In 2015, we hosted our first New York City Drug Discovery Conference: An Educational Course on Translating Research into Drugs. This one-day meeting educated scientists from varying disciplines on the processes of translating basic research into novel therapies and left them with a strong knowledge base and relevant resources to address the associated barriers and challenges in developing a drug. Holding this meeting in NYC helped to foster the city’s growing biotechnology community, educate academic scientists, and stimulate new partnerships.
This meeting was based on the ADDF’s annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference, which was established in 2007 to: (1) Train a cadre of interdisciplinary scientists in the principles of drug discovery; (2) Provide a platform to exchange ideas, knowledge and resources about drug discovery; (3) Stimulate preclinical research in the discovery and testing of novel compounds aimed at prevention and treatment; and (4) Build public-private partnerships that will accelerate drug discovery.