Symposium on Laboratory Lifecycle Management

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• Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, UW-Madison 
• Steve Ackerman, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, UW-Madison 

Wisconsin’s biohealth industry is unique for its scope and breadth, encompassing global enterprises, a thriving start-up ecosystem, and a major research university. This session will provide a view of the community, the challenges and the opportunities that meet the campus and community partners who seek to compete with larger biohealth communities in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Research Triangle Park North Carolina, and Minneapolis. 

Panel discussions to include: 

• Overview of the current size, scope, and growth opportunities nationally and locally for the biohealth industry, including revenue, employment, space, and facilities 
• Summary of the industry’s areas of research and development 
• Discussion of current and future opportunities for growth and the associated needs 
• Big picture strategies for growing and recruiting the biotech industry 
• Building collaborative relationships between campus, state, industry, and other partners.  

Physical space is key to developing science and technology responsive to critical events, meeting recruitment needs for leading faculty, post docs and graduate students, and thriving in the competitive environment of major research institutions. This panel will include lightening talks and a discussion of strategies for management and improvement of facilities, and the instruments and equipment within them, to support a robust lab and research programs. Our preparedness for new opportunity makes this an exciting place to be.

Lightning talks and panel discussions to include: 

• Strategies to build readiness in facilities, equipment, processes, and people ready? 
• Establishing an understanding of change in the industry and – where, how, and the speed at which change is occurring 
• Models of readiness including: practices, metrics, and benchmarking 
• Leadership to create a culture of readiness 

Real-world case studies of organizational and project readiness and lessons learned, when faced with major opportunities or issues.    

A facilitated session to discuss and summarize the day’s learnings and document key themes and priorities.  

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A successful and efficient lab facility operates at the nexus of strong planning, design, operations, and management. In the rapidly evolving landscape of biotech research and technology, it’s becoming more important, and more challenging, to design and operate labs to be flexible, cost effective, and able to meet short- and long-term research needs. Incorporating voices from across the spectrum of lab facilities experts and users, this panel will discuss both the tools and strategies for successful lab operations and management and innovative strategies for lab design and renewal.

Discussion topics include:

• Cases for process automation, standardization, staffing, and other supports for lab management
• Role of Core Labs and shared facilities and services
• Understanding the changing nature of science and anticipating future needs
• Connecting labs to each other and to sponsors – strategies for remote and co-location
• Meeting the challenges of renewing existing space including assessment, planning, design, and budgeting
• Maintaining current and accurate data regarding the portfolio of spaces being managed by an institution, and the sub-units within that institution.

Speakers:

• Randi J. Smith AIA, Research Laboratory Architect/Engineer Manager, Facilities Planning & Management, UW – Madison
• Rich Halberg, Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW – Madison
• Jody Peter, Director of Research Services, Biomedical Research Model Services, UW – Madison
• Jason Atkisson, PE, Principal, Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
• Judith Burstyn, Professor, Department of Chemistry, UW – Madison
• Greg Julich, Director, Integrated Manufacturing Excellence, Pfizer (Retired)

Moderated by Craig Weisensel, Director, Strategic Project Delivery, UW – Madison

Covid saw rapid mobilization, changes in technology, unprecedented levels of cooperation amid constant evaluation and oversight. This panel will investigate what happened to facilitate success: how did the experience affect attitudes and practice in design, development, maintenance operations and renewal – and prepare lab and organizations to be ready for the next event?

Panelists:

• Keith Poulsen, Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
• Greg Julich, Director of Global Operational Excellence (Retired), Pfizer
• Shelby O’Connor, Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UW – Madison
• David O’Connor, Professor, UW Medical Foundation, UW – Madison
• Jennifer Laffin, Clinical Laboratory Medical Director, Exact Sciences Laboratories

Moderated by Mark Wells, Assistant Dean for Facilities, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW – Madison

A facilitated discussion to summarize the day’s learnings and document key themes and priorities.

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Cindy Torstveit, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning & Management, UW-Madison

Panel summary: 

Research enterprises, and the investigators who lead them, require reliable and flexible facilities and equipment for existing and new areas of inquiry. This panel focuses on strategies and approaches to the maintenance, operations, and renewal of research labs for existing and future research areas.

Panelists:

• Rich Halberg, Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, UW – Madison 
• Jim Bogan, CEFP, Interim Director of Physical Plant, UW-Madison
• Jason Atkisson, PE, Principal, Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
• Scott Morris, Principal Engineer, Sanofi
• Rory Holland, Facilities and Laboratory Project Manager, University Research Park

Moderated by Aaron Olver, Managing Director, University Research Park

Discussion topics:

• Focus on maintenance, operations and renewal for existing and new areas of inquiry 
• The coming challenges to the research landscape, and how research organizations can respond through facilities, people, and process 
• Developing and maintaining the asset register as a base for prediction, including linking asset register and financial register 
• Maintaining current and accurate data regarding the portfolio of spaces and assets being managed by an institution, and the sub-units within that institution. 
• Modeling facilities and processes inside them for the long term  
• Establishing and implementing KPIs to support organizational growth  
• Understanding leading and lagging indicators, along with benchmarking best practices 
• Understanding the changing nature of science and anticipating future needs, including the need for spaces beyond the typical wet lab 
• Understanding of existing and future challenges related to technical staff in development and support of research facilities, emphasizing staff development and upskilling. 

Panel Summary:

Research operations require important sustaining investments in people, tools, processes, and infrastructure. This panel will explore funding, development, and resource challenges and opportunities from a variety of perspectives.

Panelists:

• Mike Wagner, Investment Director, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation 
• Gareth Lifton, Managing Director, KPMG 
• David Murphy, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance, UW – Madison  
• Tim Donohue, Director, Wisconsin Energy Institute, UW – Madison 

Moderated by Paul Seitz, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of Finance & Administration, UW-Madison

Discussion topics: 

• Establishing a defensible budget: models and guidelines to project costs for the entire lifetime of a building 
• Hiring, developing, and retaining key technical and operational talent, particularly with lab design, operations, and equipment experience.   
• Comparing financing and funding sources to meet goals, including P3 delivery model options at UW-Madison. 
• Investigating how to fund recurring maintenance including leveraging Facility Condition Assessments (FCA). 
• Authorizing, predicting, defending, managing and using set-asides – when an available option   

Facilitated discussion on shared learning and collective next steps to advance lab lifecycle management on campus and in the area.

Closing thoughts by Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, UW-Madison