Merck Hosts Leading Scientists at Life Science Symposium in Greater Boston

• Scientific Symposium at Merck’s new Life Science Center - Burlington convenes experts from academia, tech and industry
• Discussion on new advances in genome editing, next-generation bioprocessing, big data & biology, e-commerce, among other topics
• Keynote speaker Dr. Rosalind Picard, MIT Media Lab

“I love science,” said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board, CEO Life Science. “I get to be a student again and I am looking forward to the many thought-provoking conversations that will take place. Every program is very exciting — from microbiome, big data and genome editing to biosecurity and e-commerce. It is about convening some of the greatest contributors and leaders in their scientific fields to discuss, listen and learn.”

MIT’s Dr. Rosalind Picard, founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab, will give the keynote address, “Look. See. Solve,” on problem solving and the culture of focus and endurance.

Other speakers include Fortune Editor-in-Chief Clifton Leaf; Dr. Peter Hotez, founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine; Bernard Munos, founder of the InnoThink Center for Research in Biomedical Innovation; Dr. Makedonka Mitreva, associate professor in both departments of Medicine and Genetics, Assistant Director of the McDonnell Genome Institute at the Washington University School of Medicine; Dr. Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Peter Abair, executive director of the MassBioEd Foundation; Dr. Darryl Williams, dean of undergraduate education and director of the Center for STEM Diversity at Tufts University; Dr. Charles Gersbach, Rooney Family associate professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University; Liran Belenzon, CEO and co-founder of BenchSCI; Dr. Konstantin Konstantinov, senior vice president of manufacturing and process sciences at Codiak Biosciences; Dr. Christopher Bouton, CEO of Vyasa and Dr. Nessan Bermingham, CEO and founder of Intellia Therapeutics.

Sessions will also be held on genome editing, microbiome, big data & biology and STEM education.

Merck’s new, 280,000-square-foot Life Science Center – Burlington, located at 400 Summit Drive, is a global hub for scientific advancement and customer collaboration. The new campus features an M Lab™ Collaboration Center, and a BioReliance® End-to-End Biodevelopment Center, which will open on the campus by year-end.