Between May 19 and May 22, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) hosted its LABEST Week, consisting of a series of events engaging Los Angeles stakeholders ranging from an array of medical and biological fields relating to technology and innovation. Institutions from the University of Southern California (USC) were sure to take part, USC being represented by the Alfred E. Mann Institute and the Stevens Center for Innovation who tabled the event.
Hosted by the UCLA Technology Development Group, this year’s LABEST Week was a merger of two events: the UCLA MedTech Conference and the LA Bioscience Ecosystem Summit. Its intent, deemed by many who attended to have been successful, was to foster collaboration across the fields of biotech, MedTech, therapeutics, AI, and more.
Over the course of four days, four different events took place. On May 19, the tenth annual Bioscience Talent Connection was held in UCLA’s Ackerman Grand Ball Room. The event consisted of a Networking and Job Fair and an Early/Mid Career Professional Panel. Attendees were treated to sessions with industry thought leaders and seminars on professional skillsets and networking.
On May 20, the UCLA Founders Mixer and Pitch Showcase took place at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) on UCLA’s campus. Sponsored by Alexandria Real Estate in collaboration with UCLA Ventures and CNSI Magnify, participants were given the unique opportunity to connect with founders, faculty, and ecosystem partners as well as learn about opportunities at UCLA regarding start-up resources. Participating in the Pitch Showcase was USC’s very own start-up company Silver Spur Therapeutics.
The thirteenth annual LABEST MedTech Conference took place in the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. Consisting of talks and panels from leaders in industry and academia, it featured over 10 early stage or start-up companies who competed for a $10K prize sponsored by KPBB. Participants had the opportunity to hear from two keynote speakers; Lisa Earnhardt, Executive Vice President and Group President of Medical Devices at Abbot, and Peter Schulam, Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
On May 22, the week’s final day, the seventh annual LABEST Bioscience Conference was held also at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. A lively well attended event, participants were treated to a program led by leaders in bioscience from UCLA Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine, Gilead Sciences, Amgen Inc., and Kite Pharma. Over lunch, attendees were given the opportunity to network, and, in the afternoon, discussion panels were held on cancer, nutrition, and start-ups. Throughout the day, over 60 scientific posters were on display as part of the Pearl Cohen Poster Competition.
LABEST Week saw a successful turnout with over 1,100 participants attending. They got to hear from over 150 speakers and panelists, experts with a dearth of experience in innovation and technology. Hailing from the greater Los Angeles Ecosystem, over 20 exhibitors joined the event, offering insight on industries from MedTech to AI. Notably, the event was well supported with over 50 event sponsors.
USC was well represented. Executive Director of the Stevens Center Dr. Erin Overstreet partook on panels addressing the growing biotech innovation ecosystem in Los Angeles. Dr. Overstreet and Keck School of Medicine’s Dr. Denis Evseenko partook in a panel on Longevity, shedding light on USC’s new Longevity Research Accelerator initiative. As Investment Director at USC’s Alfred E. Mann Institute Dr. Tariq Warsi, who also attended said, “USC looks forward to next year’s LABEST Week with greater participation and more successes to share.”