(Pfizer)
- Susan Barker
(Amersham Biosciences)
- Eric Brown
(McMaster University)
- Paul Erhardt
(University of Toledo)
- Brian Lightbody
(Zymark Corporation)
- Li-An Yeh
(Harvard University)
Betty Soltesz, SBS Office Liaison
(Society for Biomolecular Sciences)
- Amy E. Wilson, AOC Committee Chair
(Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP)
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Advancing The Science of Drug Discovery
Stories in This Issue: