Philadelphia’s life sciences community will gather on April 25, 2026, at Jon M. Huntsman Hall for the second annual Wharton Biotech Conference, presented by Penn Biotech Group (PBG) on their 25th-year anniversary of serving the Philadelphia biotech community. Penn Biotech Group is Penn’s largest healthcare consulting club, with 300+ active members representing 9 of the University’s 12 graduate schools. For over 25 years, PBG has delivered pro-bono consulting for biotech and pharmaceutical companies while fostering experience in venture capital and entrepreneurship, drawing a truly cross-disciplinary community from across Penn.
Bringing together early-career professionals, researchers, investors, and industry leaders, the conference aims to strengthen connections across the region’s growing biotech ecosystem while exploring the innovations and challenges shaping the future of biotechnology.
Hosted at the Wharton School, the event offers a full day of learning, discussion, and networking. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Philadelphia’s unique combination of academic strength, entrepreneurial momentum, and scientific expertise.
This year’s conference will feature 40+ speakers from across the biotech landscape, representing different sectors and career stages.
Highlights to Watch
Two Focused Conference Tracks
The program is organized into two parallel tracks, allowing attendees to tailor their experience based on their interests:
- Track A: Innovation, Science & Capital
- Track B: Policy, Commercialization & Careers
The conference agenda highlights several key themes shaping the biotech industry. Sessions in Track A will explore the next wave of translational science and how breakthrough discoveries move from academic labs into venture-backed companies. Artificial intelligence is another major focus, with panels examining how AI partnerships are accelerating drug discovery and influencing areas like clinical trials and commercialization. Additional discussions will look at the business side of biotech, including how investors evaluate opportunities, the role of partnerships, and pathways from collaboration to acquisition. In Track B, conversations will focus on policy, regulation, and commercial strategy, as well as career pathways within the industry, offering insights for both experienced professionals and those just entering the field.
Looking Ahead
This years keynote speaker is Tiffany Wilson, President & CEO of the University City Science Center. Tiffany Wilson has spent more than two decades translating scientific and technological innovation into real-world impact across medical devices, healthcare technology, and advanced industries. She is widely recognized for her leadership at the intersection of commercialization, ecosystem building, and institutional change.
In October 2020, Tiffany was appointed President and CEO of the University City Science Center, where she has led a multi-year transformation of the organization into a venture-aligned innovation intermediary focused on turning discovery into outcomes—new companies, deployed technologies, quality jobs, and improved health. Under her leadership, the Science Center has shifted from a traditional real-estate-anchored model to a platform that convenes founders, health systems, industry, investors, and government around evidence-driven commercialization, capital readiness, and adoption at scale.
Prior to joining the Science Center, Tiffany was CEO of the Global Center for Medical Innovation (GCMI) in Atlanta, which she helped launch and operationalize beginning in 2011. At GCMI, she built a nationally recognized, capital-efficient model for advancing medical device innovation from concept through testing, regulatory submission, and market entry by aligning infrastructure, expertise, and risk-reduction pathways for early-stage companies. Her contributions to strengthening the medical device ecosystem were recognized by both Georgia Bio and Southeast Life Sciences.
Earlier in her career, Tiffany held senior leadership roles at Scientific Intake and ACell, a regenerative medicine company acquired by Integra LifeSciences, where she led corporate strategy, finance, business development, regulatory affairs, and reimbursement initiatives. She began her career in management consulting and investment banking, developing deep expertise in strategy, market analysis, and transaction execution.
Tiffany currently serves on multiple civic, industry, and innovation advisory boards and is a frequent speaker on innovation commercialization, ecosystem strategy, and leadership in complex systems. Her work has been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal Power 100, The Healthcare Technology Report, Inc. Magazine, and Becker’s Hospital Review, among others.
She holds an MBA from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and a BBA in International Business from Loyola University New Orleans.
Plan Your Experience
The full conference runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time with limited availability for a networking dinner. Tickets and a detailed agenda will be available soon. Attendees are encouraged to explore the sessions that align with their interests and plan networking opportunities in advance.
Philadelphia’s biotech community is ready to come together again. This is a chance to learn, connect, and contribute to the innovation shaping the future of medicine.
