BioME Annual Conference 2026
Learn about the life sciences industry in Maine, network with the biotech and medical device community, and receive a copy of the upcoming BioME Industry Report at our biggest event of the year. The conference will feature panel sessions, engaging talks, presentations, networking and expo tables.
BioME Annual Conferences are open to all and provides the community with an opportunity to learn about the life sciences industry in Maine, and connect with industry professionals, academia, research institutions and government. BioME Annual Conference brings together over 200 professionals to discuss our industry’s importance within the state, partnerships and collaborations, and the latest in scientific breakthroughs.
Stay tuned for details
Agenda
8:30-9:15AM
Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:15-10:00AM
Welcome Remarks, BioME Updates and Industry Report Findings
Agnieszka Carpenter (BioME) and Jim Dimicis (Camoin Associates)
10:00-11:00AM
Panel Discussion: Beyond the Data – Innovation Driving Maine’s Life Sciences
Speakers: Beth Orcutt, PhD (Bigelow Laboratory), Jeri Bowers (MDI Biological Laboratory), Aileen Huang-Saad, PhD (The Roux Institute), Andrea Tilden, PhD (Colby College), and Karen Houseknecht, PhD (University of New England)
11:00-11:15AM
Break: Networking and Expo Tables
11:15-11:30AM
Presentation: Update on Maine Life Sciences Center
Margaret Angell (Maine Life Sciences Center Board Member)
11:30-12:15PM
Startup Showcase Part 1
12:15-1:00PM
Lunch Break, Networking & Expo Tables
1:00-1:30PM
Keynote Address: “Rabbits, anthrax, and COVID, oh my!”
David Shoemaker, PhD (Shoemaker Regulatory Consulting)
1:30-1:45PM
Life Sciences Champion Awards Presentation
Aileen Huang-Saad, PhD (The Roux Institute)
1:45-2:30PM
Startup Showcase Part 2
2:30-3:00PM
Break: Networking and Expo Tables
3:00-3:45PM
Panel Discussion: One Health – The Next Frontier for Life Science Innovation
Speakers: Kristin Gordon (Quality, Regulatory & Compliance Consultant), Norman Moore, PhD (Abbott), Kim Alexander (IDEXX), Cem Giray, PhD (Salmonics), and Diane Rowland, PhD (University of Maine)
3:45-4:00PM
Closing Remarks
Speakers
![Orcutt has been the Vice President for Research (VPR) at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences since 2022. Building from an award-winning career in deep-sea science leadership, she guides the […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/smush-avif/2024/06/borcutt.png.avif)
Beth Orcutt, PhD
Orcutt has been the Vice President for Research (VPR) at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences since 2022. Building from an award-winning career in deep-sea science leadership, she guides the […]
![Kristin Gordon is an Independent Quality, Regulatory & Compliance Consultant for life science businesses, domestically and internationally, supporting organizations that want to bring medical devices, cosmetics, food, veterinary diagnostics, and […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/smush-avif/2024/12/image-4.jpg.avif)
Kristin Gordon
Kristin Gordon is an Independent Quality, Regulatory & Compliance Consultant for life science businesses, domestically and internationally, supporting organizations that want to bring medical devices, cosmetics, food, veterinary diagnostics, and […]
![Dr. Moore received his Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College and his PhD in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. He has served on multiple NIAID grant committees, the CDC […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Norman-Moore-5220-1024x731.jpg)
Norman Moore, PhD
Dr. Moore received his Bachelor’s Degree from Dartmouth College and his PhD in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. He has served on multiple NIAID grant committees, the CDC […]
![Kim Alexander is Senior Director of Oncology Product Management at IDEXX, guiding global teams in turning early-stage oncology diagnostic concepts into products veterinarians can rely on. Over her 20-year career […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Kim-Alexander-731x1024.jpeg)
Kim Alexander
Kim Alexander is Senior Director of Oncology Product Management at IDEXX, guiding global teams in turning early-stage oncology diagnostic concepts into products veterinarians can rely on. Over her 20-year career […]
![I have been driven by a lifelong passion for the ocean. After completing studies in the US in Microbiology and Oceanography, my early professional journey centered first on aquaculture and […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Cem-in-Lab_cropped-819x1024.jpg)
Cem Giray, PhD
I have been driven by a lifelong passion for the ocean. After completing studies in the US in Microbiology and Oceanography, my early professional journey centered first on aquaculture and […]
![Rowland is a crop physiologist who pioneered new techniques to improve crop resilience in response to water scarcity. She has worked to advance an agroecology-inspired management of working landscapes. Agroecology […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Diane-Rowland-web-768x1152-1-683x1024.jpg)
Diane Rowland, PhD
Rowland is a crop physiologist who pioneered new techniques to improve crop resilience in response to water scarcity. She has worked to advance an agroecology-inspired management of working landscapes. Agroecology […]
![Aileen Huang-Saad is the Director of Life Sciences, Health, and Engineering Programs at Northeastern’s Roux Institute (Portland, Maine) and an Associate Professor of Bioengineering. Leveraging her experience in design, entrepreneurship, […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/aileen-982x1024.jpg)
Aileen Huang-Saad, PhD
Aileen Huang-Saad is the Director of Life Sciences, Health, and Engineering Programs at Northeastern’s Roux Institute (Portland, Maine) and an Associate Professor of Bioengineering. Leveraging her experience in design, entrepreneurship, […]
![Karen L. Houseknecht, PhD is a nationally and internationally recognized biomedical scientist, research leader, and academic executive. She serves as Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/karen_houseknecht-profile.jpg.webp)
Karen Houseknecht, PhD
Karen L. Houseknecht, PhD is a nationally and internationally recognized biomedical scientist, research leader, and academic executive. She serves as Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of […]
![Jeri joined the MDI Biological Laboratory in 1999 as the Director of Development and Public Affairs, responsible for all fundraising, communications and government relations activities for the institution. As a […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Jeriheadshot-e1740768109760-1-1024x928.jpg)
Jerilyn Bowers
Jeri joined the MDI Biological Laboratory in 1999 as the Director of Development and Public Affairs, responsible for all fundraising, communications and government relations activities for the institution. As a […]
![Andrea R. Tilden, PhD, is the Director of the Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation at Colby, where her role includes building collaborative partnerships throughout the state with research institutes, […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-12.09.52-PM-805x1024.jpg)
Andrea Tilden, PhD
Andrea R. Tilden, PhD, is the Director of the Linde Packman Lab for Biosciences Innovation at Colby, where her role includes building collaborative partnerships throughout the state with research institutes, […]
![Dr. Shoemaker spent 21 years as an active duty Army microbiologist helping develop medical products for the warfighter. Early on in his career he was assigned to a one year […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/smush-avif/2026/09/33FAAF86-F243-4908-B01B-571D0D763C8D_1_201_a-copy.jpeg.avif)
David Shoemaker, PhD
Dr. Shoemaker spent 21 years as an active duty Army microbiologist helping develop medical products for the warfighter. Early on in his career he was assigned to a one year […]
![Margaret Angell is Founder and CEO of ElevenTwo, a new company with the mission to accelerate breakthrough research from invention to industry. Previously, she spent seven years on the founding […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Margaret-Angell-headshot-1024x683.jpeg)
Margaret Angell
Margaret Angell is Founder and CEO of ElevenTwo, a new company with the mission to accelerate breakthrough research from invention to industry. Previously, she spent seven years on the founding […]
![For more than 30 years, Jim has led analyses and strategies for economic, workforce, and community development across the country. This includes work for state, regional, local, and private clients. […]](https://biomaine.org/wp-content/smush-avif/2026/09/Jim-5836c-8x10-2.jpg.avif)
Jim Damicis
For more than 30 years, Jim has led analyses and strategies for economic, workforce, and community development across the country. This includes work for state, regional, local, and private clients. […]
Startup Showcase
Ari Health
Macarena Silva, Founder & CEO
Ari Health is a health tech startup focused on transforming women’s sexual health through innovation, technology, and design centered on women. Developing solutions that aim to make the prevention, detection, and understanding of women’s sexual health more accessible, convenient, and integrated into everyday life. Ari Health puts women’s needs and experiences at the heart of the innovation process, aligning them with scientific advancements.
BoundlessDX
Trevor Morin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
BoundlessDx is developing intelligent, rapid, handheld diagnostic technologies that bring laboratory-quality insights to the point of care in under ten minutes, enabling healthcare professionals to identify changes sooner, track health status more effectively, and make better-informed decisions in real time.
CellField Technologies
Scott Wood, PhD, Founder & CTO
CellField Technologies is a Maine-based biotechnology company developing human-relevant joint-on-a-chip technology to help drug developers identify promising candidates and potential safety concerns earlier. Its platform models interactions between multiple joint tissues to evaluate local drug safety and tissue response in a controlled, human-relevant setting. By improving early-stage evaluation, CellField aims to reduce costly late-stage failures, decrease reliance on animal testing, and accelerate development of new treatments for joint disease.
ElevenTwo
Margaret Angell, Co-Founder & CEO
Jim Strickland, Co-Founder & CTO
ElevenTwo’s mission is to move research to market. With our eight partner institutions across New England, we tap into IP portfolios built on $1 billion in annual federally funded research. We select the most promising inventions, invest in their development, and then exit through licensing or asset sales to established industry leaders. We transform breakthrough inventions from the lab into high-value products.
EliVive
Liza White, PhD, Chief Technology Officer
EliVive is a women’s health company developing a non-invasive wearable that tracks hormone trends through sweat. By combining hormone insights with symptoms, EliVive aims to help women better understand their individual hormonal patterns, anticipate changes, and make more informed decisions about their health across reproductive life stages.
Headlight Therapeutics
Ian Slaymaker, PhD, Co-Founder
Headlight Therapeutics is an early stage drug development company designing and engineering peptide-like molecules to help patients suffering from autoimmune diseases.
MedRhythms
Owen McCarthy, Co-Founder & Sr. Advisor
MedRhythms is a medical device company pioneering the world’s first prescription music platform that leverages proprietary algorithms to improve walking in people with neurologic injury and disease. The company has commercialized two Class II prescription medical devices, InTandem for chronic stroke and Movive for Parkinson’s disease which are being reimbursed by medicare. The company has built a robust clinical foundation through gold-standard trials conducted with leading institutions, including Johns Hopkins and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, demonstrating meaningful and durable improvements in gait and mobility. MedRhythms also established a groundbreaking partnership with Universal Music Group, the world’s largest record label, enabling a scalable, high-quality music infrastructure powered by software which is unique to the company.
Moddik
David Ferrick, PhD, CEO
Moddik replaces multi-instrument life science workflows with a single autonomous plate to advance medicine at the speed of AI.
Ovation
Barry Wark, PhD, Co-Founder & CSO
Ovation is the omic data foundation for life science research and AI, committed to unlocking the potential of human genomic data at scale to accelerate precision medicine development. By providing access to high-quality genomic data linked to rich, longitudinal phenotypic data at scale, Ovation allows life sciences researchers to advance drug discovery and development more efficiently.
Prapela
John Konsin, Principal Founder
Prapela has created a new category of medical devices – the first and only therapeutic vibrational mattress pad for hospital newborns. Our product replaces “do nothing” mattresses, delivering a gentle, non-habit-forming vibration that reduces cardiorespiratory problems in newborns, which are the #1 cause of admission to special care nurseries, in both term and preterm newborns.
Salmonics
Cem Giray, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO
Salmonics is a leading provider of innovative biomedical products designed for research, diagnostics, and clinical applications. We understand that reliable, high-quality tools are essential for scientific breakthroughs. Join us in advancing the future of biomedicine.
Savvyn Insights
Catherine Del Veccio Fitz, PhD, Founder
AI-powered evidence intelligence for diagnostics and devices, built for medical affairs, market access, and early founding teams. Getting your innovation to patients comes down to getting paid for it. Savvyn tracks what evidence you have, what came before you, and what’s required next — from scoping your first indication to appealing your last denial, with every claim traceable to its source.
UniBio Intelligence
Vivek Kohar, PhD, Founder & CTO
UniBio Intelligence is a Bar Harbor, Maine based company connecting data, AI, and computational tools for biologics research and development. Our Ubi Biologics platform brings together target discovery, antibody and protein design, experimental data analysis, and pharmacology modeling. We partner with biotechnology and academic teams on custom modeling and computational research.
WAVED Medical
Andre Khalil, PhD, Founder
WAVED Medical is a Maine-based medical software company developing a new way to assess breast cancer risk. Nearly half of screened women have dense breasts, but current tools can’t tell clinicians which of these women are genuinely at higher risk. And “black box” AI tools have struggled to earn clinical trust. WAVED’s physics-based software analyzes a standard mammogram to subtype dense tissue into higher- and lower-risk regions, producing an interpretable risk map clinicians can see, explain, and act on.
Webster Medtech Consulting
Caroline Webster, PhD, Founder & Principal Consultant
Webster MedTech Consulting helps medical device and software innovators align regulatory strategy, engineering, and product development from concept through FDA clearance. Founder Caroline Webster, PhD, brings twelve years of experience across Class II and III devices, patient-matched implants, and additive manufacturing. The Maine-based firm provides FDA pathway strategy, quality system design, submission support, and regulatory due diligence for startups, investors, and acquirers. It is a vetted consultant in the Maine Technology Institute’s MERC program.
Sponsors
