The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science Dean's Lecture Series
The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science Dean’s Lecture Series brings STEM innovators and thought leaders together with students and faculty to share wisdom, inspire discovery, and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit to help build a prominent school of engineering and science.
2024 Dean's Lecture Series
Driving Scientific Innovation through Data Sharing
Rebecca Li, Ph.D.
CEO and Co-Founder, Vivli
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with reception following
University Center Complex, Tech Flex Auditorium
Sharing scientific data is essential for advancing research and clinical practice. However, the current ecosystem is often fragmented and complex, which hampers the full realization of data sharing's potential benefits. This talk will examine the critical role of data sharing in fostering scientific progress and making well-informed decisions in clinical practice. Using a case study approach, we will explore the development of a cohesive data-sharing ecosystem in the clinical field and discuss strategies for replicating this model across other industries. By addressing the challenges and identifying best practices, we aim to highlight the ways in which a unified data-sharing framework can drive innovation and improve outcomes across various sectors.
About the Speaker
Rebecca Li, PhD, is the CEO of Vivli, the Center for Global Clinical Research Data and on faculty at the Center for Bioethics at the Harvard Medical School. Previous to her current role she was the Executive Director of the MRCT Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard for over 5 years and remains a Senior Advisor at the Center. She has over 25 years of experience spanning the entire drug development process with experience in Biotech, Pharma and NIH environments. She completed a Fellowship in 2013 in the Division of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. She earned her PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and her BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois in Chemical Engineering.
Past Speakers
2024 Dean's Special Lecture
LEGO® Engineering from Kindergarten to College: A 30-year Journey of Student-Driven Learning
Chris Rogers, Ph.D.
Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University
2023 Dean's Lecture Series:
Artificial Intelligence in Finance: Examples and Discussion
in partnership with Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Manuela Veloso, Ph.D.
Head of AI Research, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2023 Special Lecture:
Technologies within Electronic Warfare at L3Harris
Jennifer Lewis
President of Electronic Warfare
Eva Bica-Winterling
General Manager, Mission Solutions, Electronic Warfare
Drew Trainor
Chief Engineer, Electronic Warfare
Paul DeLia
Director of Strategy Business Development, Electronic Warfare
2022 Dean's Lecture Series:
Transforming State-of-the-Art Science into Technologies for Global Applications
William McGann, Ph.D.
Chief Technology Officer, Quantum Computing Inc.
2020 Dean's Lecture Series:
Fighting COVID-19 with Innovation—A Race Against Time
Pam Cheng '92 M.Eng. '95
Executive Vice President for Global Operations and Information Technology, AstraZeneca
2021 Dean's Lecture Series:
BioEngineering of Human Tissues
Joe Yaccarino '88
President and CEO, MTF Biologics
2019 Dean's Lecture Series:
Breaking Human Interaction Barriers – AI, HoloLens and Beyond
Dr. Xuedong Huang
Chief Speech Scientist, Technical Fellow in Cloud and AI Lead of Speech and Language Group, Microsoft
2018 Dean's Lecture Series:
Engineering to Benefit Humanity
Dr. Robert E. Fischell
Physicist and Inventor