Run in partnership between FocusMaine and the Maine Life Sciences Network at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute, the Maine Life Sciences Impact Forum brought together approximately 80 scientists, along with leaders from academia, the private sector, and government for the second time.

At the inaugural event last year, attendees explored how to strengthen, deepen, and expand the life sciences network to advance the economy in Maine. Inspired by the rich discussion at the event, the Roux Institute and FocusMaine collaborated to support two pilot projects coming out of the event’s workshop sessions, one focused on marketing Maine’s life sciences sector, and the other testing a digital community to bring together life scientists across the state. 

The focus of this year’s gathering was how Maine’s life science community can leverage the world-class algae sample repository at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to drive innovation and collaboration.

The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Ray Stevens, a pioneer in structure-based drug discovery and a successful entrepreneur. His talk, titled “Innovating Beyond the Lab: A CEO’s Guide for How Researchers Can Build Entrepreneurial Ventures,” inspired attendees to think beyond traditional research pathways and explore entrepreneurial opportunities for advancing scientific breakthroughs.

Aileen Huang-Saad, Director of Life Sciences, Health, and Engineering at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute spoke to the impact of the event, “The Maine Life Sciences Network and its annual forum is transforming how the life science community connects and collaborates. Through our partnership with FocusMaine, we are investing in ecosystem development and positioning Maine to take full advantage of this rapidly growing field. These efforts are driving economic growth and ensuring that Maine’s life sciences community remains at the forefront of innovation.”

A highlight of the day was a panel discussion that examined how the theme of the event aligns with broader efforts to grow Maine’s bioscience ecosystem. Panelists included Leo Waterston, Program Director at FocusMaine; Agnieszka Carpenter, Executive Director of the Bioscience Association of Maine; Phoenix McLaughlin, Director of Strategy Implementation at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development; and Lucy Liaw, Faculty Scientist and Director of Research Education & Training Programs at the MaineHealth Institute for Research.

The day culminated in facilitated breakout team sessions to generate ideas for competitive seed funding proposals that will stimulate multidisciplinary collaboration across institutions to advance a scientific or entrepreneurial project.

FocusMaine Program Director, Leo Waterston expressed, “We’re very excited to have had another strong turnout for our second Maine Life Sciences Network Impact Forum. This year’s forum is all about leveraging Maine’s unique assets for innovation. Our partnership with Northeastern University’s Roux Institute is critical to strengthening Maine’s growing life sciences community.”

To learn more about the Maine Life Sciences Network, see the highlight on page 15 in FocusMaine’s Impact Report.