The Harvard GSAS Science Policy Group will be hosting a six-part discussion series that will happen throughout Spring semester about the 21st Century Cures Act. The 21st Century Cures Act was passed by Congress late last year and authorizes funding for many research topics such as precision medicine, brain disorders and the opioid epidemic. In addition, the new law changes important aspects of how drugs get approved by the FDA by increasing the reliance on surrogate endpoints and patient advocacy groups, for example. Some argue that this law offers great promise for combatting the big problems that still remain in the biomedical sciences, but others are worried that loosening regulations at the FDA could undermine the rigorous approval process the FDA is known for. 

Our series will include:

1. The Future of the FDA (Aaron Kesselheim, Longwood, February 28)
2. Combating the Opioid Crisis & Improving Mental Healthcare (Richard Frank, Longwood, March 15)
3. Science Policy and the Cancer Moonshot (Bruce Zetter, Longwood, March 22)
4. FDA Regulations & Drug Innovation: An Investor's Perspective (John Freund, Longwood, April 12)
5. The Future of the FDA Part 2: Changes to Drug Development and Approval (Jerry Avorn, Longwood, April 18)
6. Science Policy and the BRAIN Initiative (Joshua Sanes, Cambridge, May 23)
7. Student Mixer (Cambridge, May 23)

We will keep you updated as these events get closer! Please join us as often as you can for pizza and conversation about science policy with our expert faculty!

Led by Cory Gerlach (corygerlach@g.harvard.edu), Kayla Davis (kayladavis@g.harvard.edu) and Chamith Fonseka (chamith_fonseka@hms.harvard.edu). Please email them for more information.

*Harvard GSAS Science Policy Group is generously supported by the Graduate Student Council and the Division of Medical Sciences*