2022 Schedule

Robots cannot substitute for those we have lost, but they are increasingly finding their way into care settings and the homes of elderly people struggling with isolation and loneliness. Meet Pepper, described as “the world’s first social humanoid robot, able to recognize faces and basic human emotions… optimized for human interaction.” Robots that respond conversationally, tell jokes, sing and dan...

From Genentech’s advances in biotechnology to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, venture capital has long had a transformative influence on healthcare. Investors willing to put money on the table often have the most clear-eyed vision of the next big thing and in 2021, they poured more than $28 billion into the healthcare industry, almost doubling the previous year’s investments. Disruptive ideas are bubb...

We’ve gone way beyond fitness trackers to collect information about our bodies’ physiological processes. Wearables are being designed to detect early signs of Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory diseases, identify signals of insulin resistance, and warn of blood pressure changes that could signal pregnancy complications. Some devices don’t even have to be attached to the body—they use remote se...

Whether we are using apps to count steps or talking to our doctors via video, most of us are already familiar with digital health in some form. But innovation at the intersection of health and technology—with its promise of improving health outcomes, enhancing patient satisfaction, and strengthening the healthcare system—is just getting started. Not only is technology better enabling care but more...

Patients, and the networks of people who support them, already play a powerful role in sharpening our understanding of disease, but much more can be done to center their experiences in the design of biomedical research. With encouragement from the scientific, medical, consumer, and philanthropic communities, patients facing a broad range of medical challenges can grow their impact by forging cross...

New research designs that use biomarkers, genetic testing, digital health devices, and artificial intelligence can modernize clinical trials so cutting-edge therapy can reach those who need it much more quickly. Rigor, speed, safety, and public trust are equal imperatives in the drive to overhaul the current system, which has been plagued by inefficiency, lack of participant diversity, and a failu...

More than 14 million Americans live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, yet the availability of urgently needed treatment is completely inadequate. In Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health, author Thomas Insel offers a pathway towards wellness built around what he calls the three Ps—people, place, and purpose. A psychiatrist, neuroscientist, a...