NETWORKING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bradley J. Fikes, Biotechnology reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune, USA
Fikes has been covering the industry since 1990, most recently for the North County Times. He also covers healthcare and the San Diego Zoo. His articles include topics such as the latest developments in stem cell treatments for disease, funding for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), FDA regulation of stem cells, and biomedicine. A native San Diegan, Fikes started in journalism at San Diego State University, where he served on the staff of the Daily Aztec student newspaper.

Larry Goldstein, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Scientific Director, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, USA 
In addition to running an active biomedical research lab for the past 35 years, Goldstein has devoted time and effort to educating members of the California and U.S. governments, and the local San Diego community, about the conduct and value of biomedical research. Topics have included therapy development, funding levels and practices, and research using controversial materials including embryonic stem cells and fetal tissue.

Meghana Keshavan, Biotechnology reporter, STAT, USA
Keshavan covers biotechnology industry trends for STAT. She has written about the life sciences industry for nearly four years: first at the San Diego Business Journal, and then at MedCityNews. Before that, she's worked for news outlets like Thomson Reuters, Crain's Detroit Business, the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Metro Times, and NPR affiliate WDET. As a young lass, Meghana toiled five years as a research peon in a schizophrenia genetics lab. She once spilled ethidium bromide on herself and might be a mutant.

Paul Mandabach, President & Managing Partner, Mandabach Campaigns, USA
Mandabach has received national recognition for his work on major public policy issues, including a winning record in the ballot measure field, having consulted on nearly 200 campaigns in 29 states and in Europe and Asia. He and his firm directed statewide campaigns supporting stem cell research in California in 2004 and Missouri in 2006. Prior to entering the issue communications field, Paul began his career as a political and research analyst for Opinion Research of California and worked freelance on more than 20 candidate election campaigns.

Sean J. Morrison, PhD, Director, Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, USA
Morrison's laboratory studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate stem cell function and the role these mechanisms play in cancer. Morrison served as president of the ISSCR and has been active in public policy issues surrounding stem cell research, testifying before the U.S. Congress, and serving as a leader in the successful "Proposal 2" campaign to protect and regulate stem cell research in Michigan's state constitution.

Steven Peckman, Deputy Director, UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center, USA
Peckman is responsible for all Center activities and personnel. He is also an expert on the ethical and legal conduct of stem cell and human subjects research and has been a consultant to HHS, NIH, FDA, CIRM, and the NAS. His publications include a paper for President Clinton's National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC).