Women's Health

Heart, Breast, Gynecology, Mind, & Cancer

Jan 31, 2024 |  9am - 7pm
10918 Technology Pl | San Diego, CA | 92127

Women's Health Symposium

January 31, 2024
9AM - 7PM
10918 Technology Pl, CA 92127
EVENT OVERVIEW

Empowering Women Through Health

Join us for an insightful and empowering gathering dedicated to the advancement of women's health. Immerse yourself in a day of groundbreaking discoveries, meaningful connections, and inspiring conversations as we explore the ever-evolving landscape of women's health and wellness.

Together, we will delve into the latest innovations, cutting-edge research, and transformative approaches from startup companies that are shaping the future of women's healthcare.


AGENDA

Industry Insights, Startup Showcase, and Investing

Start
End
Activity
9:00 AM
9:45 AM
Check-In & Networking
9:45 AM
10:00 AM
Welcome
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
Keynote:
"Evolving Knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease in Women"
Indu G. Poornima, MD
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
"Heart attacks in women versus men"
Kirk L. Peterson, MD, FACP, FACC
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
"New Treatments for Heart Diseases - Viral delivery and MicroRNAs"
Bhawanjit K. Brar Ph.D.
11:30 AM
12:00 PM
"Breast cancer in young women"
Leticia Varella, MD.
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM
1:00 PM
OB-GYN talk
Catharine H. Marshall, MD
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
"Dementia in women"
Beth Hoffman PhD
1:30 PM
2:00 PM
"Cell Therapy for Cancer"
Andreas Bader PhD
2:00 PM
2:15 PM
Break
2:15 PM
3:15 PM
Investing in Women's Health

Moderator: Ariel Kramer (Founder of Klover Communications)
Panelists:
. Tricia Schumann (Chief Investment Officer of Health Innovation Capital)
. Caroline Peacock (Investment Analyst at Techstars LA / Healthcare / Space)
. David Crean (Managing Partner at Cardiff Advisory LLC)

3:15 PM
4:45 PM
Startup Showcase:
4:45 PM
5:00 PM
Closing Statements
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
Happy Hour & Networking
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
Investor Forum (accredited investors only)
EDUCATE

Learn from Subject Matter Experts on Women's Health

Keynote Speaker
Indu G. Poornima, MD

Professor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine

Dr. Poornima provides specialized care for individuals with cardiac symptoms. Her expertise includes echocardiography, cardiac PET, and nuclear cardiac imaging. She also focuses on women’s heart health, including pregnancy-related cardiovascular disease. She earned her degree at Stanley Medical College at University of Madras in Chennai, India, and completed her residency at Wayne State University Health Center in Detroit, Michigan. She pursued additional training with a cardiovascular medicine fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and nuclear cardiology training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is the Medical Director of Nuclear Cardiology and Director Preventive Cardiology and Women’s Heart Center at Allegheny Health Network.

Kirk L. Peterson, MD, FACP, FACC

Professor of Medicine Emeritus at UCSD

Kirk L. Peterson, MD, FACP, FACC, is a Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine where he held the Perlman Chair of Cardiology for more than 25 years. During his 50-year professional career at UCSD, he also served as a cardiology consultant to the Naval Regional Medical Center and the Veteran’s Hospital in San Diego. He served as the Director of the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, UC San Diego Health System, from its opening in 2011 until 2015. During his academic career he sat on the editorial board of the Journal American College of Cardiology and was also President of the Medical Education Research Foundation. Between 2005 and 2020, Professor Peterson served as the Director of the Seaweed Canyon Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, the site where the murine investigations of Jaan Biotherapeutics drugs were conducted in double-blind studies. He has authored over 180 papers in cardiology, numerous book chapters, and served as the senior author of a textbook on Cardiac Catheterization and Angiography. Professor Peterson received his medical degree from the Cornell University Medical College in New York, New York, completed two years of post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, and received fellowship training in Cardiovascular Medicine at The Baylor College of Medicine before coming to UC San Diego.

Bhawanjit Brar Ph.D.

CEO and Founder of Jaan Biotherapeutics

Dr. Brar founded Jaan Biotherapeutics in 2015, following 7 years at Zensun USA, where she held various positions including the Vice President of Clinical Research, managing a United States Phase 2 clinical trial for a first in class therapeutic for the treatment of heart failure. Dr. Brar completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Swansea University in Wales and a Ph.D. in Physiology/Endocrinology from the University of Reading U.K. Dr. Brar has served as a consultant for many years helping companies to develop therapeutics through to clinical testing before founding Jaan Biotherapeutics. Dr. Brar is an inventor/co-inventor of numerous patents and has been working in developing treatments for heart disease for 28 years.

Leticia Varella, MD

Professor of Medicine Emeritus at Dana Faber Cancer Institute

Dr. Varella is a clinical expert in the care of patients with breast cancer. She was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she completed her training in Medical Oncology.  She moved to the United States for a research fellowship in cancer immunology at the Cleveland Clinic, followed by a clinical fellowship in Experimental Therapeutics.  Following her residency in Internal Medicine, she spent a year as a Chief Resident at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  She then completed a fellowship in Hematology & Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. After her training, Dr. Varella joined the breast cancer group coming from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York where she was an Assistant Professor of Medicine specialized in the treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Varella has a special clinical and research focus on improving outcomes in young patients with breast cancer. Her recent research innovations include leading a project at DFCI in which she is investigating the factors associated with survival in young patients with metastatic breast cancer from the Young Women's Breast Cancer study (YWS) at DFCI.  She also supervises and teaches Internal Medicine residents and Medical Oncology fellows at DFCI.  

Catharine H. Marshall, MD

OB-GYN at Scripps La Jolla Hospitals

Dr. Catharine H. Marshall is an obstetrician-gynecologist in La Jolla, California and is affiliated with Scripps La Jolla Hospitals. She received her medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Beth Hoffman, PhD

Founder and CEO at Origami Therapeutics

Beth Hoffman, Ph.D. is Founder and CEO at Origami Therapeutics. She brings more than 25 years of CNS drug discovery and has developed over 30 assets that have advanced into the clinic in cystic fibrosis, metabolic diseases, neurology, pain and psychiatry. Prior to Origami, she was Vice President, Discovery Biology for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she generated and launched clinical candidates for respiratory and neurological diseases, including first-in-class block buster drugs in cystic fibrosis (Kalydeco, Orkambi, Symdeko, Trikafta). She expanded the market for Orkambi and increased sales to over $1 Billion, and also generated a novel non-opioid pain therapeutic and other protein folding programs at Vertex. Dr. Hoffman received an A.B. in Molecular Biology from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Huntington’s Disease Society of America as well as a Scientific Advisor for the Tau Consortium focusing on alleviating diseases associated with tau pathology, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also on the Board of Biofrontera Inc.

Andreas Bader, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer at Triumvira Immunologics, Inc.

Andreas Bader experience lies in drug development from early-stage drug discovery into Phase I clinical trials, with a focus on oligonucleotide therapies and cellular therapies. During his 10-year academic career, he studied mechanisms of cancer, validating cancer drug targets in vitro and in vivo. At Asuragen, Inc., he led the miRNA Therapeutics program. As a scientific founding member, he directed research programs that focused on the development of microRNA-based therapies. Currently, he is advising/consulting for new and early-stage biotechnology ventures.

DEMO DAY

Apply to Pitch

Are you ready to supercharge your innovative startup looking to make an impact in the field of women's health?

Pitch your startup to an audience of industry experts, colleagues, and seasoned investors to gain valuable insights and feedback, forge strategic partnerships and connections, secure vital funding for your pioneering project, and elevate your startup to the next level!
BECOME AN
INVESTOR-ACTIVIST

Investing in Startups

Stay ahead of the curve by joining us at the Catalyst Capital Symposia, where you can gain valuable insights into emerging technologies, spanning various industries, from tech and healthcare to sustainability and beyond.

Join the ranks of investor-activists who not only provide financial backing but also lend their expertise, networks, and influence to nurture startups, catalyzing a collective effort towards a brighter, more innovative future.


SPONSORS

Event Overview

The future of Biology is Digital and AI stands at the forefront of this transformative journey! We invite you to join us for an enlightening day of discovery, networking, and inspiration, where we delve into the realm of AI-powered Digital Biology and its profound influence on the future of Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Life itself!

AI Digital Biology is reshaping the life sciences economy through modeling, computational biology, omics data, and synthetic biology. It has the power to not only save lives but also mitigate pollution and maybe expedite the pace of evolution.

Come support startup companies in the AIDBio space. We extend a warm invitation to all biotech, pharma, academics, entrepreneurs, and investors to be a part of the AI Digital Biology Era. Connect with leading AI industry experts, and engage in passionate discussions, sharing your insights and perspectives with our vibrant community.

Agenda

Start Time
End Time
Activity
9:00 AM
9:30 AM
Check-In & Networking
9:45 AM
10:30 AM
Keynote Speaker
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
AI and Digital Biology Startups
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
Catalyst Capital Panel: AI & Investing
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
2 Speakers
3:00 PM
3:15 PM
Break
3:15 PM
4:15 PM
2 Speakers
4:15 PM
5:00 PM
Panel featuring Previous Speakers
5:00 PM
7:00 PM
Happy Hour &  Networking

Startups

Are you ready to supercharge your innovative startup in the cutting-edge fields of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning? Don't miss this golden opportunity to bring your vision to life!

Pitch your startup to an audience of industry experts, colleagues, and seasoned investors to gain valuable insights and feedback, forge strategic partnerships and connections, secure vital funding for your pioneering project, and elevate your startup to the next level!