Past Events

Critical Conversations: The Future of American Science

November 6, 2025

On November 6, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the Future of American Science. From left to right, the panel included:

  • Dr. Shlomo Melmed, EVP and Dean of the Faculty at Cedars-Sinai
  • Dr. Angelika Niemz, Dean of the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences at Keck Graduate Institute
  • Dr. Scott Kaiser, CEO and co-founder of Determined Health and incoming Board Chair of the BrightFocus Foundation

Critical Conversations: Launchpads and Lab Coats - The Future of Curiosity

July 23, 2025

On July 23, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the future of STEM education in Pasadena and the Greater San Gabriel Valley. From left to right, the panel included:

  • Dr. Warren Brown, Founder and CEO of Proactive Care Partners
  • Mr. David Klug, Economic Development Director of the City of Pasadena
  • Mr. Baxton Chen, former HMRI summer scholar and teaching assistant
  • Dr. Michele Kipke, Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine and Associate Vice President for Strategic Health Alliances

Critical Conversations: On Stress, Trauma, and Resilience

April 24, 2025

On April 24, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss strategies for stress, trauma, and resilience. From left to right, the panel included:

  • Dr. Anju Vasudevan, Chair of Basic and Translational Neurosciences at HMRI and Head of the Angiogenesis and Brain Development Laboratory
  • Casey Meinster, LMFT, Division Chief of Campus-Based Services at Hillsides’ Residential, Partial Hospitalization, and Intensive Outpatient Program
  • Dr. Robert A. Kloner, Chief Scienific Officer at HMRI

Critical Conversations: On Artificial Intelligence in Biotechnology and Medicine

January 30, 2025

On January 30, 2025, HMRI Chief Science Officer Dr. Robert Kloner, MD, PhD, moderated a panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence in Biotechnology and Medicine. Panelists included:

  • Assad Oberai, PhD, Hughes Professor and Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California
  • Niema Pahlevan, PhD, Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering and Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Medicine, USC
  • Rashid Alavi, PhD, James G. Boswell Postdoctoral Fellow, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, California Institute of Technology