Tong BME Distinguished Lecturer Series
Sponsored by the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mr. Peter Tong
Invited speakers address the entire BME design class at a special mid-semester event. The lectures are given by successful entrepreneurs and innovators in the biomedical industry and are designed to appeal to students, faculty and staff in biomedical engineering, and biological and medical science. A reception follows the presentation, offering both students and faculty an opportunity to talk with the distinguished guest in an informal setting.
Spring 2008
Dr. Robert Lowery
Dr. Robert Lowery
CEO
BellBrook Labs
Madison, WI
“The Twisted Path to Commercialization.”
Prior to starting BellBrook Labs in May of 2002, Lowery served for ten years as Vice President of R&D at PanVera Corporation and previously served as Director of Manufacturing at Promega Corporation, both in Madison, Wisconsin. He discussed the challenges of fostering innovations from introduction to mass adoption in the pharmaceutical industry, using integrated high-throughput screening (HTS) assay kits and the iUVO microfluidic conduit array platform as examples.
Fall 2007
Dr. Barbara Israel
Dr. Barbara Israel
CEO
Echometrix, LLC
Madison, WI
“The Role of Opportunity in Technological Innovation.”
Dr. Israel is an adjunct professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, UW-Madison; founder, board member and former CEO of Platypus Technologies, which develops innovative products for the life and analytical sciences; and currently co-founder and CEO of Echometrix LLC, which develops ultrasound analysis systems for quantitative evaluation of soft tissue injuries. Dr. Israel shared her experience, observations and key insights on the challenges and opportunities in integrating science and business.
Spring 2007
Paul Reckwerdt
Paul J. Reckwerdt
President and Co-founder
TomoTherapy
Madison, WI
“Painting with Protons: An Insider's Perspective on the Science and Cents of the TomoTherapy HiArt System.”
Entrepreneur Paul J. Reckwerdt gave the inaugural lecture. A former UW-Madison researcher, Reckwerdt co-founded (with Medical Physics, Human Oncology, Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Physics Professor Thomas Rockwell Mackie) in 1997 the radiation-therapy company TomoTherapy. Its Hi-Art System integrates CT imaging and helical intensity-modulated radiation therapy to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of radiation treatment for a full range of cancer tumors.