Conference spotlights Oklahoma BioScience Association

Conference spotlights Oklahoma BioScience Association

Oklahoma City, OK– Several national and regional bioscience leaders will come to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 29 for a half-day conference, sponsored by a national partnership, which spotlights the state’s new Oklahoma BioScience Association and ideas to continue developing the industry.

Registration for the conference, “The Oklahoma BioScience Association: Taking the Next Step Forward,” will begin at noon at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Conference Center in Oklahoma City. The program will begin at 1 p.m.

Earlier this year, state bioscience leaders announced the formation of the Oklahoma Bioscience Association to build support, resources, partnerships and commercialization for the industry. Carl Edwards, Chairman of the Oklahoma BioScience Association, said he is excited about the conference, its speakers and its participants.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to discuss with all of our partners the successes and challenges within the bioscience community,” Edwards said. “Clearly, partnerships are essential to the success of the bioscience industry. Working together – we all win.”

The Biz/Bio Program was established to build “bridges of understanding” between key sectors to establish and maintain a healthy environment for building and sustaining local and regional bioscience clusters. To do this, a series of Biz/Bio forums have been organized across the country, highlighting both positive and negative actions that impact the promotion and development of a strong bioscience presence. The national program is funded through a partnership that includes the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The keynote speaker, David K. Rosen, Head of Development and Commercial Strategic Alliances for Pfizer Global Research & Development, will discuss how companies work with state associations.

Patrick Kelly, Vice President, State Government Relations for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), will talk about the Association benefits and opportunities of affiliation with BIO.

Sheri Stickley, the Executive Liaison for the Oklahoma BioScience Association, will moderate a panel discussion on how state associations work in other states with three executives:

• C. Robert Eaton, President & CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association;
  
• Charles Craig, President of Georgia Bio (GaBio);
  
• Angela Kreps, President of the Kansas Bioscience Organization

Greg Main, President of CEO of i2E, will also moderate a panel discussion on bringing more bioscience opportunities to Oklahoma with three executives:

• Jim Bruce, President, Bruce Facility Planning Consultants
  
• Bruce Pratt, Vice President for Science Development, Genzyme Corporation;
  
• William Paiva, Manager, Oklahoma Life Science Fund

For more information about the Oklahoma Biz/Bio conference, go to www.okbizbio.org.

State Biz/Bio partners for the conference include: Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Oklahoma Bioscience Association, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), OU Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Oklahoma State University, Presbyterian Health Foundation, i2E – Turning Innovation into Enterprise, and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.