Opportunities in Innovation
BRI Launches Innovation Grand Rounds
L to R: Chin, Nadler, Serhan, Antman, Silbersweig |
On January 10 BWH’s Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) launched its Innovation Grand Rounds to promote dialogue on translatable technologies and other health care innovations at BWH. William Chin, MD, Harvard Medical School dean for research and Lee Nadler, MD Harvard Medical School dean for clinical and translational research and the director of Harvard Catalyst spoke to over 75 attendees in the Shapiro Breakout Room about their respective visions and approaches for the medical school and Catalyst to advance translatable technologies and innovation.
Chin and Nadler’s presentations were followed by a panel discussion which included Elliott Antman, MD, BWH Cardiovascular Division, director, Postgraduate Education Program, Harvard Catalyst; Charlie Serhan, MD, BWH Department of Anesthesiology Perioperative and Pain Medicine; and David Silbersweig, MD, chairman in the BWH Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Neurosciences.
The discussants engaged the audience in topics such as strategies to develop programs, clinics and databases to support translational research; novel academic-industrial partnerships; ways to cost-effectively execute translational science; and how BWH and Harvard Medical School can interface to forge innovation opportunities. They encouraged clinicians and researchers to “transcend traditional silos” in order to establish cross-institutional collaborations and reduce barriers in reaching translational science endeavors.
“We are all trained in classical thinking about clinical trials and scientific method,” said Antman. “True innovation will come when we do the exact opposite.”
The goals for Innovation Grand Rounds are to:
- promote a broad perspective dialogue on opportunities and approaches relevant to innovation at BWH;
- provide tutorials/workshops on practical matters in medical innovation;
- raise “unsolved problems,” “hard topics,” scientifically controversial topics, successes that have aligned/synergized clinical and research missions, non-scientific matters in drug/device development;
- build a community of clinicians and scientists interested in and driving translatable technologies and health care innovation.
Coordinated by the BRI’s Technology Innovation Program, Innovation Grand Rounds occur monthly on the second Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm in the Shapiro Breakout Room. The next Innovation Grand Rounds will be held on Tuesday, February 14. To learn more about these meetings or the BRI Technology Innovation Program, e-mail bwhbri@partners.org.
Interested in participating in health care innovations? Check out these other exciting opportunities:
BRI Translatable Technologies and Care Innovation Grants
The BRI is requesting applications for grants to support innovative research and development that fosters translatable “convergence” (i.e., the synergistic integration of the concepts and tools of the life, physical and engineering sciences to solve important and difficult problems in health and patient care). The proposed research must address a well-defined clinical problem. The clinical problem can refer to a diagnostic, therapeutic or care delivery issue. Collaboration with institutions outside of BWH will be welcomed, but is not required. Letters of intent are due on February 15, 2012. Submit letters of intent or questions to bwhbri@partners.org.
Harvard Innovation Lab
If you are a Harvard affiliate, consider joining the Harvard Innovation Lab (i-Lab). This is an initiative to foster entrepreneurial activities and interactions among Harvard students, faculty, entrepreneurs and members of the Allston and Greater Boston community. This is a great way to share your ideas, network and form collaborations. There is also an opportunity to compete for pilot grants. To learn more visit the Harvard Innovation Lab Web site at http://i-lab.harvard.edu/.