UC San Diego Runs Second Annual
Biotechnology Demystified Program to Teach
the Science of Biotech to Business Professionals

June 21, 2007

By Keri Peckham

The University of California, San Diego this week is running its unique program, “Biotechnology Demystified: The Science Behind the Business,” which will provide attendees with functional understanding of the science behind the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. The program is open to business professionals with a desire to understand the rapidly changing world of biotechnology and runs through June 21 on the UC San Diego campus.

Offered by the Rady School of Management’s Center for Executive Development in collaboration with the
UC San Diego Division of Biological Sciences, a team of world-class instructors was assembled from university faculty and biotechnology industry leaders to provide participants with the tools necessary to thrive in the industry. One of the key lecturers for the program is Craig Venter, a UCSD alumnus who is best known for his role in the human genome project.

“Biotechnology Demystified is a unique executive development program that combines the science knowledge at UC San Diego and the business expertise at the Rady School with input from experienced biotechnology practitioners,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “This gives participants the opportunity to learn from the best in the field.”

San Diego is widely known as one of the top biotech clusters in the United States, providing an environment that allows participants to immerse themselves in the industry, learning from top quality faculty and interacting with leaders in the biotech community. Many local biotech companies were founded by UC San Diego alumni and faculty.

“By participating in Biotechnology Demystified, business professionals will benefit from UC San Diego’s highly ranked science programs and the research being done on this campus,” said Dr. Suresh Subramani, interim dean of the UC San Diego Division of Biological Sciences. “A fundamental understanding of the science enables executives to recognize commercial opportunities and position their companies for success in the biotech industry.”

The four-day program will cover topics such as basic biochemistry, molecular biology, stem cell research and drug development. The laboratory class will provide participants with the opportunity to gain hands-on appreciation of the science.

The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego educates global leaders for innovation-driven organizations. A professional school within one of the top-ranked institutions in the U.S. for higher education and research, the Rady School offers a Full-Time MBA program, a FlexMBA program for working professionals, undergraduate and executive education courses. Our lineage includes 16 Nobel Laureates (former and current faculty) and eight MacArthur Foundation award recipients. The Rady School at UC San Diego transforms innovators into business leaders.

Established in the 1960s as the Department of Biology and reorganized into a division in 2000, the Division of Biological Sciences has garnered a reputation for academic and scientific excellence, innovation and achievement. In their brief 40-year history, the Division of Biological Sciences, along with UC San Diego itself, has already achieved remarkable success, with many of its educational and research programs ranked at or near the top nationally.

 

Media Contact: Keri Peckham, 858 534-0855