Every year nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease, yet the biology of this tick-borne infection remains elusive. Why do some people recover quickly while others face lingering symptoms despite treatment? Why do current diagnostics struggle to detect the disease?

Dr. Naeha Subramanian’s lab uses a powerful multiomic approach—integrating thousands of data points from blood proteins, metabolites, and immune cells—to illuminate what happens inside the body during acute infection. By mapping how immune activity in infected tissues differs from what is detected in the blood, her team is uncovering clues that may lead to more accurate diagnostics, better prediction of patient outcomes, and more effective therapies.

Dr. Subramanian will share recent discoveries and discuss how big-data biology is transforming our understanding of this complex disease and opening new opportunities for prevention, treatment, and scientific discovery.

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma - Discovery Series, Dr. Naeha Subramanian, Associate Professor, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) · Luma

A collaborative series exploring Washington’s evolving talent landscape

The Talent Exchange is a new series designed to bring together HR leaders, early talent recruiters, and postsecondary partners to explore the breadth of talent pathways across Washington. Through a mix of lunch sessions and a culminating summit, the series will surface data, insights, and perspectives to help employers better understand and engage with students and graduates from postsecondary institutions statewide. 

Each session will offer a different lens — from workforce trends to cross-sector dialogue — creating space for shared learning and relationship-building that may lead to more inclusive and connected hiring practices across the state. 

The second event examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring and access. From résumé screening to predictive analytics, AI is influencing who gets opportunities—and who may be left out. 

Hear from industry and education leaders as they unpack the promise and pitfalls of AI in hiring. Expect candid dialogue on bias, opportunity, and innovation, with space for reflection and shared strategies across sectors.

Agenda -

11:30am to 11:55am – Lunch and Networking 

11:55am to 12:30 pm – Panel 

12:30 pm to 1 pm - Audience Q&A 

Register here - The Talent Exchange: Algorithms at the Gate · Luma

What if the ocean could whisper its warnings before it roared? Along the volatile curve of the Pacific, the Ring of Fire pulses like a living scar—where tectonic plates collide, reshape, and sometimes rupture with devastating force. In 2011, deep beneath the waves off Tohoku, Japan, the Earth shifted. A megathrust earthquake unleashed a tsunami that reshaped coastlines and lives. Yet across the ocean, the United States felt only a faint echo—thanks to the intricate choreography of bathymetry and seismic energy.

Now, scientists are listening more closely. One of them is John Carter, a professor of mathematics at Seattle University, whose work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Simons Foundation, and the Fulbright Commission. Carter is more than a researcher—he’s an educator committed to equipping students to tackle complex, interdisciplinary challenges. Through tsunami models and real-world data, he and his students are decoding the language of waves—testing simulations in labs that mimic nature’s fury, and asking: how well do our predictions hold up?

The goal is urgent and ambitious: to forecast the next upheaval with precision, to understand how the Ring of Fire might speak again, and to ensure that when it does, we’re ready to respond—not just with science, but with foresight.

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma - Discovery Series, Dr. John Carter, Seattle University · Luma

AI moves fast, some operators jumped in even faster. In this second session, we’ll hear from leaders who embraced AI tools early, before the hype cycle took off. Together, we’ll explore: 

• Where early bets paid off, and where they distracted from the core business 

• How those operators are adapting strategies today as the landscape shifts 

• The balance between innovation and sustainability in operational decisions 

Join the discussion to uncover what adoption really looks like in practice—and how to apply those lessons to your own organization. 

Register here: Insights in Hindsight: AI Early Adopters - What Now? · Luma

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 includes lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.

Jan 9th at University of Washington: CoMotion | Dr. Wendy Shaw, Associate Laboratory Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Details and description coming soon…

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma - Discovery Series, Dr. Wendy Shaw, Associate Laboratory Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) · Luma

Topic and focus - TBA

Date: January 27, 2025 | Location: IMA Offices, Bellevue | Time: 5-7pm 

More information to be announced!

A collaborative series exploring Washington’s evolving talent landscape.  

The Talent Exchange is a new series designed to bring together HR leaders, early talent recruiters, and postsecondary partners to explore the breadth of talent pathways across Washington. Through a mix of lunch sessions and a culminating summit, the series will surface data, insights, and perspectives to help employers better understand and engage with students and graduates from postsecondary institutions statewide. 

Each session will offer a different lens — from workforce trends to cross-sector dialogue — creating space for shared learning and relationship-building that may lead to more inclusive and connected hiring practices across the state. 

The culminating summit brings together employers, educators, and policymakers to turn insights into action. This full-day program focuses on translating lessons from the series into concrete strategies.

Participants will leave with clear calls to action to build inclusive, connected, and future-ready talent pathways across Washington.

Agenda - More details coming soon!

Registration coming later this fall - The Talent Exchange Summit: From Insight to Impact · Luma

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 includes lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.

Feb 13th at Seattle University | Dr. Megan Smithmyer, Staff Scientist, Benaroya Research Institute

Details and description coming soon…

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma - Discovery Series, Dr. Megan Smithmyer, Staff Scientist, Benaroya Research Institute · Luma

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 includes lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.

March 13th at Northeastern University Seattle | Dr. Sid Venkatesh, Assistant Professor, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB)

Details and description coming soon…

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma: Discovery Series, Dr. Sid Venkatesh, Assistant Professor, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) · Luma

Session 4: TBA

March 24, 2025 | IMA Offices, Bellevue | 5-7pm 

Topic and details coming soon.

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 includes lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.

April 10th | Dr. Bruce Maxwell, Teaching Professor & Director of Computing Programs, Northeastern University Seattle

Details and description coming soon…

Agenda

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on Luma: Discovery Series, Dr. Bruce Maxwell, Teaching Professor & Director of Computing Programs, Northeastern University Seattle · Luma

Metastasis in Slow Motion: Preventing Cancer’s Return

What if cancer didn’t strike in one dramatic moment—but instead lingered, quietly, for years?Long after a tumor seems gone, cancer cells can lie dormant. And sometimes, they return. This is the mystery of metastatic relapse—and the frontier where Dr. Cyrus Ghajar works.

At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Ghajar leads research into how dormant cancer cells evade treatment and what reactivates them. His lab bridges oncology, immunology, and bioengineering to explore the role of the immune system in suppressing dormant cancer cells. It’s a delicate numbers game that can tip the balance between remission and recurrence. 

Supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Kuni Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, and other funders, Ghajar holds the Peter S. Lefkarites Memorial Endowed Chair. Ghajar’s. His work is reshaping how we think about metastasis—not as a sudden invasion, but a slow, stealthy process that might be intercepted. Join us to explore how silence in the body might hold the key to preventing relapse. 

Agenda -

11:30 am to 12 pm - lunch

12 pm to 12:40 pm - presentation

12:40 pm to 1 pm - audience Q&A

Register on luma: Discovery Series, Dr. Cyrus Ghjar, Professor, Fred Hutch · Luma

Session 5: TBA

May 26, 2025 | IMA Offices, Bellevue | 5-7pm 

Topic and details coming soon.

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 includes lunch, networking time, a Q&A session, and an opportunity to meet the speaker.

Session 6: TBA

July 28, 2025 | IMA Offices, Bellevue | 5-7pm 

Topic and details coming soon.