The event was held in hopes of speeding up the development of solutions in areas of infectious diseases, oncology, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine. The summit also provided various opportunities for networking among science researchers, businessmen, and professors. Tickets for the event differed in prices depending on the purpose for attendance—academic, industry, or presenting company, and ran anywhere from $200 to $1,000.

Presenters at this year’s Summit varied greatly across universities and corporate leaders. From Harvard and Columbia University researchers, to Chief Executive Officers of companies such as Signum Biosciences, Inc. and Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, presentation rooms were constantly buzzing with conversation. Out of over 100 speakers, 11 were Stony Brook affiliated.

Peter J. Tonge, a Stony Brook professor of chemistry and the director of Infectious Disease Research in the Institute for Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery at Stony Brook, was among 11 speakers. His presentation focused on the development of antibacterial agents for drug resistance diseases.

“Academic research is based on curiosity driven research,” Professor Tonge explained, before getting into the hardcore science.

Networking among researchers and professors is crucial to speeding up the development of medicines and solutions—especially at

Stony Brook University where 31% of students major in either health professions or biology.

Sponsors of the 2010 Summit included companies such as Pfizer, a company dedicated to finding the best vaccines available, and O.P.U.S, a company focused on helping its clients recruit the best staff to suit their needs. The three largest sponsors of the event were Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.