WHAM Forum 2024

Innovating Women’s Health: From The Lab to The Marketplace WHAM Fall Forum | MIT Media Lab | October 24, 2024

The WHAM Fall Forum at MIT Media Lab offers a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge innovations in women’s health. This exclusive convening brings together world-renowned researchers, investors, and leaders to explore the future of healthcare and the immense economic potential of investing in women’s health, with topics ranging from translational medicine to high-impact investment opportunities.

PROGRAM AGENDA

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MEDIA LAB TOURS — Explore the cutting-edge research and innovation hubs within the MIT Media Lab.

1:00 PM – 1:05PM OPENING REMARKS: Harnessing the Power of Innovation — Dava Newman, Director, MIT Media Lab

1:05 PM – 1:10PM WELCOME: Igniting the Next Frontier of Health — Carolee Lee, CEO and Founder, WHAM

1:10 PM – 1:15PM VISIONARY LEADERSHIP: Shaping the Future of Healthcare — Dr. Susan Blumenthal, Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General; First Deputy Asst Secretary for Women’s Health; Rear Admiral, USPHS (ret.); Clinical Professor, Tufts and Georgetown University Schools of Medicine

1:15 PM – 2:05 PM BREAKING BARRIERS: Cutting-Edge Research and Translational Medicine in Women’s Health — Focus on the latest scientific advancements and how to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical, clinical applications in women’s health. Intro and Moderator: Kate Zernike, Investigative Reporter, The New York Times; author of The Exceptions; Panelists: Dr. Angela Belcher, Materials scientist, Biological engineer, and the James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science at MIT, Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, Inventor, MIT professor and biotech entrepreneur, and Dr. Paula Hammond, Institute Professor and the Vice Provost for Faculty at MIT

2:05PM – 2:50 PM REDEFINING WOMEN’S HEALTH: Visionary Leaders from MIT Media Lab and Beyond — Discussion featuring pioneering leaders from MIT Media Lab and beyond who are driving groundbreaking innovations in women’s health. Intro and Moderator:  Kim Azzarelli, MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow & Founder of Seneca Women; Panelists: Dr. Canan Dagdeviren, Associate Professor, MIT Media Lab, Dava Newman, Director, MIT Media Lab, and Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire, President, CEO and Professor, LJI

2:50 PM – 3:20 PM BREAK

3:20 PM – 4:05 PM TRANSFORMATIVE INNOVATIONS: From Lab to Marketplace —  How institutions are successfully transforming groundbreaking research into real-world health solutions and companies. Intro and Moderator: Edwidge Thomas, VP of Clinical Solutions, Northwell Holdings; Participants: Dr. Angelika Fretzen, Technology Translation Director & Chief Operating Officer, Wyss Institute, Harvard, Dr. Rachel Field, Senior Associate, Engine Ventures; Co-Founder, Sensory Cloud, and Dr. Ketki Karanam, VP Ventures (Partner), Translational Sciences, UPMC Enterprises

4:05 PM – 4:50 PM INNOVATE AND INVEST: Capturing High Impact Opportunities — Discussion on high return opportunities and innovations with an outsized potential impact on the healthcare landscape. Intro and Moderator: Dr. Cissy Young, Partner, Catalyst Advisors; Participants: Jessica Federer, Strategic Advisor to The WHAM Investment Collaborative; Chair NYSE Health of Women Investor Summit; Former Bayer Chief Digital Officer, Dr. Christina Isacson, Partner, Lightstone Ventures, Vanessa Kirsch, Founder-in-Residence & Senior Partner, New Profit; Director’s Circle, MIT Media Lab, and Dr. Misti Ushio, Managing Partner, Digitalis Ventures

4:50 PM – 5:00 PM CLOSING REMARKS: Charting the Path Forward — Carolee Lee, CEO and Founder, WHAM and Dava Newman, Director, MIT Media Lab

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM COCKTAIL RECEPTION — A networking opportunity for attendees and speakers to connect and discuss further.