South Florida Bioscience Community Convenes in Miami for Annual EDC Bio Conference

Event to Focus on Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapies

Nearly 300 members of South Florida’s bioscience community will gather on April 30th at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Miami to learn about new frontiers in regenerative medicine and cellular based therapies. The conference is being produced by the Enterprise Development Corporation of South Florida (EDC) and hosted the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Provost. This marks EDC’s 8th annual life science conference which was started with Florida Atlantic University in 2002, and now rotates among South Florida’s four research universities to showcase innovation and to provide new opportunities for industry/academic collaboration.

Conference sessions will explore the burgeoning and sometimes controversial field of regenerative medicine – harnessing the body’s own power to regenerate a severed limb or create compatible organs for transplantation – within the context of today’s political climate. Discussion topics include:

• Stem cell – based treatment for heart disease and diabetes;
• Dental applications of stem cells and engineered biomaterials;
• Regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering;
• The business of regenerative medicine including intellectual property, regulatory, licensing, funding and ethics issues.

Highlights of the day will include addresses by Bernie Siegel, Esq., Executive Director of the Genetics Policy Institute, Dr. Tony Atala, Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Josh Hare, Head of the University of Miami Stem Cell Institute, Linda Powers, Managing Director of Toucan Capital, Dr. Edward Scott, Director of the Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at University of Florida, Drs. Peter Murray and Jeff Thompson, Nova Southeastern University, and Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Scientific Director of the Diabetes Research Institute at University of Miami. The conference also features poster presentations, updates from universities and industry partners, and networking opportunities.