(WOODLAND HILLS, CA) – March 5-7, 2025 – The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) hosted its third annual Terasaki Innovation Summit at the Terasaki Institute in Woodland Hills, California. This year's program focused on pioneering advances in biomedical innovation, with a spotlight on micro- and nanotechnologies, diagnostics, therapeutic drug delivery, and regenerative medicine.
The summit featured keynote presentations from several distinguished researchers. Dr. Natalie Artzi, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, discussed the potential of structural nanomedicines to enhance therapeutic efficacy and tolerability. Dr. Nicholas A. Peppas, Cockrell Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, highlighted innovative biomaterials and drug delivery systems addressing various medical challenges, including glioblastoma, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.
A notable highlight was a presentation by Dr. Mark Skylar Scott, who gave an overview of emerging regenerative medicine techniques and drew significant interest from attendees.
The later sessions focused on the future of biomedical innovation, with discussions on topics such as synthetic biology, the role of AI in healthcare, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.
In a celebration of scientific achievements, the institute presented the Paul Terasaki Innovation Award to Dr. Cato Laurencin, the Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award to Dr. Liangfang Zhang, a leading authority in nanoscience and nanomedicine, and Dr. Aydogan Ozcan, a pioneering scientist in biophotonics, computational microscopy, and diagnostic technologies. Dr. Jun Chen was honored with the Hisako Terasaki Young Innovator Award for his promising work in biomedical nanotechnology.
On the summit's final day, the award recipients delivered keynote presentations. Dr. Zhang explored "The Biological Functionalization of Polymeric Nanoparticles," Dr. Ozcan presented "AI-based advancements in biomedical microscopy and sensing," Dr. Laurencin discussed his current research, and Dr. Chen shared insights into his innovative nanomedicine strategies.
The summit provided ample networking opportunities for researchers and culminated in a conference dinner where the Terasaki awardees were formally presented their respective awards.