2025 Translational Resource Center Networking Exchange:

Advancing Bio-Innovations that Benefit Patients

April 22, 2025

Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA

The 2025 Translational Resource Center (TRC) Networking Exchange brought together over 100 in person participants, with additional attendees joining virtually for a vibrant day focused on accelerating translational research and clinical adoption.

The day kicked off with an insightful and innovative keynote presentation, Accelerating Technology Innovation and Translation Across the Academic-Industrial Interface, by Donald E. Ingber, MD, PhD (Founding Director of the Wyss Institute, Harvard University).

At the heart of this year’s event were four expert-led panel discussions, designed to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding overcoming the critical next step of executing clinical studies that drive clinical adoption, featuring diverse perspectives from clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and strategic partners:

Panel 1: Best Practices for Generating Clinical Evidence that Drives Adoption

Recognizing that the clinical evidence required for regulatory approvals is necessary but not always sufficient to drive clinical adoption, experts examine what is needed, and feature insights and case studies from their innovative approaches to generating clinical evidence and advancing innovations in the dental oral cranial (DOC) and regenerative medicine (RM) fields. 

Moderator: Jeanne Ambruster, BS (Translational Resource Center/ CEO, The Avenues Company)

Panelists:

  • Michael Newman, DDS (Industry Consultant, Senior Associate Editor, J American Dental Association)

Panel 2: Entrepreneurs on Challenges & Pathways to Getting Clinical Studies Funded

Entrepreneurs in the DOC and RM fields share their journeys navigating the funding landscape to advance clinical studies that support regulatory approvals, drive adoption, and enable launch of successful business ventures.

Moderator: Paul Kostenuik, PhD (Translational Resource Center/ Founder & Owner, Phylon Pharma Services)

Panelists:

Panel 3: Investors/ Strategics on Creative Strategies for Funding Clinical Studies to Drive Adoption

Industry experts and investors unpack real-world challenges and successes and discuss considerations that inform investment decisions.

Moderator: J. Les Burrows, BBA Marketing (General Manager, Geistlich North America)

Panelists:

Panel 4: Collaborative Mechanisms to Improve Funding of Clinical Studies

Building on insights from previous panels, a multidisciplinary group of experts converges to explore innovative, collaborative opportunities for funding clinical studies that will drive adoption of innovations in the DOC and/or RM fields.

Moderator: David Kohn, PhD (Translational Resource Center/ Professor, University of Michigan)

Panelists:

Podcasts were created with the assistance of Google’s NotebookLM and Wondercraft based on recordings from the event.

Entrepreneur Expo

Another highlight of the event was the Entrepreneur Expo – made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, Colgate-Palmolive and vVardis – which showcased cutting-edge technologies at the intersection of dental, oral, and craniofacial research and regenerative medicine. Panelists and sponsors selected the winners in the following categories:

RegendoGEL: A Bioinspired Hydrogel System for Endodontic Therapy (RegendoDent; from left to right: Pamela Yelick, Luiz Bertassoni)

Translating Regenerative Bone Adhesive Platform from Bench to Clinic (RevBio; from left to right: Alan Pollack, Grayson Allen, Brian Hess, Rahul Jadia, George Kay)

Tissue Tape™ & Tissure™: Adhesive Technologies for Dental and Surgical Applications (Amend Surgical; from left to right: Jessica Boehlein, Robby Lane)

The event wrapped up with an engaging Networking Reception, offering attendees the chance to connect, exchange insights, and reflect on the day’s key takeaways.

Thank you to all attendees, speakers, panelists, moderators, Sponsors and Friends, both in person and online. We hope you found the event valuable and inspiring, and we look forward to seeing you at our future events!

Thank You 2025 TRC Networking Exchange Sponsors!

Translational Resource Center would like to thank the following companies for their generous support of the 2025 TRC Networking Exchange.

Images from the TRC Networking Exchange