Samueli School Co-Hosts Congressional Briefing for Representative Loretta Sanchez

Executives and academic experts gather from across Orange County to discuss biomedical engineering trends and issues

December 6, 2005 - The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. (AMO) co-hosted a congressional briefing for U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez at the Center Club in Costa Mesa, welcoming Orange County biomedical industry executives and academic experts, as well as honored guest, University of California, Irvine’s chancellor, Michael V. Drake, to discuss emerging trends and issues facing the county’s high-tech and biomedical engineering community.

Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, Dean of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, greeted Sanchez and guests, describing how the Samueli School is dedicated to attracting the highest caliber of faculty and students who will focus their interests in a variety of high tech fields, including biomedical engineering.

“It is our aspiration for the UC Irvine biomedical engineering department to be the catalyst in developing Orange County as the world’s industrial center for biomedical devices, software and healthcare,” said Alexopoulos.

Invited corporate leaders participated in a panel briefing for Sanchez, presenting past and current accomplishments in their industry, as well as expressing future visions for the growing biomedical infrastructure in Orange County.

Panel presentations and keynote speakers included:

  • Jim Mazzo, President and CEO, Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.
  • Mike Mussallem, Chairman and CEO, Edwards Lifesciences
  • David Pyott, Chairman, CEO and President, Allergan, Inc.
  • Andy Corley, Chairman President and CEO, Eyeonics
  • William Link, Managing Director and Co-founder, Versant Ventures
  • Thomas Cesario, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine

Sanchez, who has represented the 47th Congressional District of California since 1996, encompassing the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and parts of Fullerton, addressed the panel and guests regarding the increased presence of biomedical technology in Orange County and related county-wide topics.

The audience had the opportunity to ask questions directly to Sanchez, creating an open forum where panelists and guests discussed technological trends and the future of Orange County’s biomedical growing presence and leadership. 

“It is my hope that we demonstrated our combined commitment between academia and local industry, encouraging Congresswoman Sanchez to become a partner in our effort to bring further opportunity and funding to Orange County’s biomedical arena,” Alexopoulos said.

 

Dean Alexopoulos, Andy Corley, Mike Mussallem, Loretta Sanchez,
Jim Mazzo, Chancellor Drake, David Pyott, and Dean Cesario 

 

Chancellor Drake, Professor Bill Tang, and Dean Alexopoulos

 

 

Mike Mussallem, Jim Mazzo, and Loretta Sanchez
 




Dean Alexopoulos, Loretta Sanchez, and Janice Holstein

 


 

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