Students and professors from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy recently attended the Georgia Bio Summit at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, Georgia. The Georgia Bio Summit is an annual bioscience and medtech conference welcoming hundreds of CEOs, senior executives, scientists and public policy officials from Georgia and across the nation. The conference showcases innovation in research and studies in the fields of BioPharma, MedTech, and Digital Health and places an emphasis on improving the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment.

UGA’s College of Pharmacy was well represented at the conference as both a presenter and exhibitor.

Grace Gowda, director of UGA’s International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences program, participated in a panel “Talent Engagement: Models for Cultivating, Recruiting, and Retaining Skilled Professionals In Georgia.” She provided her expertise on the subject as she is responsible for cultivating and nurturing talent at UGA by overseeing the M.S. in Pharmacy–International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences and the graduate certificate programs in Clinical Trials Design & Management and International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences.

Graduate student Mitche T. dela Rosa presented a poster at the conference showcasing his research “Manufacturing Considerations for Stem Cell Clinics Providing Adipose Tissue Derived Stem Cell Therapy – A Review of CGMP Violations”

Other key takeaways from the conference include:

1. A keynote address by Marc Boutin, CEO of the National Health Council on remembering the “why” of your research. He stated, “Your innovations help people live their dreams. Those dreams are not always about survival.” Find what it is that people live for, and innovate with that in mind.
2. There were additional sparks of conversation around whether or not healthcare will ever realize “value” and the influence of patient input on where the value is assigned. Particularly in the health sciences field, value is defined in various ways and is allocated and presented differently among people.
3. Another topic that was brought up is the fact that medtech and life science innovators need to place an emphasis on their supply chain. Design history file remediation continues to be a struggle for innovators seeking investment to advance their products. How will your products be distributed? Is this sustainable and able to make a lasting impact in today’s constantly evolving global atmosphere?
4. When it comes to innovation and investing, your people are your greatest asset, not your technology or IP. Most innovation still has competition, but what you can rely on to set you apart is your people and culture.

For more key takeaways and information about the conference visit Georgia Bio and learn more about UGA’s online International Biomedical Regulatory Sciences Degree and Graduate Certificate.