BIDMC Research Retreat Unites Investigators in Record Numbers!
BIDMC’s annual Research Retreat drew record attendance on September 5, 2024. Close to 600 investigators gathered at the Jospeh B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School to exchange ideas and showcase their work, with more than 180 poster presentations highlighting the depth and breadth of research happening at BIDMC.
The Retreat offered a full day of science and career development. The morning poster session was followed by welcoming remarks from Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, Chief Academic Officer at BIDMC/BILH, Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH, CEO of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, and Pete Healy, President of BIDMC and BILH Metro Division. The morning’s keynote speaker was new BIDMC faculty member, Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, who spoke on rebuilding the public’s trust in science and medicine.
New faculty presented lightning talks, and breakout sessions covered topics such as machine learning in healthcare, gender-based research, and career advice about mentoring and funding opportunities for early-stage investigators. Frank Slack, PhD, director of the HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine, gave the afternoon’s keynote, a hopeful look at non-coding RNAs’ potential as novel therapeutics in cancer and beyond. The day wrapped up with a “Shark Tank”-like Pitch It! Competition, awards, and networking opportunities.
With a nod to the tremendous changes at BIDMC in the last five years, Szabo launched InSPIRE 2030, the next iteration of the Institutional Strategic Plan for Innovation, Research, and Education, known as InSPIRE, first launched in 2020. Taking into account the opportunities presented by BIDMC/BILH’s new relationship with Joslin Diabetes Center, the implementation of OneBILH EPIC electronic health records and the medical system’s clinical partnership with Dana Farber Cancer Institute, InSPIRE 2023 aims to enhance research infrastructure, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and increase funding opportunities to empower BIDMC’s world-class researchers to push the boundaries of medicine.
Leaders in innovation: leadership and keynote speakers gather at the 2024 Research Retreat to celebrate a day of groundbreaking science, collaboration, and career growth. From left to right: Pete Healy, President, BIDMC and BILH Metro Division; Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, Chief Academic Officer, BIDMC/BILH; Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH, CEO, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP); Lisa Rosenbaum, MD, Writer-in-Residence, Smith Center for Outcomes Research; Research Retreat Co-Chair Jennifer Ho, MD; Research Retreat Co-Chair Rick Cummings, PhD; Frank Slack, PhD, Director of the HMS Initiative for RNA Medicine
Attendees were energized by the forward-looking plans, which will not only strengthen BIDMC’s reputation as a research powerhouse but also ensure that innovative discoveries continue to benefit the patients and the communities BILH hospitals serve.
Szabo ended the day with sincere thanks to Research Retreat Committee Co-Chairs Jennifer Ho, MD, and Rick Cummings, PhD, the colleagues who served on the scientific program and planning committees and the many volunteers who gave their time to ensure the day ran smoothly.