Dana L Abramovitz
SXSW LLC, USA
Title: Opening the conversation and inviting others to join – lessons learned from SXSW
Biography
Biography: Dana L Abramovitz
Abstract
Humans are creatures of habit, we like what is familiar to us. As scientists we explore and push the boundaries of knowledge, but we are still human and tend to read the same journals and attend conferences in our field. But biology is not limited, nor does it adhere, to our specified boundaries. Limiting our scope to our defined fields prevents us from observing problems from all possible angles. It also limits our access to new technologies and techniques and from creating new uses from existing standards. Are there successful, real--â€world models for a more inter--â€disciplinary approach? SXSW Interactive was introduced over 20 years ago as a way to broaden the conversation around the uses of technology and promote collaboration. The outcomes from enabling the collaboration of people with different disciplines and areas of interest have led to new insights and new innovations, and the ability to take on and solve much larger and more complex problems. The same approach can be applied to molecular medicine and diagnostics and could perhaps help us expand the research and techniques, leading to new solutions and opportunities.
