Transatlantic Innovation Forum: Healthcare & Life Sciences

10:00–10:15 | Welcome & Opening Remarks 

Representatives from Joachim Herz Foundation, DWIH SF/NY, and German Consulate General Atlanta 

Sabine Kunst, Chairperson of the Joachim Herz Foundation 

Melanie Moltmann, Consul General of Germany in Atlanta 

10:15 | Introductions 

Zahar Barth-Manzoori, Director of the German Center for Research and Innovation San Francisco  

Jan Lüdert, Head of Programs, German Center for Research and Innovation New York 

10:30–11:15 | Opening Panel:  Health Innovation in an Age of Uncertainty: Transatlantic Perspectives 

Baha Zeidan, Founder and CEO of Azalea Health 

Julia Kubanek, Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research at Georgia Tech, Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  

Moderators:  

Angela Gill Nelms, Founder & CEO of The AGN Group, Director of Biolocity 

Elizabeth Harrison, Managing Partner of Boling Harrison & Company, LLC  

11:15–12:30 | Workshop Block I: Parallel Breakout Sessions  

A.) AI in Healthcare: From Hype to Implementation 

• Bridging academic innovation and healthcare systems 
• Focus on SMEs and public-private partnership potential 

Fiona Kolbinger, Research Assistant Professor, Purdue University, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering 

Aygün Sahin, NeuroHyperSensitivity™ Founder, CEO & Founder of Cancer Education and Research Institute® 

Moderator: Angela Gill Nelms 

B.) Precision Public Health: Scaling Population-Level Impact 

• Leveraging big data while addressing ethical and regulatory challenges 

Juliane Boenecke, Research Associate at the Department of Health Sciences at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg 

Anette Wu, Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University 

Moderator: Elizabeth Harrison 

12:30–14:00 | Networking Lunch & Innovation Walkthrough 

Thematic lunch tables  

14:00–15:15 | Workshop Block II: Parallel Breakout Sessions  

A.) Strategic Risk-Taking in Health Innovation 

• Navigating uncertainty in academic, commercial, and policy environments 
• Tools for mentoring and capacity-building across borders 

Eric DeJesus, Founder and CEO of Annate Bitherapeutics, Inc. Adjunct Faculty; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cellular Biology at The University of Georgia

Elizabeth Jennings, Principal, Venture Atlas Labs 

Moderator: Angela Gill Nelms

B.) Transatlantic Collaboration in Practice: What Works, What Doesn’t 

Interactive session with past and current project leaders  

• Focus on what needs to change to enable more fluid cooperation 

Aygün Sahin, NeuroHyperSensitivity™ Founder, CEO & Founder of Cancer Education and Research Institute® 

Justine Lottermoser, Professional Development Manager, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University 

Moderator: Elizabeth Harrison 

 15:15–15:45 | Coffee Break & Group Photo 

15:45–16:45 | Cross-Sector Roundtable: Translating Health Innovation Across Borders 

• Impulse statements: academia, industry, and government (state-level) 
• Audience interaction: shared challenges in regulation, IP, workforce, and investment 
• How to strategically engage willing partners and build lasting networks 

16:45–17:15 | Closing Session: Outcomes & Outlook 

• Summary of key insights from the workshops 
• Concrete ideas for follow-up formats and bilateral initiatives 
• Vision for future forums and sustained engagement in the Southeast 

Moderators: 

Zahar Barth-Manzoori and Jan Lüdert 

17:30 | Evening Reception