The University of New England welcomed the state’s top biomedical researchers in a celebration of world-class research and innovation at the first annual Maine Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering, held Oct. 13 to 15 at the University’s Portland Campus.
The event — jointly organized by UNE, the University of Maine, the University of Southern Maine (USM), the Roux Institute, Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), MaineHealth, and Northern Light Health — was held in UNE’s Innovation Hall and drew more than 200 researchers in a showcase of Maine’s growing leadership in the increasingly important field.
“The biomedical industry has evolved, and our Maine institutions have developed to the point where we can realistically tackle many of the challenges that seemed insurmountable not long ago,” UNE President James D. Herbert, Ph.D., said in an address to the crowd. “And so, we convene, brought together by a shared commitment to building a healthier, stronger Maine, and, indeed, a healthier, stronger world through innovation in the biomedical sciences and engineering.
“UNE is committed to supporting and facilitating the research that makes biomedical breakthroughs possible,” Herbert continued. “As such, it is truly an honor for us to welcome so many individuals who are leading the way in this area.”
Among the symposium’s many highlights — including dozens of presentations related to research on public health and rural disparities, artificial intelligence, health care solutions, and innovations in biomedical technology — were remarks by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who earlier this year helped secure $5 million in federal funding for UNE’s relocation of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) to Portland.
“There simply is no investment we can make that provides greater returns for Americans than our investment in biomedical research,” Collins told the crowd. “It is not an exaggeration to say that biomedical research improves and changes lives and can change the world.”
The event was capped by a keynote address from Jon Lorsch, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).