Defeating Dementia: New directions from the biology of aging

April 13, 2023 | Bakar Labs, Berkeley, CA

By invitation only

       

BACKGROUND

The recent modest progress in developing cures for Alzheimer’s and other dementias has stimulated us to accelerate progress by bringing together the academic and private sector acumen of the San Francisco Bay Area.

We are launching this initiative by holding an invitation-only symposium at University of California, Berkeley’s new Bakar Labs on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

AUDIENCE

It is anticipated that the event will attract 200-300 delegates representing investors, entrepreneurs, non-profits, government bodies, academia, Innovation Directors, Therapy Area Heads, CSOs, CMOs, Business Development Managers, from biotech and pharma and many others!

VENUE

All sessions will be held at the Bakar Labs located at 2630 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

SYMPOSIUM GOALS:

1

Hear of novel approaches to dementia diseases coming from top Bay Area labs, academic and private sector

2

Stimulate new thinking on brain disease by hearing of pertinent work on other aging-related diseases such as cancer

3

Promote the development of a Bay Area ecosystem of researchers, investors, companies in the dementia-related space

4

Recruit innovators into the space by having a competition between startups for resource awards

5

Encourage motivated Bay Area students to consider a career in the space

6

Enlighten the community about the entrepreneurial support services available in the Bakar Labs and elsewhere

7

Engage interested donors by showcasing the newest ideas and innovation in the space

PROGRAM

All sessions will be held at the Bakar Labs located at 2630 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.

SESSION

7:30 am

Check-in and Breakfast

8:00

Optional Bakar Labs Tour

8:30

Welcome address

8:45

KEYNOTE: Progress in the biology of aging and dementia

9:15

Discussion

9:30-10:30

SESSION: EVOLVING CONCEPTS OF DEMENTIA

9:30

Session Overview

9:35

Lecture

9:50

Understanding epigenetic regulators of the aging process

10:05

Mechanisms of reactivating latent plasticity in the aging brain

10:20

Molecular mechanisms behind BBB opening and its consequences

10:35

Break

10:55

Synaptogenesis during aging and its response to ISRIB

11:10

Neuroimmunology as a strategy for targeting neurodegeneration

11:25

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease

11:40

Glia: controls on beneficial and toxic states in disease

11:55

Aging, lysosomes and neurodegenerative disease

12:10 pm

Discussion

12:30

Lunch

1:30-5:15

DEMENTIA INNOVATION SHOWCASE

1:30

Session Overview

1:35

Bakar Labs

1:45

Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation Funding Opportunities

1:55

Presentation

2:10

Presentation

2:25

Presentation

2:40

Presentation

2:55

Presentation

3:10

Break

3:30

Presentation

3:45

Presentation

4:00

Presentation

4:15

Presentation

4:30

Presentation

4:45

Presentation

5:00

Presentation

5:15-6:00

PANEL: MOVING TOWARDS PRECISION MEDICINE

6:00-7:00

NETWORKING RECEPTION

6:30

Award Ceremony

7:30

Sponsor Dinner (by invitation only)

PRESENTER

7:30 am

Check-in and Breakfast

8:00

Optional Bakar Labs Tour

8:30

Regis Kelly, PhD, Bakar Labs
Howard Fillit, MD, ADDF

8:45

Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, UCSF

9:15

Discussion

9:30-10:30

CHAIR

9:30

Chair

9:35

Ryan Watts, PhD, Denali

9:50

Eric Verdin, MD, Buck Institute

10:05

Saul Villeda, PhD, UCSF (TBC)

10:20

Daniela Kaufer, PhD, UC Berkeley

10:35

Break

10:55

Susana Rossi, PhD, Altos Labs

11:10

Sara Kenkare-Mitra, PhD, Alector

11:25

Suzanne Pfeffer, PhD, Stanford University

11:40

Martin Kampmann, PhD, UCSF

11:55

Amy Kao, MD, PhD, UCSF

12:10 pm

Discussion

12:30

Lunch

1:30-5:15

Chair

1:30

Chair

1:35

Regis Kelly, PhD, Bakar Labs

1:45

Meriel Owen, PhD, ADDF

1:55

ADDF Portfolio

2:10

ADDF Portfolio

2:25

ADDF Portfolio

2:40

ADDF Portfolio

2:55

Startup Forum

3:10

Break

3:30

Startup Forum

3:45

Startup Forum

4:00

Startup Forum

4:15

Startup Forum

4:30

Startup Forum

4:45

Startup Forum

5:00

Startup Forum

5:15-6:00

CHAIR: Regis Kelly, PhD, Bakar Labs

6:00-7:00

6:30

Award Ceremony

7:30

Sponsor Dinner (by invitation only)

INNOVATION SHOWCASE

The symposium’s program invites applications from start-up companies to present for 15 minutes (10 minutes lecture and 5 minutes Q&A with the audience) on the topic of dementia. This is an opportunity for start-up companies to showcase their research and present to an audience of representatives from industry, the investor, and university communities.

 

Eight companies will be selected to present in the Dementia Innovation Start-up Showcase at this symposium. University Stage, Early Stage, and Later Stage Companies are invited to apply.  Selected startups will have the opportunity to present and have access to leading tech investors and corporate partners in our audience.

 

Applications must be submitted online through February 24, 2023, 11:59 US PT.

 

All applications will be reviewed by the program committee and results will be communicated by email on or around March 3.

 

Presentations will be evaluated by a panel of judges present at the event and who will then select a winner to be announced during the Networking Reception concluding the event.

SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION


SYMPOSIUM PARTNERS

QB3/Bakar Labs

QB3 is the University of California’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in life science. The institute supports UC researchers and empowers California founders to launch startup companies and partner with industry.

QB3 has a 20-year track record of spinning off innovative endeavors such as the venture capital firms Mission Bay Capital and Medtech Venture Partners; several incubators, including QB3@953 (now part of MBC Biolabs); and a health technology initiative, the UCSF Rosenman Institute.

QB3 founded and operates Bakar Labs, the incubator at UC Berkeley’s Bakar BioEnginuity Hub. Companies affiliated with QB3 brought in $942 million in funding in 2022.

https://qb3.org

Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is a not-for-profit organization supporting scientists around the globe who are investigating novel drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Founded in 1998 by co-chairmen Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is the only charity solely focused on finding drugs for Alzheimer’s.

ADDF  follows a venture philanthropy model, funding breakthrough research in academia and the biotech industry. Through the tremendous support of our donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $209 million to fund over 690 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 19 countries. Twenty percent of the drugs in clinical development for Alzheimer’s disease received support from the ADDF.

https://alzdiscovery.org