BioAgenda Institute


BioAgenda Vision

What Is the BioAgenda Institute?

The BioAgenda Institute is an independent, non-profit, non-industry institute founded by global leaders from science, business, public policy, the media, advocacy, and the arts; the institute is modeled after policy institutes in the realms of bioethics, foreign policy, and economics. BioAgenda welcomes all points of view, and encourages a vigorous dialogue on critical issues and policies facing life sciences. The organization’s core mission is to discuss, educate and offer analysis by holding meetings and roundtables throughout the year; a two-and-a-half-day summit; and other events; by producing white papers and other scholarly works; and by fostering, supporting and initiating educational initiatives for leaders in science, business, public policy, the media, and advocacy, as well as the general public. BioAgenda supports communication efforts such as Biotech Nation on NPR and the Scienema Science Film Festival slated for 2008. The BioAgenda Institute has worked with six universities and institutions (Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Harvard Medical School, and the Royal Institution of Great Britain) to develop programs and materials.

The Concept

As markets roil and innovations and discoveries continue at a breathless pace, the emerging bio-age faces challenges ranging from political debates over stem cells and privacy to how to pay for a new generation of drugs and treatments.

BioAgenda is a series of roundtables, events, and discussions -– regional, national, and international -- and ongoing publications and educational initiatives that explore these issues and possibilities. Developed and written by journalists and critical thinkers, and focusing on the opinions, discoveries, and actions of leaders in biotech and related fields to an audience of their peers, BioAgenda is designed to create a dialogue on issues and innovations critical to life sciences -- and to everyone.

BioAgenda has held two major summits, on December 5-7, 2004 and March 8-10, 2006. Both events gathered a select group of luminaries to attend two and one half day forums to interact and discuss crucial issues in biotech and life sciences, shaped around special panels, chats, presentations, and discussions. Unlike other programs that focus mostly on finance and science, BioAgenda covers economics, law, science, politics, ethics, society, communication and culture, discussed peer-to-peer in an informal environment. The summits also explore issues as interpreted by society, with offerings from playwrights, artists, performers, filmmakers and thinkers.

BioAgenda provides an opportunity for a discussion of important issues among cutting-edge scientists, entrepreneurs, senior executives, artists, policy-makers, and investors, plus leaders in IT, law, government, the media, the arts, and ethics. The summits' content is developed by Editorial Director David Ewing Duncan and the Council of Journalists comprised of distinguished journalists, in consultation with the Board of Advisors.

Educational Programs

At the core of BioAgenda’s mission is disseminating a rich variety of informational and education materials to better inform the life sciences community and the public at large. BioAgenda discussions, panels, roundtables, and other events will be transcribed, recorded, and videotaped, and disseminated through webcasts and the BioAgenda website, and via television, radio, and print outlets, when possible. We are creating on the BioAgenda website a rich offering of articles written by Council of Journalists members and other journalists and opinion makers. Other original programs such as the BioAgenda Challenges and BioAgenda Innovators will provide valuable insights and challenges by industry scientific and business leaders. For a more comprehensive list of our programs, view educational programs detail.

BioAgenda is also in discussion with several nonprofits, universities, and other organizations to co-organize and co-fund a number of targeted educational programs.

Issues

The BioAgenda events and programs will examine the some of the most crucial issues and policies that will define the industry and our way of life in the coming years. Here is a sample:

Darwin vs. God: Why do so many people not believe in evolution?
Regeneration and Stem Cells: The reality versus the politics
The Drug Pricing Wars: Can we afford medical miracles? What is the fallout on Medicare's "Plan D" to pay for drugs?
Neuroscience: Will machines become more like brains, or brains more like machines?
Ideology versus Science: How it's done in Europe and Asia
The BioAgenda "Great Debate": Creating the Perfect Human: The case for and against (smarter, stronger, taller, faster, impervious to disease...immortal, perhaps?). Two leading thinkers debate
Haves and Have Nots: About a billion people live longer and healthier lives. What happens to the rest? A participatory brainstorming workshop
India and China Pharma Rising: Are these ancient superpowers going to leave the upstart West behind, or blow apart? (Includes a brief talk about when India was the world's science superpower.)
Science and Politics: How can they co-exist?
Getting Small: Is Bio-Nanotech for real?
Has Genomics (Finally) Arrived? Hap maps, the cancer genome, super-cheap DNA sequencing, biomarkers -- Has the hype become reality?
A New Pharma Model: (Two Parts) Big Pharma and the dodo: evolve or perish; and: The case for $200 million drugs, "flat earth" pipelines, and a refocus on strong ethics in the age of Vioxx
Is the Biotech Industry Paying Off? Four proposals for reforming drug development to benefit both patients and companies
Obesity and Diabetes: The Great Plagues of the Twenty-First Century: How the good life is killing us. Is it genes or lifestyle, and can anything be done?
Chimeras and Synthetic Life: 100-Watt Bugs and Flying Mice: What are we creating and about to create, who should own it, and should we ever say no?
Public Health and Pathogens: From bioterrorism to avian flu and the biohazards of hurricanes and other disasters, are we ready?
Communications: The Big Barrier: Why do the media and the public largely ignore real science, but read Michael Crichton?
Science and the Arts: What is the role of the Arts in interpreting science?
Personalized Medicine: When and how is this coming?

"Policy of Independence"

BioAgenda content is strictly independent, designed to be a feisty voice of analysis and critique without influence from underwriters, industries, political parties, or other groups and individuals. The BioAgenda Editorial Director serves as the Editor-in-Chief, with input and advice from the Board of Advisors and Council of Journalists, comprised of distinguished journalists, scientists, and opinion leaders. The Editorial Director, working with the advisory boards, is solely responsible for formulating the content and issues of BioAgenda. Underwriters support the independent nature of BioAgenda, and BioAgenda financial operations with underwriters are handled exclusively by the Executive Producer, who has the role of “publisher” in the organization. The operations of BioAgenda programs are also independent of outside influence of underwriters or other groups and individuals. To re-enforce the integrity of BioAgenda’s independent voice, all underwriters are being asked to sign a BioAgenda Mission Statement that embodies the principles in the BioAgenda “Policy of Independence”. BioAgenda is also working to diversify its funding with non-profit foundation donations.

BioAgenda's Status as an Organization

The BioAgenda Institute is registered as a nonprofit corporation in the state of California; the institute is in the process of filing for 501-c-3 federal nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service. Until the application is filed and accepted by the IRS, BioAgenda cannot grant tax deductions to contributors.

See more of what leaders are saying about BioAgenda....