We officially opened the HUB today with our HUBweek Forum on the Future of Health, Wellness and Medicine. Governor Charlie Baker began the morning session with remarks on Massachusetts’ role in the industry and what the future of science and medicine hold.
Gov. Baker said he is continually impressed with how much interesting work goes on in the Commonwealth, and what a large footprint we have in artificial intelligence, life science and big data—and the role we can play as a major thought leader and center of excellence across those fields.
One such local organization with a pivotal role is the Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute. CEO Penny Heaton gave our first presentation of the day, highlighting the Institute’s mission: to give everyone, everywhere the chance to live a healthy and productive life.
As she put it, there is far too large a population of people whose lives end early for no other reason than the country in which they were born. Tuberculosis is a chief disease which disproportionately affects the poor, and it’s an infection the Institute is focused on eradicating.
Dr. Heaton emphasized that “it won’t happen overnight, and it won’t happen in one step.” But by tapping into technology innovations, collaborating with research institutes, non-profits and other partners, she is confident that they will bring new treatments to TB patients within the decade.
Calling it the “golden age of biotech,” Heaton stressed that the opportunity to improve health, wellness and medicine is ours for the taking, and it’s feasible that we will see the end of global epidemics like TB.
