April 19 Conference will Highlight Indiana’s Increasing Role as a Crossroads Between Tech and Healthcare

Post by George Vlahakis,

Associate Director of Communications and Media Relations, IU Kelley School of Business

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – According to some analysts, sales of smartwatches are expected to increase by nearly 20% this year, after generating about $45 billion in revenues in 2023. A large part of their popularity is how they provide comprehensive health and fitness tracking, in addition to serving as an extension of your phone.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Big Four tech companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft – are eyeing those who are health conscious as another important market.

“The biggest players in IT have tried to expand into healthcare with varied success. The intricacies of the industry’s payment model, privacy and data protection concerns, regulatory requirements, and the strength of established players have made it a tough nut to crack, but an industry that comprises almost 20% of the country’s GDP is too big to ignore,” said George Telthorst, the director of the Center for the Business of Life Sciences at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

“Tech: Don’t Be Afraid of Healthcare,” is the theme for an IU Kelley School conference on April 19, part of the Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Series, presented by the Center for the Business of Life Sciences. It will take place at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) in Innovation Building 1 of the 16 Tech Innovation District, located at 1210 Waterway Blvd. in Indianapolis.

The conference will highlight current and potential examples of Indiana’s increasing role as a crossroads between tech and healthcare.

Presenters will include Mark Brincat, senior director of artificial intelligence at Zimmer Biomet, who at 9:15 a.m. will present the conference’s opening keynote, “Building a Sustainable Data Centric Strategy in Healthcare.”

Brincat, a computer scientist, previously worked in the defense and insurance sectors and co-founded a startup in agriculture crop pest prediction. He moved into life sciences and the medical technology field, joining Pfizer in 1999. He led many of Pfizer’s clinical and digital therapeutic innovations over the next 13 years, before moving to a start-up company, McLaren Applied Technologies, building products for the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. He has been in his current role at Zimmer Biomet since 2020.

His presentation will be followed by a panel about tech frontiers in life sciences research. Presenters will include Nick Scheu, business information security officer, Research and Development at Eli Lilly and Company; Krista O’Shaughnessey Toler, associate director of research and development at Zimmer Biomet; and Travis Johnson, Agnes Beaudry Investigator in Myeloma Research at the IU School of Medicine and director of bioinformatics at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. Lisa Soard, director of communications and engagement, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, will moderate.

At lunch, another panel will discuss the latest tech applications in product development, introduced by Mike Bolinder, senior vice president and external engagement & chief innovation officer at BioCrossroads. Panelists will be Amy Brown, founder and CEO, Authenticx; Brad Keiser, director, process development, Boston Scientific; Emily Webber, MD, chief medical information officer, IU Health; and Milind Shah, head strategy and solutions, Carelon Digital Platforms, Elevance Health.

In the afternoon, a panel led by Jeffrey Kirk, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, will moderate panel about tech’s newest contributions to patient care. Presenters will be Paul M. Fletcher, head of marketing, new dermatology indications, Sanofi; Matt Manley, vice president, digital healthcare solutions, Roche Diagnostics Corp.; Maximilian Maile, senior vice president digital health, Parkview Health; and Brian Williams, life sciences strategy and innovation, EPAM.

The Center for the Business of Life Sciences brings together key players from industry, academia, government, and economic development communities to share ideas and expertise. It drives the Kelley School’s life sciences agenda and provides connections to its outreach and research activity and its academic programs.

The registration fee is $175 and continental breakfast and lunch are included. Registration can be done online or by contacting Kelli Conder at the Kelley School at 812-856-0915 or kconder@indiana.edu. Full-time students at an accredited Indiana institution of higher learning may qualify for a student discount. Contact Conder for more information.

Series sponsors are Commissioning Agents, Inc., Elevance Health, Eli Lilly and Conpany, LabCorp and Reckitt Benckiser. Primary sponsors for this conference are Fort Wayne Metals, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Paragon Medical, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, and Zimmer Biomet. Supporting sponsors are BioCrossroads, Blueprint Marketing, and Miles Printing. Marketing sponsors are the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Health Information Exchange, IU Office of University Relations, and Linking Pharma Women.

In presenting the Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Conference Series, CBLS brings together key players from industry, academia, government, and economic development communities to share ideas and expertise.