An event featuring presentations from research in the biomedical field marks the first-in-the-region joint effort of scientists from the University of Florida and University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee. 

The event, titled “BioMed: Research to Reality — Discovery, Innovation, Commercialization,” will feature Dr. Christine Schmidt, chair of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Biomedical Engineering at UF, and Dr. Christopher Passaglia, a chemical and biomedical engineering professor at USF. The experts will discuss real-world applications for research done at the universities, and the event will also discuss the business side of launching BioMed products in the marketplace. 

Allen Carlson, Sarasota County regional director for the UF Innovation Station, says the event came together because of the Gainesville university’s presence here. The Innovation Station worked closely with Schmidt to organize it. Carlson said the original planning team for the event comprised of CORE at Lakewood Ranch, the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation and the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.

“USF-SM learned about the initiative and requested participation,” Carlsen says, “which we gladly accepted.”

The event will take place Wednesday with a luncheon from 11:30am-1pm and later a cocktail reception at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club. Admission will cost $25, or $10 for students and grade school teachers. The presentation will be repeated at both the luncheon and reception.

“This is a unique opportunity for biomed professionals, researchers, companies, teachers, students and others to hear firsthand from university researchers who successfully took their biomedical research from concept to production to the commercial market,” says Carlson.