Wafik S. El-Deiry: Listening to inspiring Keynotes at the Rhode Island Life Science Hub’s Inaugural Summit ‘Navigating the Future’

Wafik S. El-Deiry posted on LinkedIn:

“Listening to inspiring Keynotes at the Rhode Island Life Science Hub’s Inaugural Summit ‘Navigating the Future’.

Travis McGready:

‘We now have a mechanism now for new ideas to help Rhode Islanders and the world
Leadership from within transforms ecosystems. We all have some Bob (Coughlin) in us’.

Robert Coughlin:

‘Excuse my Boston accent, we’ll include subtitles. Anyone in Boston knows you gotta go to RI for good food. Regionalism is real.

Great institutions, great science here in RI, Navy guy, How do you get a job in biotech, worked at Genzyme.

Never really had good plans for career. Carrier of CF mutation; not a good day when that happened; baby tested in utero at time of amniocentesis advance; found his unborn baby would have CF; dropped political campaign for House in MA.

Think of what you could do for Boston Children’s, policy and the human condition.

Was elected to MA legislature and met lots of biotech leaders and became a champion to change policy, some for selfish reasons.

Intersection of innovation and policy is real. MA had so much (top 10 biotech cluster) but government wasn’t doing its part, was not a true partner.

We lost in MA to Silicon Valley. Crafted a $10B initiative that MA was open for business. People come to MA for ecosystem; I didn’t want my kid to die; there isn’t anyone in this room who isn’t going to be a patient; why wouldn’t you do it. This isn’t about MA.

Sept 1, 2007 took over Mass Bio. Job was to ensure academia had a plan, universities and hospitals were aligned.

Academia-industry-Government became aligned in MA at Life Science Center. Continuity over several administrations in MA sustained and provided stability for progress and economy.
Where do you want to live after COVID. I get hives driving to Kendall Square.

I got here in 37 minutes. As long as everyone is rowing in the boat, you will be curing disease. Some similarity to Worcester. This isn’t rocket science.

I’m emotional this week. That baby that was diagnosed in utero is a grown adult. Thanks Vertex, Aurora, CF Foundation.

After 3 drugs on Nov 8, 2019, son benefited from Trikafta grown 50 inches, gained weight, hasn’t been hospitalized and is graduating from college the day after tomorrow. That’s my why.

Neil Steinberg: no one will forget that story.”

Source: Wafik S. El-Deiry/LinkedIn

Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, FRSM, is the Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Director of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and affiliated hospitals.Dr. El-Deiry discovered p21(WAF1) as a p53 target gene, cell cycle inhibitor, and tumor suppressor that explained the mammalian cell stress response. Dr. El-Deiry made important contributions in cell death signaling and our understanding of the sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapy. El-Deiry has more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and 5 edited books.