The purpose of the BioForum series of professional development programs is to organize events that inform, educate and encourage positive interactions within the Oregon bioscience community. OBA sponsors networking events, educational seminars, and informational forums on topics relevant to our industry throughout the year.

With the number of programs on the rise, we encourage you to check this page regularly to keep up-to-date on all of the OBA programs and event specifics.

We are always open to new ideas and member input as this improves our performance and thus our value to the community. Feel free to share your feedback, comments, concerns or ideas with us.

Here are our upcoming events:

BioForum: Idea to Venture in Biotechnology - Realizing the Promise of Life Science Innovation

When: August 26, 2010, 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Where: Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, PacWest Center, 1211 SW 5th Ave, Suite 1900, Portland, OR

Download the presentation:  Part I (3MB)   Part II (2MB)   Part III (6MB)

We didn’t leave the Stone Age because we ran out of stones . Disruptive biotechnology platforms from emerging companies hold great promise for exploiting innovation, but often face legitimacy hurdles due to their liability of newness. Nascent firms must learn new roles with limited precedent, and establish ties with an environment that may not fully understand or value their existence.

After three decades and over $90 billion in 2009 revenues, the biotechnology industry has created important breakthroughs in human therapeutics, devices and diagnostics. Also, as the market capitalization of the biotech industry surpassing big pharma companies shows, the biotech industry is also an important source of value and new venture creation with over 700 publicly listed firms in North America, the European Union, and Asia-Pacific.

Are we ready for the challenges ahead? This discussion will explore the hype, hope, and opportunities ahead in the context of innovation, performance and value creation. Reviewing global and local examples, we will consider how Oregon-based life sciences firms can enhance their venture readiness to achieve legitimacy in the scientific community, mobilize resources and talent, and attain commercial success.

About the Speaker

Mark J. Ahn, Ph.D. is Associate Professor, Global Management at Atkinson Graduate School of Management, Willamette University; and Principal at Pukana Partners, Ltd. which provides strategic consulting to life science companies.  He previously served as Chair, Science & Technology Management, Victoria University at Wellington, New Zealand. Dr. Ahn was also founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Hana Biosciences.  Prior to Hana, he served as Vice President, Hematology and corporate officer at Genentech, Inc., as well as held positions of increasing responsibility at Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Dr. Ahn also serves on public and venture capital-backed Board of Directors for RXi Pharmaceuticals, Access Pharmaceuticals, Genesis Biopharma, Periocyte, and Mesynthes.

Dr. Ahn has published widely in the biotechnology industry including recently released Building the Case for Biotechnology ( http://www.buildingbiotechnology.com/casebook/ ).

Cost: $20.00 for members, $35.00 for nonmembers, and $10.00 for students.

Click here to Register

BioForum: Merging biotech and high tech - Health Care Management at Your Fingertips

When: May 20, 2010, 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Where: Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, PacWest Center, 1211 SW 5th Ave, Suite 1900, Portland, OR 97204

With all the talk about health care reform, it’s important to know that there are companies, especially local ones, offering tools that allow each of us to better manage our health - on our own.  WebMD and Intel have long pioneered the use of technology to improve quality of life.  In the face of ever increasing costs, as well as encumbered access to the health care system, these companies have focused 21st century technology on personal health and wellness.

Join us to hear first hand how these pioneers connect hardware and software technology with health care management to deliver actionable information to people worldwide.

Craig Froude is an executive vice president at WebMD and the general manager of its Health Services division based in Portland.  WebMD focuses on providing integrated, personalized health and benefits solutions to the nation’s largest employers, health plans, and government agencies to address fundamental population health challenges and issues.  Through these relationships, WebMD Health Services has the ability to reach millions of health care consumers—enabling individuals to gauge their current health status, identify their modifiable health risks, and take the appropriate actions to improve their health while simultaneously lowering their corresponding health care costs.

Terrance (Terry) J. O’Shea, Ph.D., is currently the senior principle engineer and lead technologist in Intel’s Digital Health Product Research and Innovation Group.  Terry has worked over the past three years with the team creating the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Centre in Ireland. TRIL is a joint Intel-Irish project focusing on helping people live independently as they age, ideally in a home environment, in order to reduce the burden on caregivers and the health care system.  TRIL is the largest research center of its kind in the world, supporting over 70 academic and industrial collaborative researchers.

Cost: $20.00 for members, $35.00 for nonmembers, and $10.00 for students. 

Click Here to register.


Eugene BioForum: Leveraging Successful Research Partnerships

When: April 14, 2010; from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Where: Life Technologies, 29851 Willow Creek Rd, Eugene, OR 97402-9132; in "J" Auditorium

Over the past few years, research collaborations have emerged as a key to moving bioscience research forward. Collaborating with outside organizations including federal agencies can bring numerous benefits to those involved, but how are successful research partnerships created, managed and maintained? 

Whether you are a researcher or a business professional, whether you work at a university/medical center, small company or large company, there is significant value that can be gained by partnering and collaborating with others. Come learn from three experts in the field who have had success with collaborative projects. All three come with different experiences and will offer their unique perspectives on success.  Our speakers include Dr. Robert Jordan, Senior Director of Antiviral Research at SIGA Technologies, Inc and Chair of OTRADI. SIGA designs and develops novel countermeasuresto prevent and treat serious infectious diseases, with an emph asis on biological warfare defense ( www.siga.com ). John Audette is CEO of MitoSciences, Inc., the leading developer of mitochondrial antibodies, mitochondrial assays, and products and services for mitochondrial toxicity screening ( www.mitosciences.com ). Nathan Lillegard is CEO of Floragenex, a Eugene company bringing powerful SNP discovery capabilities to researchers working in any species, with or without a reference genome. ( www.floragenex.com )


BioForum: Leveraging Successful Research Partnerships

When:  Thursday, January 21st, 2010 7:30 - 9:00am
Where:  Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, PacWest Center, 1211 SW 5th Ave, Suite 1900, Portland, OR 97204

Governmental changes began a little more than five years ago to change the way bioscience research is conducted in the United States.  Over the past few years, research collaborations have emerged as a key to moving such research forward.  Collaborating with outside organizations can bring numerous benefits to those involved, but how are successful research partnerships created, managed and maintained?  Whether you are a researcher or a business professional, whether you work at a university/medical center, small company or large company, there is significant value that can be gained by partnering and collaborating with others.  Come learn from three experts in the field who have had success with research collaborations.  All three come with different experiences and will offer their unique perspectives on success. 

Our speakers include Dr. Srinivasa R. Nagalla principal founder and CEO of Diabetomics, LLC a medical diagnostics company focused on diabetes and metabolic disease ( www.Diabetomics.com ).  Dr Kenton W. Gregory is the director of the Oregon Medical Laser Center at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.  Dana Bostrom is the Director of Innovation & Industry Alliances for Portland State University, and is the founder of PSU's efforts in innovation management.


BioForum:  Biodefense: Research & Drug Development in Oregon

When: Thursday, September 17, 2009 7:30am - 9:00am
Where: Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt  Pacwest Center, 1211 SW 5th Ave, Suite 1900, Portland OR 97204

Bioterrorism has become a threat to all of us.  Come and listen as these leading experts talk about the latest trends in this growing industry.  Learn about where this market is headed and what opportunities exist for companies in Oregon in biodefense.  This new field involves the preparation, research and development of medical (medicines and vaccinations) that protect people against these harmful agents.  Improving the nation's defenses against bioterrorism and emerging infectious agents is a key part of the U.S. government's homeland security effort.  Our speakers include Patrick Iversen, the Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances at AVI BioPharma, Inc. and Jay Nelson is the Director of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, and Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Oregon Health & Science University.


Medical Device Manufacturing: Supporting Your Product from Concept to Market

When: Thursday, April 16, 2009 5:30-8:30pm; program begins at 6:00pm
Where: Vanguard EMS 9825 SW Sunshine Ct Beaverton, OR 97005


BioForum: Medical Devices at the FDA: Facts versus Reality

When: Thursday, April 16, 2009 7:30-9:00am;
Where: Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PacWest Center 1211 SW 5th, Suite 1900 Portland, OR 97204

Developing and selling a medical device in this country requires you to operate in a highly regulated environment can be confusing, complex and costly. In this interactive, hour-long session, Linda Bovard will use medical device regulations (facts) to expand our understanding of the nature of working with the FDA (realities). Though the regulations seem cut and dry, there are many nuances to their application. How do we successfully discover these nuances and apply them to our situation? Come and hear about the pitfalls and possible solutions.