Discovery Series Archives
Discovery Series Archives
Check out past Discovery Series seasons below!
2022-2023 Discovery Series
2022-2023 Discovery Series
Designed to bring together the state's preeminent researchers, innovative leaders, and elected officials who want to stay on top of important advancements being made in our state, each Discovery Series program will include lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.
From organs on chips to new ways to study black holes, this season is sure to interest all! Join us for lunch on the second Friday of almost every month (Sept-June, except December) to get educated, inspired, connected.
Check back on this page for more details about the 2023-2024 Discovery Series season.
Interested in sponsoring? Email events@technology-alliance.com.
2022-2023 Season
Fridays, 11:30 am to 1 pm (hybrid)
*Some venues may still be enforcing COVID protocols. By attending in-person, you agree to follow any required protocols (masks, proof of vaccination, etc.)*
September 9, 2022 (@ Perkins Coie Seattle): Dr. Edward Kelly, Associate Professor - Department of Pharmaceutics, UW
ORGAN ON A CHIP - Dr. Kelly will talk about “organs on chips” (OoC) which are 3D microfluidic “avatars” of human organs. The current paradigm of drug development results in 90+% failure rates in clinical trials. Moving a drug into human clinical trials is predicated on preclinical animal safety data. The high clinical trial failure rate calls into question the predictability of animal studies. It is the hope that these revolutionary OoC models will bridge this gap in preclinical and clinical testing.
October 14, 2022 (@ K&L Gates Seattle): Dr. Vivienne Baldassare, Assistant Professor of Physics, WSU
TINY MONSTERS: HUNTING THE SMALLEST SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES - Astronomers have observed that all big galaxies have a supermassive black hole at their center. However, it is the smallest supermassive black holes -- those living in galaxies much smaller than our own -- that have the potential to reveal important information about how black holes form and grow. Unfortunately, these tiny monsters are difficult to find. Dr. Baldassare will describe efforts to find and study small supermassive black holes, including with the brand new JWST. Dr. Baldassare will also discuss what has been learned so far about black hole formation from this exciting population.
November 4, 2022 (@ Google): Dr. Shyam Gollakota, Associate Professor - Paul Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, UW
CREATING INTELLIGENT MOBILE SYSTEMS: FROM MELDING BITS & BIOLOGY TO DEMOCRATIZING HEALTHCARE - Not only are computer science researchers blurring the boundaries between reality and science fiction, but also creating technology that can positively impact society. Dr. Gollakota will present on some of this technology, such as how to integrate embedded systems with living organisms (e.g., bees) and have real-world impact by helping find the nests of invasive “murder” hornets. Additionally, he will share how intelligent mobile systems are being created that democratize healthcare, and how mobile technology has the potential to bring healthcare to millions of people in middle and low-income countries by creating screening tools at a fraction of the usual cost.
January 13, 2023 (@ F5 Seattle): Dr. Marco Pravetoni, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW
VACCINE AND ANTIBODIES: A CURE FOR ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE? - Drug addiction and overdose are an ever-growing public health crisis, which is associated with the widespread access to illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and its potent analogs. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the "overdose epidemic", resulting in over 100,000 fatal drug overdoses and ~1,000,00 non fatal drug overdoses annually affecting the lives of patients, families, and the public health system. Current medications are not sufficient to curb the current trends in substance use disorders and drug overdose highlighting the need for innovative strategies and medical interventions. To address this problem, Dr. Pravetoni and his team are developing vaccines and monoclonal antibodies targeting heroin, prescription opioids, synthetic opioids, and mixtures of opioids and stimulants such as methamphetamines. These novel immunotherapeutics will be used to treat patients with substance use disorders and protect them from overdose. Dr. Pravetoni is currently testing in Phase I clinical trials the first-in-human opioid vaccine and readying other vaccine and antibody candidates for more clinical trials.
February 10, 2023 (@ Accenture’s Seattle Innovation Hub): Dr. Scott Baker, Functional & Systems Biology Science Area Leader, PNNL
MOLDOCITY: SCIENCE AT THE SPEED OF MOLD - We all live in the fungal digestive tract. The ability of fungi to modify and consume their environment has influenced the course of human history. For example, centuries ago fungi were domesticated for food production and currently they continue to play important roles in in the development of economical and sustainable production of biofuels, chemicals, and food. Dr. Baker will highlight studies that have advanced our understanding of the fungal lifestyle.
March 10, 2023 (@ Northeastern University Seattle): Dr. Taran Gujral, Associate Professor - Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLE-MOUSE: USING PATIENT BIOPSIES AND AI TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY POTENTIAL THERAPIES - Dr. Gujral will present his lab’s mission to transform the treatment of cancers by creating a clinically implementable, data-driven drug response prediction platform that can be part of the routine clinical decision-making process. This platform utilizes biopsy samples obtained within hours of surgery and leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms to predict responses to thousands of candidate therapies in less than a week. Ultimately, this paradigm-shifting platform for drug discovery will usher the treatment of challenging cancers into a new fast-paced, and more affordable era.
April 14, 2023 (@ Meta Seattle): Dr. Ram Hariharan, Director of Programs (College of Engineering) & Data Science Faculty, Northeastern University
FROM BIOLOGICAL AGING CLOCKS TO LONGEVITY MEDICINE: AN ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ODYSSEY - Human longevity research is at a tipping point. First-generation longevity medicines that target aging are in clinical trials and molecular aging clocks that measure our rate of aging are beginning to show promise. Dr. Hariharan will examine why and how to leverage AI and biomedical big data to transform all aspects of longevity research - from biological age measurements with deep aging clocks to providing personalized anti-aging behavioral recommendations.
May 12, 2023 (@ Russell Investment Center): Dr. Crystal Smith, Assistant Professor (Department of Community and Behavioral Health), WSU & Dr. Nathan Sackett, Acting Assistant Professor, UW
INVESTIGATING THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF PSYCHEDELICS - Drs. Smith and Sackett will review the history of psychedelic use and outline data supporting the potential therapeutic uses of this class of compounds. In addition, challenges related to therapeutic use (e.g., regulatory, and ethical) will be discussed. Finally, ongoing efforts to understand and implement use in the state of WA will be described.
June 9, 2023 (@ Startup Hall - UW): Dr. Sean Gibbons, Assistant Professor, Institute for Systems Biology
ENGINEERING THE GUT MICROBIOME TO IMPROVE HUMAN HEALTH - The human gut is a chemical factory, wherein hundreds of microbial species transform our dietary inputs into bioactive molecules that are absorbed into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the body. Dr. Gibbons and his team have developed a metabolic model of the gut microbiome, called MICOM (short for MIcrobial COMmunity), which can be leveraged to design personalized dietary, prebiotic, and probiotic interventions aimed at augmenting the production of beneficial metabolites and decreasing the production of detrimental metabolites. Overall, Dr. Gibbons will show how MICOM can be leveraged to engineer the metabolic outputs of the gut to improve human health and wellness.
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!
SUSTAINING SPONSORS:
ENGAGING SPONSORS:
Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA)
Clark Nuber
Keiretsu Forum Northwest
K&L Gates
Perkins Coie
SeaChange Fund
Washington State Department of Commerce
WRF Capital
SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
Knobbe Martens
McKinsey & Company
Slalom
Past Seasons
2021-2022 Discovery Series
2021-2022 Discovery Series
It can be challenging to explain why public funding of basic research is so important - The media broadcasts the end results from private companies, but early work is left unheralded. But folks at the Fred Hutch, WSU, UW, PNNL, and other local research institutions are turning out game-changing, and in some cases, life-altering, research. We work to showcase that early work as well as the stunning breadth and depth of Washington state research.
Join us for lunch on the second Friday of almost every month (Sept-June, except December) to get educated, inspired, connected. Designed to bring together the state's preeminent researchers, innovative leaders, and elected officials who want to stay on top of important advancements being made in our state, each Discovery Series program will include lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.
2021-2022 Season
All events run between 11:30am-1pm.
Events will resume in-person as the public health situation allows.
September 10, 2021 @ Seattle Chamber: Dr. Joanna Kelley, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, WSU
GRIZZLY GENES - Join us as we discuss how genetic adaptations to extreme environments may hold secrets to treating human diseases.
October 8, 2021 via Zoom: Dr. Hans Van Dongen, Director, Sleep and Performance Research Center, WSU
SLEEP & HEALTH - Night and shift workers, who make up more than 15% of the US work force, are faced with elevated risk of chronic disease - including metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and various types of cancer. Dr. Van Dongen will show evidence from cutting-edge "multi-omics" research yielding profound new insights into the pivotal roles of the biological clock in the brain, rhythms in other organs and cells, and novel signaling mechanisms within the body, for the long-term health of shift workers. This presentation will lay out the basic principles underlying new discoveries that provide a foundation for the development of interventions and treatments, and is relevant to all whose schedules are affected by the 24/7 society.
November 12, 2021: Dr. Nick Jikomes, Director of Science & Innovation, Leafly
THE CHEMISTRY OF COMMERCIAL CANNABIS - The rapid growth of this multi-billion dollar industry has fueled a proliferation of cannabis products. According to industry professionals, there are thousands of distinct Cannabis strains offering specific psychoactive effects and health benefits; it is common practice to recommend "Indica" strains as having reliably relaxing effects and "Sativa" strains as energizing. Are these claims true, or just folklore? Dr. Jikomes will share data from the largest study to-date of the chemistry of commercial Cannabis. He and collaborators at the University of Colorado analyzed the chemistry of tens of thousands of commercial cannabis samples. They studied the cannabinoid and terpene content of commercial Cannabis from six US states, using modern data science techniques to algorithmically define groups of cannabis based on chemical content. They compare these results to the "strain names" and "Indica/Sativa" nomenclature routinely used to label cannabis products to see how well those labels reflect product chemistry. Are strain names reliable indicators of product chemistry, or nonsensical marketing tricks? Do "Indica" and "Sativa" samples reliably display distinct chemical makeup? Is there a significant amount of chemical diversity in commercial Cannabis, or is it all pretty much the same? These and related questions will be illuminated.
January 14, 2022: Steve Davis (CEO-PATH, 2012-2020), Chris Elias (CEO - PATH, 2000-2011), and Nikolaj Gilbert (CEO - PATH, 2020-Present)
25 YEARS OF GLOBAL HEALTH - As the Technology Alliance celebrates their 25th anniversary, we are proud to welcome three generations of PATH CEOs! Join us for this special event as we reflect on what the last two and a half decades have meant for the health of our world.
February 11, 2022 via Zoom: Dr. David Hertzog, Director of CENPA - Professor, UW
DID THE MUON HELP DISCOVER NEW PHYSICS? - This year, Dr. Hertzog and the Muon g-2 Collaboration team of more than 200 researchers reported a single number representing the magnetism of an elementary particle – the muon. It followed more than 10 years of effort and represented an investment of approximately $100 M. In parallel, scientists around the world collaborated to predict what Dr. Hertzog and the Muon g-2 Collaboration team would find. They found something different and the world has been buzzing about what it might imply. Dr. Hertzog plans to give a non-experts account of these efforts and let you in on the disciplined process in making measurements at fractions of a part per million in precision.
March 11, 2022: Dr. Charmayne Lonergan, Materials Scientist, PNNL
TRAPPING NUCLEAR WASTE USING VITRIFICATION - Over 50 million gallons of legacy nuclear waste from WWII need to be contained in a stable form. The preferred approach to prevent contamination of the environment and local communities is turning the waste into glass, or vitrification. Glass is an interesting material with properties (such as color, how it flows, density, and others) that are controlled by its chemistry and processing. Work is on-going at PNNL and around the world to understand how we can optimize glass chemistry to solve real world problems! Dr. Charmayne Lonergan, a Materials Scientist at PNNL, will describe why glass is an ideal approach for trapping nuclear waste.
April 8, 2022: Dr. Vishal Nigam, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital
SAVING CHILDREN’S HEARTS - Congenital cardiac abnormalities are the most common form of birth defects. Severe cardiac defects require open heart surgeries that are associated with significant risks of complications and death. Furthermore, these surgeries are very costly. Dr. Nigam will discuss how translational research, an animal that heals without scarring, and new uses of technology are being used advance the care of these children.
May 13, 2022 @ Northeastern University, Seattle: Dr. Nathan Baker, Lab Fellow - Data Scientist, Computing & Analytics Div, PNNL
QUANTUM COMPUTING - A beginners guide to the future of quantum and what it means for Washington State. Quantum computing is expected to revolutionize the ability for science to solve difficult problems that are beyond the scope of today’s computers. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is working to advance quantum computing, simulation, communication, and sensing, and is a founding partner in the Northwest Quantum Nexus (NQN), a regional coalition of research and industrial organizations. Dr. Nathan Baker, a Laboratory Fellow in the National Security Directorate at PNNL and a Distinguished Faculty Fellow with the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington, will describe how the Pacific Northwest is becoming one of the top regions in the United States for developing Quantum computing.
June 10, 2022 @ Perkins Coie Seattle (POSTPONED): Dr. Ed Kelly, Associate Professor - Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Washington
ORGAN ON A CHIP - Dr. Kelly will talk about “organs on chips” (OoC) which are 3D microfluidic “avatars” of human organs. The current paradigm of drug development results in 90+% failure rates in clinical trials. Moving a drug into human clinical trials is predicated on preclinical animal safety data. The high clinical trial failure rate calls into question the predictability of animal studies. It is the hope that these revolutionary OoC models will bridge this gap in preclinical and clinical testing.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Interested in Sponsoring our 2021-2022 Season? - Full Details Available Here.
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
PARTICIPATING SPONSORS:
Keiretsu Capital
Knobbe Martens
Northeastern University - Seattle
Perkins Coie
Point B
SeaChange Fund
WRF Capital
Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA)
AHT Insurance
Alaska Airlines
Cambia Grove
Clark Nuber
Clobotics
Fenologica
First Mode
Past Seasons
2020-2021 Discovery Series
2020-2021 Discovery Series
Announcing our 2020-2021 Season!
It can be challenging to explain why public funding of basic research is so important - The media broadcasts the end results from private companies, but early work is left unheralded. But folks at the Fred Hutch, WSU, UW, PNNL, and other local research institutions are turning out game-changing, and in some cases, life-altering, research. We work to showcase that early work as well as the stunning breadth and depth of Washington state research.
Join us for lunch on the second Friday of almost every month (Sept-June, except December) to get educated, inspired, connected. Designed to bring together the state's preeminent researchers, innovative leaders, and elected officials who want to stay on top of important advancements being made in our state, each Discovery Series program will include lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.
Since 1997, more than 150 presenters have informed and amazed us with everything from neurobotics, video of gigantic tubeworms living next to hot vents in the Atlantic Ocean, the fight against malaria, genetically engineered food truths and myths, the promise of predictive medicine, and images from the world's most powerful telescope. The Discovery Series offers the broader community an opportunity to learn about new discoveries and cutting-edge technologies directly from our state’s leading scientists and innovators.
Don’t miss your chance - Get your tickets here!
2020 - 2021 Schedule (all events run between 11:30am-1pm)
September 11, 2020: The Fight Against COVID
Dr. Keith Jerome, Professor Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
October 9, 2020: NEW WAYS OF THINKING OF THE MOBILE PHONE FOR HEALTHCARE AND IN THE CURRENT PANDEMIC
Dr. Shwetak N. Patel, WRF Entrepreneurship Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering, UW
November 13, 2020: To Mars and Beyond: The Science of the Space Rover
Dr. Melissa Rice, Professor of Geology, Western Washington University, and Kathleen Hoza, Systems Engineer, First Mode
January 8, 2021: Whale Tails: Saving our Southern Resident Orcas
Lynne Barre, Branch Chief, Protected Resources Division, NOAA
February 12, 2021: Future Flyers: Decarbonizing Aerospace
Dr. Michael Wolcott, Associate Vice President for Research of Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU
March 12, 2021: Genes and their Expression in You: the genetic and neurological mechanisms of social behavior
Dr. Lisa Stubbs, Senior Investigator, PNRI
April 9, 2021: The Balancing Act: WHEN BUILDINGS TALK TO THE GRID
Dr. Jud Virden, Associate Laboratory Director of the Energy and Environment Directorate, PNNL
May 14, 2021: 2021 and the COVID Cure
Dr. Deb Fuller, Vaccinologist and Professor in the Department of Microbiology, UW School of Medicine
June 11, 2021: Engineering Art: The Future within Flamework
Ginny Ruffner, (American Glass Artist) presenting
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Interested in Sponsoring our 2020-2021 Season? - Packages can be found here.
PARTICIPATING SPONSORS:
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
Northeastern University - Seattle
Perkins Coie
Point B
SeaChange Fund
WRF Capital
Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA)
Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA)
AHT Insurance
Boeing
Cambia Grove
Clark Nuber
First Mode
Past Seasons
2019-2020
2019-2020
The Discovery Series is back!
Reading the news, it can be easy to imagine that all of the cool research is coming out of MIT or Stanford. But folks at the Fred Hutch, WSU, UW, PNNL, and other local research institutions are turning out game-changing, and in some cases, life-altering, research. The Discovery Series offers the broader community an opportunity to learn about new discoveries and cutting-edge technologies directly from our state’s leading scientists and innovators.
Join us for lunch on the second Friday of almost every month (Sept-June, except December) at a cool location around town to get educated, inspired, connected. Designed to bring together the state's preeminent researchers, innovative leaders, and elected officials who want to stay on top of important advancements being made in our state, each Discovery Series program will include lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.
Since 1997, more than 150 presenters have informed and amazed us with everything from neurobotics, video of gigantic tubeworms living next to hot vents in the Atlantic Ocean, the fight against malaria, genetically engineered food truths and myths, the promise of predictive medicine, and images from the world's most powerful telescope.
Don’t miss your chance - Get your tickets here!
2019 - 2020 Schedule (all events run between 11:30am-1pm)
September 13, 2019: Aimée Dudley, PhD, Senior Investigator, Director of Educational Outreach, PNRI @ Perkins Coie Topic: The Genetics of Being Exceptional - How Yeast is Changing the World
October 11, 2019: Jevin West, Associative Professor, UW @ Technology Access Foundation Topic: Calling BS in the Age of Misinformation
November 8, 2019: Jon Oatley, PhD, Director of Center of Reproductive Biology, WSU @ Facebook HQ Topic: The Human-Animal Genomic Bond
January 10, 2020: Joe Smith, Research Ecologist, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries @ Davis Wright Tremaine Topic: Chasing Salmon to Save the Whales
February 14, 2020: Lea Starita, Ph.D, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Genome Sciences at UW @ Facebook HQ Topic: Using CRISPR to Advance Precision Medicine
April 10, 2020: Lee Hood, MD, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer, Institute for Systems Biology @ Virtual Event Topic: The Art and Science of Aging Well
May 8th, 2020: Virginia Emery, PhD and Insect Entrepreneur, Beta Hatch - Founder & CEO @ Virtual Event Topic: Insects for Protein and other Food Chain Disruptions
May 29, 2020: Nathan Wiebe, Senior Scientist, PNNL & Linda Lauw, Microsoft @ Virtual Event Topic: Quantum Computing
June 12, 2020: Sapna Cheryan, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology at UW @ TBD Topic: Battling STEM Stereotypes & Helping Barbie Evolve
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Interested in sponsoring the Discovery Series? Packages can be found here.
PRESENTING SPONSORS
PARTICIPATING SPONSORS
AHT Insurance
Alaska Airlines
Clark Nuber
Crown Castle
Knobbe Martens
Northeastern University - Seattle
Perkins Coie
Point B Capital
SeaChange Fund
Slalom
WRF Capital
WTIA
Past Seasons
2015-2016
2015-2016
2015-2016 Schedule
September 11, 2015: Bruce Margon, Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz
Topic: What we have learned about the universe from 25 years of the Hubble Space Telescope
October 9, 2015: John Delaney, Professor of Oceanography, University of Washington
Topic: Discoveries from the ocean floor as learned through the Ocean Observatories Initiative
November 13, 2015: Michael McPhaden, Senior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
Topic: The implications of El Nino and other ocean currents on the climate of the Pacific Northwest
December 11, 2015: Franziska Roesner, Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Computer security and privacy
January 15, 2016: Steve Davis, President and CEO, PATH
Topic: The latest learnings on what’s really making a difference in global health
February 12, 2016: Barbara Sorg, Professor of Neuroscience, Washington State University
Topic: The role of memory in drug addiction
March 11, 2016: Daniel Schwartz, Director, UW Clean Energy Institute and David Ginger, Associate Director, UW Clean Energy Institute
Topic: Sustainable growth in solar power: New materials discovery and our energy future
April 8, 2016: John Scott, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Professor of Pharmacology, UW Medicine
Topic: Institute for Biosignaling and Precision Therapies: Discovering "smart drugs" that find their targets
May 13, 2016: Semih Tareen, Associate Director, Juno Therapeutics
Topic: Breakthrough immunotherapies for cancer
2014-2015
2014-2015
September 12, 2014: Benjamin Hall, UW Genome Sciences & Biology
Topic: The story of the Hall technologies: How one professor created $250 million in technology licensing revenue for the UW
October 10, 2014: Larry Smarr, University of California San Diego
Topic: The Measured Man: How an astrophysicist turned computer scientist is changing the future of healthcare by charting every bodily function in minute detail
November 7, 2014: Nitin Baliga, Institute for Systems Biology
Topic: Strange microbes and complex diseases: different problems, one approach
Understanding the amazing impact of microbes, which have colonized not only our bodies, but every environmental niche on our planet
December 12, 2014: Charles Murry, UW Center for Cardiovascular Biology
Topic: Breakthroughs in medicine: Using stem cell therapy to regenerate damaged heart muscle
January 9, 2015: Jacob Leachman, Washington State University
Topic: Understanding the potential of hydrogen fuels: Busting myths and flying drones
February 13, 2015: David Montgomery, UW Earth & Space Sciences
Topic: Geology of Western Washington and the Oso landslide
March 13, 2015: Chen-Ching Liu, Washington State University
Topic: Technology breakthroughs for a smarter and more secure electrical grid
April 10, 2015
May 8, 2015: Lee Hood, Institute for Systems Biology
Topic: The 100K Wellness Project: Systems Biology giant Lee Hood shares the early results from the largest longitudinal study in personalized medicine ever undertaken
2013-2014
2013-2014
September 13, 2013: Denis Hayes, President, Bullitt Foundation
Topic: Design and construction of the Bullitt Center, the greenest building on the planet
October 11, 2013: John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Science, University of Washington
Topic: Gifts of the Crow
November 15, 2013: Julie Kientz, Assistant Professor, Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Baby Steps system for tracking developmental progress in young children
December 13, 2013: Jim Olson, Brain Cancer Researcher, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Attending Physician, Seattle Children's Hospital
Topic: Project Violet, a new citizen science initiative to accelerate research into new anti-cancer compounds
January 10, 2014: John Wecker, President & CEO, Pacific Northwest Diabetes
Research Institute
Topic: The latest developments in diabetes research
February 14, 2014: Hugh Hillhouse, Rehnberg Chair Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Printable solar cells
March 14, 2014: Uri Shumlak, Professor, William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, University of Washington
Topic: Nuclear fusion
April 11, 2014: Patricia Kuhl, Co-director, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington
Topic: Early language learning and infant brain development
May 9, 2014: Guy Palmer, Director, Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University
Topic: The connection between global animal health and human opportunity
2012-2013
2012-2013
September 14, 2012: Pablos Holman, Inventor, Intellectual Ventures
Topic: Breaking and building new technologies
October 12, 2012: Grant Norton, Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University
Topic: Creating a super lithium-ion battery
November 9, 2012: Cliff Mass, weather blogger and Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington
Topic: The future of weather prediction technology
December 14, 2012: John Amory, Professor of Medicine and Section Head, UW Medical Center Section of General Internal Medicine
Topic: A male birth control pill
January 11, 2013: George Dyson, historian and author of Project Orion: The Atomic Spaceship 1957-1965, Darwin Among the Machines: The Evolution of Global Intelligence, and Turing's Cathedral
Topic: The creation myth of the digital universe
February 8, 2013: Steve Seitz, Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Breakthroughs in computer vision and facial recognition, and computer graphics
March 8, 2013: Richard Feely, Senior Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Topic: Ocean acidification and its impacts on our marine resources
April 12, 2013: Pat Hanrahan, Chief Scientist and Co-founder, Tableau Software; Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University; and founding employee at Pixar Animation Studios
Topic: Computer visualization and growing Tableau
May 10, 2013: Anna Goussiou, Professor of Physics, University of Washington
Topic: The discovery of the Higgs boson particle
2011-2012
2011-2012
September 9, 2011 : Peter Lee, Distinguished Scientist and Managing Director, Microsoft Research
Topic: Microsoft Research - From blue-sky research to product innovations
October 14, 2011 : Thomas Henick-Kling, Director, Viticulture & Enology, Professor of Enology, WSU Tri-Cities
Topic: The science of winemaking
November 11, 2011 : Chee Chew, Engineering Director, Google
Topic: The present and future of social networking
December 9, 2011 : Christof Koch, Chief Scientific Officer, Allen Institute for Brain Science
Topic: The institute’s recent research and new initiatives in brain science
January 13, 2012 : Maureen Neitz, Ray H. Hill Endowed Professor of Ophthalmology, UW School of Medicine
Topic: Breakthroughs in gene therapy for vision disorders
February 10, 2012 : Stefan Kappe, Full Member & Program Director, Seattle BioMed
Topic: The discovery and development of a novel malaria vaccine now in human clinical trials
March 9, 2012 : Ginger Armbrust, Director, School of Oceanography, University of Washington
Topic: The genomics of oceanic plankton and the crucial role it plays in the ocean ecosystem
April 13, 2012: Curtis Wong, Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research
Topic: The WorldWide Telescope and the amazing astronomical imagery it reveals
May 11, 2012: Harmit Malik, Principal Investigator, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Topic: The genetics of evolutionary conflict
2010-2011
2010-2011
September 10, 2010: Dr. Usha Varanasi, Director, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Topic: The legacy of the Exxon Valdez and the effects of oil spills on aquatic ecosystems
October 8, 2010: Dr. Andy McShea, Chief Operating Officer, Theo Chocolate
Topic: The science of chocolate
November 12, 2010: Dr. Shwetak Patel, Assistant Professor, University of Washington Computer Science and Engineering & Electrical Engineering
Topic: Smart dwellings and cutting-edge energy conservation technology
December 10, 2010: Dr. David Urdal, Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Director, Dendreon
Topic: Discovery, development, and commercialization of novel cancer therapeutics
January 14, 2011: John Gardner Vice President, Advancement and External Affairs, Washington State University
Topic: Regional biofuel efforts
February 11, 2011: Dr. Sam Wasser, Director, University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology
Topic: Non-invasive wildlife forensics and monitoring methods
March 11, 2011: Gene Walther, Deputy Director, Diagnostics, Discovery, Global Health Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Topic: Gates Foundation's global health initiatives
April 8, 2011: Dr. Krishna Nadella, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Microgreen & Dr. Vipin Kumar, Director, University of Washington Microcellular Consortium
Topic: Improving common plastics on the molecular level
May 13, 2011: Dr. Joshua Akey, Assistant Professor, University of Washington Department of Genome Sciences
Topic: Very recent human evolution
2009-2010
2009-2010
September 11, 2009: Dr. Tadayoshi Kohno, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington
October 9, 2009: Dr. David Baker, Principal Investigator, The Baker Lab, University of Washington & Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
November 13, 2009: Dr. Alan Aderem, Executive Vice President and Director, Institute for Systems Biology
December 11, 2009: Dr. Denise Galloway, Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Program Head, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
January 8, 2010: Dr. Bruce Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Gilead Sciences
February 12, 2010: Dr. John Stark, Director, Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Washington State University
March 12, 2010: J. Michael Davis, Associate Laboratory Director, Energy and Environment Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
April 9, 2010: Dr. Debbie Nickerson, Professor, Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington
May 14, 2010: Christina Lomasney, President & CEO and Dr. John Whitaker, Chief Scientist, Modumetal
2008-2009
2008-2009
September 12, 2008: Dr. Yoky Matsuoka, MacArthur “Genius Award” winner and Professor, University of Washington Neurobotics Laboratory
Topic: Merging robotics and neuroscience
October 10, 2008: Dr. Colleen Delaney, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Topic: Using umbilical cord blood to save lives
November 14, 2008: Dr. Moe Khaleel, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topic: The importance of diversification to the future of computing
December 12, 2008 : Dr. Nate Mantua, University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
Topic: Projected global and Pacific Northwest climate change
January 9, 2009: Dr. Raymond Huey, University of Washington Laboratory of Evolutionary Physiology
Topic: The study of survival patterns of Himalayan mountain climbers
February 13, 2009: Dr. Lee Hood, Founder, Institute for Systems Biology
Topic: Biological complexity and understanding how biological systems function.
March 13, 2009: Brian Bershad, Google
Topic: The future of search
April 17, 2009: Dr. Zeljko Ivezic, University of Washington Department of Astronomy
Topic: Breakthroughs in telescope technology
May 8, 2009: Dr. John Reganold, Washington State University Crop and Soil Sciences Department
Topic: Sustainable agricultural systems
2007-2008
2007-2008
September 14, 2007: Dr. Mark Roth, Cell Biologist and Full Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Topic: Metabolic flexibility and the feasibility of human hibernation.
October 12, 2007: Tom Vander Ark, President, X Prize Foundation
Topic: Revolution through competition.
November 9, 2007: Dr. David Sherman, Principal Investigator, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute
Topic: Tuberculosis (TB) virulence and drug discovery.
December 14, 2007: Dr. Chris Elias, President, PATH
Topic: Recent programs and advances in improving the health of people around the world.
January 11, 2008: Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, Faculty, The Evergreen State College
Topic: Ecology of tropical and temperate forest canopies, particularly the role that canopy-dwelling plants play in forests at the ecosystem level.
February 8, 2008: Dr. Christopher Murray, Director, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington
Topic: Guiding international policymaking by providing high-quality data and analysis on health needs and outcomes, and assessing the performance of health programs.
March 14, 2008: Dr. Tomas Mustelin, Vice President of Inflammation, Amgen
Topic: Inflammation research and drug discovery.
April 11, 2008: Dr. Steve Bollens, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Director of Science Programs, Interim Director, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Washington State University - Vancouver
Topic: Ecology of marine and estuarine zooplankton and fish.
May 16, 2008: Mike Schwenk, Vice President and Director of Technology Deployment and Outreach, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topic: $2B+ of R&D in Washington state...so what?
June 13, 2008: Dr. Oren Etzioni, Founder, Farecast, and Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Predictive technologies.
2006-2007
2006-2007
September 8, 2006: Dr. Steve Malone, Research Professor of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington
Topic: Update on the volcanic activity of Mt. St. Helens
Friday, October 13, 2006: Dr. Alan Nelson, Chairman & CEO, VisionGate, Inc.
Topic: Lung cancer - the world's number one cancer killer and 3D imaging of cells for early detection
November 10, 2006: Dr. Pat Hunt, Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University
Topic: Chemical and environmental factors that impact reproduction
December 8, 2006: Dr. John Bransford, Professor of Education and Psychology, College of Education, University of Washington
Topic: How people/students learn and the LIFE Center (Learning in Informal and Formal Environments)
January 12, 2007: Dr. Bassem Bejjani, Research Professor, WSU Spokane, and Medical Director, Signature Genomic Laboratories, LLC
Topic: Genome microarray technologies to unlock the secrets of genetic diseases
February 9, 2007: Dr. Tom Daniel, Joan and Richard Komen Chair of Biology, University of Washington
Topic: Implantable microelectronics and flight control in insects
March 9, 2007: Dr. Jeff Ojemann, Neurosurgeon, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harborview Medical Center
Topic: Effects of neurosurgical procedures on memory and cognition in children and adults, and the feasibility of brain-computer interface systems
April 13, 2007: Dr. Maxine Hayes, State Health Officer, Washington State Department of Health
Topic: Bird Flu - the coming pandemic?
May 11, 2007: Dr. Andrea Copping, Senior Program Manager, Marine Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topic: Climate change - predicting the changes, mitigating the impacts
June 8, 2007: Dr. Leo Stamatatos, Full Member, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute
Topic: HIV vaccine development and the use of computational biology to create novel vaccine designs
2005-2006
2005-2006
September 9, 2005: Dr. Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington
Topic: The future of weather prediction
October 14, 2005: Dr. Tad McGeer, Founder, Chairman and CTO, The Insitu Group
Topic: Miniature robotic aircraft
November 10, 2005: Dr. Anne Steinemann, Director, The Water Center, and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Health hazards of everyday exposure to environmental pollutants
December 9, 2005: Dr. Bob Moore, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research
Topic: The statistical revolution in natural language processing
January 13, 2006: Dr. Toby Bradshaw, Washington Research Foundation Professor of Basic Biological Science, Department of Biology, University of Washington
Topic: The biology behind the controversy over genetically engineered food
February 10, 2006: Dr. Patrick Duffy, Director, Malaria Antigen Discovery Program, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute
Topic: Malaria vaccine development
March 10, 2006: Dr. Andrew Meltzoff, Co-Director, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS), and Job and Gertrud Tamaki Endowed Chair, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington
Topic: Infant brain development
April 7, 2006: Dr. Todd Werpy, Program Manager for Bioproducts, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topic: Domestic solutions to energy independence
May 12, 2006: Dr. Deborah Kelley, Associate Professor of Oceanography, University of Washington
Topic: Lost City hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
June 9, 2006: Dr. Kim Kidwell, Associate Professor of Crop & Soil Sciences, Washington State University
Topic: Breeding, genetics, and cultivar development of spring wheats
2004-2005
2004-2005
September 10, 2004: Denis Hayes, President, Bullitt Foundation, and Co-Founder of Earth Day
October 8, 2004: Dr. Don Brownlee, NASA Stardust Spacecraft Principal Investigator, and Professor of Astronomy, University of Washington
November 12, 2004: Dr. Chris Diorio, Chairman and Co-Founder, Impinj, and Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
December 10, 2004: Dr. Wylie Burke, Professor and Chair, Department of Medical History & Ethics, University of Washington
January 14, 2005: Dr. Richard Smith, Director, Proteomics Research Resource for Integrative Biology for the National Center for Research Resources, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
February 11, 2005: Dr. Wick Haxton, Principal Investigator, Proposed Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory/Cascades, and Professor of Physics, University of Washington
March 11, 2005: Dr. Joe Miletich, Senior Vice President, Research and Pre-clinical Development, Amgen, Inc.
April 8, 2005: Dr. Mark Reisman, Interventional Cardiologist and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Swedish Medical Center
May 13, 2005: Dr. Charles Campbell, Co-Director of Center for Nanotechnology, and Professor of Chemistry, University of Washington
June 10, 2005: Dr. Linda Buck, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine, 2004; Full Member, Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
2003-2004
2003-2004
September 12, 2003: Dr. Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
October 10, 2003: Dr. Richard Klausner, Global Health Executive Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
November 14, 2003: Dr. Lee Hartwell, President and Director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
December 12, 2003: Dr. George Michaels, Director of Bioinformatics for the Biomolecular Systems Initiative, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
January 9, 2004: Dr. Bruce Watson, Director of Quality Control, Columbia Winery
February 13, 2004: Dr. James M. Krueger, College of Veterinarian Medicine, Washington State University
March 12, 2004: Bill Ruckelshaus, Principal, Madrona Investment Group; Chairman, Salmon Recovery Board; First and Fifth Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (1970 and 1985)
April 8, 2004: Dr. William A. Hagopian, Principal Scientist, Pacific Northwest Research Institute.
May 14, 2004: Dr. Phillip Thurtle, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University; Co-Editor, In Vivo: The Cultural Mediations of Biomedical Science, University of Washington Press Book Series
June 11, 2004: Dr. Eric Horvitz, Senior Researcher and Group Manager, Adaptive Systems & Interaction Group, Microsoft Research
2002-2003
2002-2003
September 13, 2002: Larry Dalton, Professor of Chemistry, University of Washington
Topic: The new Information Age: exploiting the best of both electronics and photonics
October 11, 2002: Dr. Daniel Paull, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Virginia Mason
Topic: How physician directed state-of-the art robots perform cardiac surgery, along with other new advances in cardiac surgery
November 8, 2002: Dr. Paul Robertson, Pacific Northwest Research Institute
Topic: Human islet transplant
December 13, 2002: Dr. Chris Elias, President & CEO, PATH
Topic: Improving health globally with simple solutions
January 10th, 2003: Dr. Bradley C. Edwards, Chief Technology Officer, HighLift Systems
Topic: The space elevator
February 14, 2003: Chris Stubbs, Professor of Astronomy, University of Washington
Topic: Recent discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope
March 14, 2003: Mike Kluse, Associate Director of National Security, Battelle
Topic: Science and technology in homeland security
April 11, 2003: Dieter Fox, Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
Topic: Robotics
May 9, 2003: Dr. John Corman, Director of Prostate Cancer Network, Virginia Mason
Topic: New advances in detection and treatment of prostate cancer
June 13, 2003: Dr. Leroy Hood, President and Director, Institute for Systems Biology
Topic: New frontiers in biotechnology
2001-2002
2001-2002
September 14, 2001: Dr. Steve Malone, Geophysics Research, University of Washington
Topic: Earthquake hazards in the Northwest and the development of near real-time technology to track them
October 12, 2001: Dr. Geraldine Dawson, Professor of Psychology, Center for Autism, University of Washington
Topic: Technology used in the early detection and treatment of autism
November 9, 2001: Dr. Helene Gayle, Senior Advisor for HIV/AIDS, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Topic: The HIV/AIDS global epidemic and current research to find a cure
December 14, 2001: Dr. John D. Potter, Public Health Sciences Division-Cancer Prevention Research Program, Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Professor, School of Public Health and Community Medicine Epidemiology, University of Washington
Topic: The role of diet in colon cancer, specifically the types of plant foods that reduce the risks and slow or reverse the carcinogenesis process
January 11, 2002: Dr. Paul E. Burrows, Senior Staff Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Topic: The technology behind photonics, market value, and future product developments
February 8, 2002: Dan Mooney, Vice President of Product Development, The Boeing Company
Topic: The technology behind the Boeing Sonic Cruiser
March 8, 2002: Dr. James Anderson, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington
Topic: The growing importance of computer models and the Internet in balancing salmon restoration and management with the competing demands of hydrolic power and irrigation in the Pacific Northwest
April 12, 2002: Dr. Margaret Allen, Hope Heart Institute, Affilitate Professor, University of Washington
Topic: Future developments in heart transplant surgery
May 10, 2002: Dr. Robert Franza, Research Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington
Topic: The Cell Systems Initiative (CSI)
June 14, 2002: Dr. Stephen Richardson, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Corporation
Topic: The development of natural language processing computers and machine translation.