Attendees can find information to register for these events and others through the ScienceFest website
Los Alamos, NM – June 30, 2020 – Los Alamos ScienceFest 20/20: Eyes On The Future, is going virtual this year from July 7-12, with events highlighting topics such as the future of cybersecurity, energy, and new camera and drone technologies. Other special segments will include discussions on the future of agriculture and food production with local Los Alamos startup, UbiQD, as well as special guest Pat Brown, CEO and Founder of Impossible Foods. STEM Advocate Miss America 2020, Miss Camille Schrier, will also host a live demo and Q&A during this year’s Los Alamos ScienceFest Discovery Day.
During the Los Alamos ScienceFest kickoff day, on Tuesday, July 7 at 7 p.m., Brown will lead an interactive discussion on the environmental impact of animal farming. Impossible Foods is a company at the forefront of making nutritious, delicious meat and dairy products from plants to satisfy meat lovers.
The idea for Impossible Foods came to Brown while he was on sabbatical from his position as an Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of biochemistry at the Stanford University School of Medicine. In reflecting on how he could use his training and experience to make the largest positive impact on the world, he realized there was a way to make delicious, affordable meat and dairy products, directly from plants – that would be better for the environment and for consumers. Brown has a BA, MD and PhD (in Biochemistry) at the University of Chicago, and completed a residency in pediatrics at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital. At Stanford, Brown and colleagues developed DNA microarrays – a new technology that made it possible to monitor the activity of all the genes in a genome – along with the first methods for analyzing, visualizing and interpreting global gene expression programs. He pioneered the use of gene expression patterns to classify cancers and improve prediction of their clinical course. He has also been a leader in making scientific and medical research results freely available to scientists, physicians and the public. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine and recipient of the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor. He is also the co-founder of Lyrical Foods, Inc., maker of Kite Hill artisanal nut-milk-based cheeses and yogurts.
On Discovery Day, Saturday, July 11, virtual booth exhibitors will feature live demos, conversations, and other content from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Miss America 2020, Miss Camille Schrier, will be a featured keynote to start Discovery Day at 10 a.m., when she’ll host a live “blood bubbles” demo and classroom Q&A session. During the most recent Miss America competition, Schrier’s talent presentation consisted of showcasing the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (also known as “elephant toothpaste”). She holds two degrees from Virginia Tech: Biochemistry and Systems Biology, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was awarded the Phi Sigma Rho Engineering Champion Award for promoting women in engineering and technical fields.
Advance registration is encouraged for both sessions, as slots may fill up quickly.
Tuesday, July 7, 7 p.m.
A Conversation with Pat Brown, CEO & Founder, Impossible Foods
Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m.
Live Demo & Classroom Q&A With Miss America 2020, Miss Camille Schrier
Other special guests for this year’s ScienceFest also include Los Alamos National Laboratory Historian Alan Carr and Lab Director Thom Mason, among others. For more information and the full schedule, visit www.LosAlamosScienceFest.com. Participants are encouraged to download the mobile app through Whova to view the full schedule, receive session reminders, and view virtual content.
This year’s virtual Los Alamos ScienceFest is made possible through partnerships with dozens of local organizations, and the generous sponsorships of Los Alamos County, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Del Norte Credit Union, TechSource, UNM-LA, and UbiQD. It is produced by Los Alamos MainStreet and the Los Alamos Creative District, programs of Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC), and in partnership with Los Alamos County.
About Los Alamos MainStreet and LACDC:
Los Alamos MainStreet is part of Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC), a private, not-for-profit economic and community development organization. It serves as the umbrella organization for the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, projectY cowork Los Alamos, Discover Los Alamos, Los Alamos MainStreet, Los Alamos Small Business Center and the Los Alamos Research Park.