New Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Jonathan Rothberg
Serial Entrepreneur

Presentations followed by networking, refreshments & wine bar

You are cordially invited to an afternoon with Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, serial entrepreneur and the father of high-speed (massively parallel) DNA sequencing.

Dr. Rothberg is the founder of Ion Torrent Systems of Guilford, CT. The company has developed a DNA sequencing system that directly translates chemical signals into digital information on a semiconductor chip. It plans to launch the Ion Personal Genome Machine in 2010.

Dr. Rothberg is also co-founder and chairman of RainDance Technologies, which provides research tools based on microdroplet technology. Earlier he founded 454 Life Sciences of Branford, now a Roche company, which develops systems for ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing; and before that CuraGen, formerly of Branford and recently acquired by Celldex, which developed treatments for cancer. 

He is also the founder of ClariFI Corporation, a provider of financial software and services focused on quantitative portfolio management and research.  He founded The Rothberg Institute for Childhood Diseases in Guilford, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for children suffering from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Dr. Rothberg was on teams that completed the first sequencing of an individual human genome (that of bioscientist James D. Watson), initiated sequencing of the Neanderthal genome, and cracked the mystery behind the disappearance of the honey bee. 

Born in 1963 in New Haven, Dr. Rothberg earned a B.S. in chemical engineering with an option in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.S., M.Phil, and Ph.D. in biology from Yale University.

He was named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, is the recipient of The Wall Street Journal’s Gold Medal for Innovation for his invention of 454 sequencing, and was awarded The Irvington Institute’s Corporate Leadership Award in Science. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and serves on the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Rothberg has appeared on CNBC for his pioneering work in the field of genomic medicine and his scientific work has been featured on the covers of leading scientific journals including Cell, Science, and Nature. He was invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as a Technology Pioneer.

The BioHaven Entrepreneurship Series features presentations designed to showcase regionally developed life science technologies that have progressed along the path to commercialization.  Speakers at the BioHaven events represent both the scientific and business side of the enterprises.

The programs focus on key success factors of each company, scientific or technological advantage, business model, and lessons learned in starting and developing the business. The series also provides social networking opportunities for scientists, researchers, and businessmen.

For a calendar of all the 2009-10 BioHaven events, click here.

Speakers