Conference to Turn Scientists of Color into PA-Based Entrepreneurs Set fo...(r them. The potential payoff in this is ...)

Others spearheading this effort are Jeremiah J. White Jr. of the Osiris Group Inc., state Secretary of Health Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia, Cheyney State University, the Wistar Institute and Pennsylvania Bio, the statewide trade organization, among others.

"Diabetes, hypertension, prostate and breast cancers are just a few of the health issues individuals live with daily," Dr. Johnson said. "Because minorities disproportionately represent these cases, we continue to encourage and promote greater ethnic and racial diversity of researchers and other health care professionals."

This venture is more than a feel-good effort, said Pennsylvania Bio President Dennis M. "Mickey" Flynn. The next 10 years are projected to offer as many medical discoveries and cures as the past 100; to realize that hope, more people have to get involved, he said. "We have all of the right ingredients to do this," Flynn said. "And the bench2Business Conference provides an exciting opportunity for us to foster the development of the next generation of bioscience entrepreneurs, while ensuring that diverse perspectives are supported so that we can continue to tackle the world's most pressing unmet medical needs for all patients."

This event is made possible in large part to investment by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as sponsors. Cephalon also is a lead sponsor of the event.

The bench2BUSINESS 2008 Conference and Awards Celebration is being organized by iPRAXIS, a University City-based nonprofit focused on expanding opportunity in the sciences for underrepresented populations.

For details, visit http://www.bench2BUSINESS.org or call (215) 384-1944.