CHARLESTON, S.C.-- The SCBIO 2018 Annual Conference will be the premier gathering of educators, industry leaders and government officials in South Carolina's biotech and pharmaceutical sector. Womble Bond Dickinson attorney Stephanie Yarbrough is serving as Chair of this year's conference, and attendees can expect a top-flight array of speakers and programs.

Womble Bond Dickinson attorney Alexandra Villarreal O'Rourke will moderate a panel discussion on "Data & IT: The New Currency of Healthcare." Speakers in this discussion will include IBM Watson Health CTO Ed Macko, Blue Cross Blue Shield SC VP & CTO Ravi Ravindra, cybersecurity consultant Katie Arrington, and MUSC Information Security Officer Steve Cardinal.

Yarbrough, who will provide opening remarks at SCBIO 2018, also will moderate a panel discussion on "Why SC and The Southeast are Just Right for Life Sciences". Joining her in this discussion will be South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, GA BIO CEO Russell Allen, SEBIO CEO David Day and Executive Director/CEO Jason Rupp.

Other session topics will include:

  • "S.C. Success Story: SoftBox Lands in South Carolina";
  • "Pharma's Future in the Palmetto State";
  • "Accelerating Med Device Development in South Carolina";
  • "Global Perspective for Life Sciences—Local Opportunity for S.C."
  • "Med-Tech Feature Panel: Accelerating Med Device Development in South Carolina";
  • "Healthcare Executives: The Future of Healthcare Delivery in South Carolina";
  • "Changing What's Possible in Healthcare through Industry Partnerships";
  • "The Future of Research Universities in Life Sciences";
  • "Attracting, Developing & Retaining the Life Sciences Workforce of the Future"; and
  • "Raising Capital for Life Sciences."

The SCBIO 2018 Annual Conference takes place Oct. 23-25 in Charleston.

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