​Future Shock? The Impact of Today’s Headwinds on Healthcare Research & Innovation

​Healthcare research and innovation are at a critical inflection point. From proposed funding cuts to NIH and Medicaid to stock market volatility and anti-DEI executive orders, a wave of uncertainty is reshaping the innovation landscape. These headwinds are influencing everything—from how research is funded to how new technologies are commercialized—and they raise important questions about who will be most affected, and what the future holds for healthcare breakthroughs.

​Ignite invites you to a powerful fireside chat with a panel of leaders (working to confirm panelists now) who are navigating these challenges head-on:

​Gianina Varea, Senior Director of Venture Development, Portal Innovations Chicago

​Tom Luby, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer at TMC

​Joseph Petrosino, PhD, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer at Baylor College Medicine

​Michelle Stansbury, Chief Digital Officer at Houston Methodist

​Moderator: Ayse McCracken, Founder, Ignite and General Partner, Ignite Health Ventures

​Together, they’ll explore how today's environment is impacting early-stage research, innovation funding, and pathways to commercialization—while also highlighting the bright lights and unexpected opportunities that can emerge in times of change. This discussion will uncover how bold thinking, collaboration, and a commitment to inclusive innovation can keep healthcare progress moving forward.

​Whether you’re building, investing in, or advancing healthcare innovation, this candid conversation will offer insight, perspective, and a renewed sense of possibility.