Dr. Leroy Hood, Head of Institute for Systems Biology, to Speak at Annual Future in Review Conference

Global Thought Leaders Converge to Work on Solving Some of the World’s Challenges in Real-Time

Dr. Leroy Hood, President of the Institute for Systems Biology, will be featured in a Centerpiece Conversation at the 12th annual SNS Future in Review (FiRe) technology conference, May 20-23, 2014. This will be Hood’s second appearance at the annual technology and economic conference, described by The Economist as “the best technology conference in the world.”

Hood’s outstanding contributions have had a resounding effect on the advancement of science since the 1960s. He was involved in the development of five instruments critical for contemporary biology, opening the door to high-throughput biological data and the era of big data in biology and medicine. He helped pioneer the human genome program — making it possible with the automated DNA sequencer. The Human Genome Center, under Hood’s direction, sequenced portions of human chromosomes 14 and 15.

Additionally, Hood has made many seminal discoveries in the fields of immunology, neurobiology, and biotechnology, and most recently has been a leader in the development of systems biology, its applications to cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and the linkage of systems biology to personalized medicine. In addition to his groundbreaking research, Hood has published 750 papers and received 36 patents, 17 honorary degrees, and over 100 awards and honors. He is one of only 15 individuals elected to all three national academies.

“Healthcare is beginning to undergo a radical transformation — both as a consequence of the digitalization of medicine with devices that let us ever more effectively capture patient data and the pioneering of new strategies emerging from a medicine that is predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory (P4). These trends converge in a new longitudinal, Framingham-like study of 100,000 well patients that will take 10-20 years,” said Leroy Hood, President of the Systems Biology Institute.

“Lee Hood has been a global leader in the most advanced sectors of healthcare since he launched the technology for decoding the human genome. We are delighted that he will be launching a new digital systems approach to healthcare at FiRe, and I fully expect it to change how medicine is practiced in the future,” said Mark Anderson, FiRe Chair and CEO of the Strategic News Service.

Future in Review is a gathering of world-class thought leaders, convened each year with the goal of providing the most accurate look forward in technology. FiRe is a world leader in exploring how technology drives the world economy, and in using technology to solve major social challenges. These goals have been consistently achieved through FiRe’s collaboration across technology-driven industries and through active support from the global FiRe community. Now in its 12th year, FiRe 2014 will take place May 20-23 at the Montage in Laguna Beach, California.

To register for FiRe 2014, and to see bios of speakers and other participants, go to www.futureinreview.com.