Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll Joins BACC for Life Sciences Panel

The Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC), in collaboration with Massachusetts State Representative Ken Gordon, sponsored a Life Science Panel with Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll to discuss the impact of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts to the local life science ecosystem. The event was held at Northeastern University’s Innovation Campus at Burlington, and included a select audience of area business leaders, life science professionals, and local municipal officials.

Photo Courtesy: Northeastern University

The panelists included the Lieutenant Governor and BACC members: 

• Jared Auclair, PhD, Dean & Director of Bioinnovation at Northeastern University
• Susan Moffat-Bruce, MD, PhD, President of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center
• Gil Stevens, Executive Director of Global Engineering & Capital Projects at Ultragenyx
• Dina Wassaf, PhD, President & Founder of CallaBio Solutions.

The discussions centered around the current challenges to our local life science organizations and ways that the state could help to offset some of the shifts in the federal funding landscape.

(Photo Courtesy: Northeastern University)
Photo Courtesy: Northeastern University 

“We are extremely thankful for Lieutenant Governor Driscoll’s participation today on such short notice”, said BACC President Rick Parker. “Her insight into the critical role that the life science industry plays in the Commonwealth’s economy and the administration’s continuing commitment for solutions was reassuring. We are fortunate to have a strong partnership with Representative Ken Gordon, who was instrumental in putting together today’s event. The value of communication and collaboration between the business community and the state government was on full display today”. 

(Photo Courtesy: Northeastern University)
Photo Courtesy: Northeastern University

The Government Affairs Committee will take the information from today’s conversation and continue to advocate for businesses in our region “The BACC Government Affairs Committee works to foster a business-friendly environment to attract and retain some of the commonwealth’s best innovators and employers, a few of which were here as panelists today”, said Kristine Hung, Committee Chair. “The discussion today demonstrates our commitment to seek solutions to the challenges faced by our local life science sector”.

“The Burlington area has long been among the economic and job creation leaders in the Commonwealth”, added Parker. “We will take the information from today’s conversation and continue to advocate for businesses in our region”.