Science and technology are redefining desire, human sexuality and reproduction. Panels will explore what the little blue pill has done for the Viagra generation, male and female brains ― and whether there is really a difference, how advances in fertility medicine are helping couples have babies, gender-based medicine, and sex and mood, among other arousing topics.

 
The Big Idea: Sex
The Big Idea sessions combine short, powerful talks by some of the most engaging speakers in their respective fields. We’ve asked them to describe their visions of the biggest challenge in our medical futures. Their individual, 10-15 minute talks will be given in succession, allowing forum attendees to hear multiple viewpoints and contrasting ideas. What’s the biggest idea? You be the judge.
 
Anthony Fauci, MD; Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health
Phyllis E. Greenberger, MSW; President & CEO, Society of Women’s Health Research
Tom Subak; Vice President for Online Services, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Introducer: Jeff Kluger; Senior Editor, TIME Magazine
 
The Politics of Sex
While the topic of sex has been notoriously controversial, what is less well known are the political and social battles behind sex, reproduction, and gender differences in health and disease. Our panel addresses the gender gap in health research ― and how to close it.
 
Phyllis E. Greenberger, MSW; President & CEO, Society of Women’s Health Research
Kathy Hudson, PhD; Director, Genetics & Public Policy Center, Johns Hopkins University
Michelle Goldberg; Author, The Means of Reproduction
Moderator: Nancy Glick; Senior VP of Health and Nutrition, MS&L Worldwide

The Global Health of Women
Women face special health challenges around the globe. What most effectively reduces disease in women and enables them to lead healthy, productive lives?
 
Deepak Chopra, MD; Founder, The Chopra Center
Mary Robinson; President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, The Aspen Institute
Moderator: Ray Suarez; Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer
 

Dramatic increases in both obesity and malnutrition have put a new spotlight on global nutrition. Rising fuel and food prices, coupled with the spread of western diets and lack of exercise, are changing the shape and health of the average human body. Often it seems that half the planet is in danger of stuffing itself to death while the other half is in danger of starving to death. At the root of both are problems with what—and how much—we eat. Nothing’s more primal than food. Can we reframe food and exercise in this new century? Or will we sit by and watch our global waistlines expand? We delve into topics such as the rise of malnutrition and obesity, the importance of eating locally, food prices, genetically engineered food, and the future of crops for extreme climates.
 
 
The Big Idea: Food
The Big Idea sessions combine short, powerful talks by some of the most engaging speakers in their respective fields. We’ve asked them to describe their visions of the biggest challenge in our medical futures. Their individual, 10-15 minute talks will be given in succession, allowing forum attendees to hear multiple viewpoints and contrasting ideas. What’s the biggest idea? You be the judge.

Adam Drewnowski, PhD; Director, Center for Obesity Research, University of Washington
Dan Glickman; Former Secretary of Agriculture
Lynda Resnick; Co-Owner and Vice Chairman, Roll International
Laurie Tisch; Founder and President, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Introducer: Michelle McMurry, MD, PhD; Founding Director, Health, Biomedical Science and Society Initiative, The Aspen Institute
 
A Healthier Bite in the Big Apple
New York City has moved aggressively to promote healthy lifestyles through efforts to increase the availability and consumption of healthy foods in underserved, high-need communities. Learn about efforts to engineer a healthier city by increasing the availability of nutritious foods and stimulating customer demand through: NYC Green Carts (fruit and vegetable carts); Healthy Bodegas (corner stores); FRESH (a supermarket attraction and retention program); and healthier food in city schools, hospitals and institutions.
 
Linda Gibbs; Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, The City of New York
Cathy Nonas, RD; Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs, New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Ben Thomases; Food Policy Coordinator, Office of the Mayor, The City of New York
Laurie Tisch; Founder and President, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Moderator: Gail Nayowith; Executive Director, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
 
Eating Locally: Is it the Answer?
Eating locally encourages freshness, taste, support of local growers and, in some cases, reduced fossil-fuel consumption. But not every community has farmers’ markets, co-ops, or farm-share programs. What problems do we solve by eating locally? And, what happens to community and agricultural well-being in areas without these choices? What are the challenges seen in getting local foods to rural and urban tables?

Mardell Burkholder, MA; Executive Director, Children’s Health Foundation
Dan Glickman; Former Secretary of Agriculture
Jennifer L. Wilkins, PhD, RD; Senior Extension Associate, Nutrition Sciences, Cornell University
Bjorn Lomborg, PhD; Founding Director, Copenhagen Consensus Center
Moderator: Bryan Walsh, Staff Writer, TIME Magazine
 
The New Three “R's” - Reading, Writing and Well-being. Can Schools Teach Kids to be Healthy?
Colorado has stepped up efforts to support school districts across the state in designing and implementing wellness policies that emphasize nutrition. Of particular concern are rural areas, where childhood obesity is the highest. Our panel shares successes and lessons learned.

Dan Glickman; Former Secretary of Agriculture
Mardell Burkholder, MA; Executive Director, Children’s Health Foundation
Kate Adamick; Principal, Food Systems Solutions, LLC
James O. Hill, MD, PhD; Director, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado, Denver
Moderator: Nancy Glick; Senior VP of Health and Nutrition, MS&L Worldwide 
 
The Sickest Generation? Reversing the Tide of Childhood Obesity
The problem of obesity in the United States now includes the very real possibility that our children may have shorter life spans than their parents. Childhood obesity can lead to diabetes, heart disease and stroke, among other chronic conditions. What initiatives are underway to reverse the trend, and are they working? And what happens if they don’t?
 
James O. Hill, MD; Director, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado, Denver
David Kessler, MD, JD; Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF
Jay S. Skyler, MD;  Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Moderator: Ron Winslow; Deputy Editor, Health & Science, The Wall Street Journal
 
The Weight of the World: How Global Eating Patterns are Leading to an Unhealthy Globe
Obesity and diabetes are no longer problems exclusive to developed nations. Excess calorie intake, inappropriate eating habits and the lack of physical activity are contributing to a worldwide obesity epidemic. Our panel sheds light on its consequences and what can be done to reverse the trend. They will touch upon the hunger/obesity paradox - how populations can be undernourished, but overfed.
 
Kate Adamick; Principal, Food Systems Solutions, LLC
C. Ronald Kahn, MD; Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Adam Drewnowski, PhD; Director, Center for Obesity Research, University of Washington
David Kessler, MD, JD; Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF
Jay S. Skyler, MD; Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Moderator: Nancy Snyderman, MD; NBC News Chief Medical Editor & Host, msnbc’s ‘Dr. Nancy’
 
The Secure Breadbasket: Ensuring Safety from Farm to Fork
The food supply in the United States is the safest in the world, but tainted batches of peanut butter and other recent salmonella outbreaks make clear that foodborne illnesses remain a serious threat. How do foodborne outbreaks occur, and are our surveillance systems adequate? Join a conversation with the current FDA Commissioner and former CDC Director on the latest ideas to keep our food safe.
 
Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH; Former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Margaret Hamburg, MD, PhD; Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
David Kessler, MD, JD; Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF
Moderator: Linda Carnes; Senior Health Marketing Advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 

The Big Idea: Globe
The Big Idea sessions combine short, powerful talks by some of the most engaging speakers in their respective fields. We’ve asked them to describe their visions of the biggest challenge in our medical futures. Their individual, 10-15 minute talks will be given in succession, allowing forum attendees to hear multiple viewpoints and contrasting ideas. What’s the biggest idea? You be the judge.
 
Peter Agre, MD; Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
Robert Sebbag, MD; Vice President, sanofi-aventis
Bjorn Lomborg, PhD; Founding Director, Copenhagen Consensus Center
Matthew Dowd; Partner, ViaNovo Inc. and ABC News Analyst
Mary Robinson; President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Introducer: Joe Palca; Correspondent, Science Desk, National Public Radio

Strain on the System: Swine Flu and the Public Health Response
With the discovery of Novel H1N1 in April 2009, the international public health community ramped up efforts to quell the spread of both pathogen and panic. Tightened measures of surveillance, treatment, and vaccine development are now installed, but many unknowns linger. Will scientists win the arms race against viral mutation? What can we expect over the next year?

Julie Gerberding , MD, MPH; Former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Anthony Fauci, MD; Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Sir Richard Feachem, MD, PhD; Director, Global Health Group, University of California, San Francisco
Margaret Hamburg, MD, PhD; Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
Peter Agre, MD; Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
Moderator: Linda Carnes; Senior Health Marketing Advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Development in Practice: Improving Health Around the World
Development leaders of the 21st century are getting creative. By championing innovative, long-term aid solutions for countries in need – from quality HIV/AIDS treatment to poverty alleviation – they seek a future of locally sustained medical care and economic growth. Hear global leaders discuss how improving health can help build self-sufficient communities worldwide.

Michael Klag, MD; Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Mary Robinson; President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative
Moderator: Nancy Glick; Executive Vice President, Ruder Finn

The Ties that Bind Us: What Science Diplomacy Can Do for Global Health
International relations and the advancement of science go hand in hand. Science and technology can improve the channels of international communication and strengthen flimsy diplomatic ties, and vice versa. How does the global health arena stand to benefit from this cooperation?

Norman Neureiter, PhD; Director, Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy
Alice Dautry, PhD; President, Institut Pasteur
Annetta Hewko; Vice President, Global Strategy & Programs, Susan G.Komen for the Cure
Robert Sebbag, MD; Vice President, sanofi-aventis
Moderator: Jeff Kluger; Senior Editor, TIME Magazine

Vaccine Wars: Doctors vs. Pathogens
Emerging diseases such as the recent swine flu underscore the challenges of vaccine production, including how to formulate effective inoculants and produce them in the needed quantities. Another heated front in the vaccine wars centers on HPV and the appropriateness of targeted vaccine programs. Our panel weighs in on the challenges and controversies.

Gary Nabel, MD, PhD; Director, Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health
Peter Agre, MD; Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute
Anthony Fauci, MD; Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Filip Dubovsky, MD; Vice President, Clinical Development, Vaccines, MedImmune
Moderator: Joe Palca; Correspondent, Science Desk, National Public Radio

Assessing the Global Rise of Breast Cancer
With breast cancer on the rise globally, the fight for a cure presses on. Successful and influential campaigns, such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Breast Global Health Initiative, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, magnify personal and collective strategies for managing breast cancer. Learn about the struggles and strides of these initiatives.

Ben Anderson, MD; General Oncology and Hematology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Hala Moddelmog; President and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Toni Verstandig; Director, Middle East Strategy Group, The Aspen Institute
Evelyn Lauder; Founder, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Moderator: Michelle McMurry, MD, PhD; Director Health, Biomedical Science and Society Initiative, The Aspen Institute

Keynote by Dr. Victor Dzau: Medicine Around the World
Duke University is fast becoming the post-modern model of an American medical school. With a newly finished satellite Duke medical school in Singapore educating both American and international doctors and scientists, major projects with the Chinese government, and the new Global Health Center backed by Duke Alumnae Melinda Gates, Duke is poised to redefine global health. Chancellor Victor Dzau, the architect of this reconfiguration, will address the need and opportunity to promote innovation in health care delivery around the world. He will ask what large private sector firms and other partners from developed countries can do to help and what we in the developed world can learn about delivering healthcare more efficiently and effectively.
 
Victor Dzau, MD; Chancellor, Duke University Medical Center
Introducer: Kitty Boone, Vice President and Director of Public Programs, The Aspen Institute

Evening Exchange
 
The NewsHour: Keeping Global Health in the American Dialogue
Join MacNeil-Lehrer President Les Crystal and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez as they show their ongoing global health series and discuss the challenges in making international health salient in these challenging economic times.
 
Les Crystal; President, MacNeil-Lehrer Productions
Fred de Sam Lazaro; Director, Project for Under-Told Stories and Correspondent, The NewsHour
Matthew Dowd; Partner, ViaNovo Inc. and ABC News Analyst
Ray Suarez; Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
Michael Madnick; Director of External Relations, Global Health Policy and Advocacy, Gates Foundation
Moderator: Bryan Walsh; Staff Writer, TIME Magazine
 
 
 

From medicine to food, from curing cancer to combating global warming, our future is becoming more closely tied to advances in biotechnology. Join us as we hear from today's biotechnology pioneers about what to expect on the scientific horizon. What are the emerging technologies? What stands between you and the latest cure? How can you join the biotechnology revolution? The process, promise, and potential pitfalls will all be discussed in these interactive sessions. 
 
 
The Big Idea: Biotech
The Big Idea sessions combine short, powerful talks by some of the most engaging speakers in their respective fields. We’ve asked them to describe their visions of the biggest challenge in our medical futures. Their individual, 10-15 minute talks will be given in succession, allowing forum attendees to hear multiple viewpoints and contrasting ideas. What’s the biggest idea? You be the judge.
 
Gary Puckrein, PhD; President & CEO, National Minority Quality Forum
R. Alta Charo; Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin at Madison
J. Michael Bishop, MD; Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco
William A. Haseltine, PhD; President, The Haseltine Foundation for Medical Sciences and the Arts
Cliff Leaf; Journalist and Advocate
Introducer: Jeff Lieberman; Host, Discovery Channel’s Time Warp


Making the Most of the Science Stimulus
The 2010 federal budget proposal provides immense support for science, including grants for biomedical research and treatment-effectiveness studies. Hear insights about this funding and just how far it can go.
 
Rita R. Colwell, PhD; Distinguished University Professor, Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Maryland
Anthony Fauci, MD; Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health
Elizabeth Nabel, MD; Director, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
Moderator: Joe Palca; Correspondent, Science Desk, National Public Radio
 

Principled Gifts: Investing in the Health Sciences
Health science pursuits such as biotechnology, drug therapy development, and disease research rely on fiscal support from various sources. The recession has not necessarily forestalled federal grants to public enterprises, but how has it impacted the private and non-profit health research spheres?
 
J. Michael Bishop, MD; Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco
Williams A. Haseltine, PhD; President, Haseltine Foundation for Medical Science and the Arts
Amy McGuire Porter; Director, NIH Foundation
Moderator: Mary Woolley; President & CEO, Research!America
 

Special AstraZeneca Breakfast Session: Discovery’s Last Mile: Getting Solutions to Patients
In the race of discovery, the baton cannot stop at medical breakthrough ― it must be carried out directly into the hands of patients. What hurdles obstruct the path, and how can doctors, and patients, surmount them?
 
The Hon. John E. Porter; Chairman, Research!America
Filip Dubovsky, MD; Vice President, Clinical Development, Vaccines, MedImmune
R. Alta Charo; Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Wendy K.D. Selig; Vice President, External Affairs and Strategic Alliances, American Cancer Society - Cancer Action Network
Moderator: Jeff Lieberman; Host, Discovery Channel’s Time Warp