Immersion Days 2019 to feature keynote by Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute CEO

Tulane University has added a more diverse menu of science, an extra day of programming and a national headliner to this year’s Immersion Days, the university’s premier event showcasing its latest research discoveries to biotechnology firms, venture capitalists, foundations and potential collaborators.

Immersion Days 2019, scheduled April 9-10, will feature a keynote address from Dr. Penny Heaton, chief executive officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, panel discussions from industry experts and a series of short, rapid-fire presentations and question and answer sessions from more than 20 Tulane-affiliated scientists.

The event will feature advances in vaccine development, brain research, diagnostic technology, biomedical engineering and more.

"This will be a tasting menu of some of our most innovative science in an easily accessible format for those in the private sector to learn more about our research,”

James Zanewicz, School of Medicine chief business officer

“We’re thrilled to have Dr. Heaton as this year’s keynote speaker for Immersion Days 2019,” said James Zanewicz, School of Medicine chief business officer. “The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a perfect example of the kind of innovation and progress that is possible when academic researchers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and global health organizations work together to solve global problems.” 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a nonprofit biotechnology organization that applies translational science to combat diseases that disproportionately impact the poor in low- and middle-income countries. Heaton leads the institute’s work to capitalize on new strategies and partnerships to optimize therapeutics, vaccines and monoclonal antibody candidates and accelerate progress from the lab to the clinic and beyond.

Immersion Days 2019 will include biotechnology researchers from Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center and, for the first time, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering. 

Faculty will present updates on work to regenerate bone and soft tissue, advances in medical imaging technology to fight cancer, investigations into aging and genetics, efforts to use nanoparticles from bacteria to develop new vaccines and much more.

“Like last year, this will be a tasting menu of some of our most innovative science in an easily accessible format for those in the private sector to learn more about our research,” Zanewicz said. “This year we’re featuring an all new lineup of scientists and expanding to welcome faculty from the School of Science and Engineering to join those from our medical school and showcase the wide breadth of biomedical research happening in labs across Tulane.” 

Immersion Days will also include discussion panels about venture capital investment, garnering support from national foundations and collaborative partnerships. 

Events are scheduled from 1-5 p.m., April 9, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 10, at Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue. Each day will conclude with a networking reception.

The event is free, but space is limited and advanced registration is required. Registration information and a full schedule of events are available here. 

Tulane School of Medicine has a wide range of research, innovations and facility strengths across all stages of the research continuum, including basic, applied, advanced and clinical. Research strengths include infectious disease, cardiovascular and related diseases, cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, peptide chemistry and more. Tulane is also one of the only research universities with a medical school, school of public health and tropical medicine and a national primate research center. 

For more information, visit https://engage.tulane.edu.