The University of California, San Diego will present its ninth offering of “Biotech Demystified: The Science Behind the Business” on June 11-13. This innovative three-day program helps participants gain a practical understanding of the basic science powering the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

This program is offered through the Rady School of Management Center for Executive Development in collaboration with the Division of Biological Sciences and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Featured instructors include eight faculty members from UC, San Diego, one of the nation’s leading research institutions.

“Biotech Demystified is a unique executive development program that combines the science knowledge at UC San Diego and the business expertise at the Rady School with input from experienced biotechnology practitioners,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “This gives participants the opportunity to learn from the best in the field.”

The course covers science fundamentals, genetics, bioinformatics, stem cell research, personalized medicine, and cancer and therapeutic approaches. It also includes two half-day lab exercises, giving participants with the opportunity to gain a hands-on appreciation for the science being taught.

A fundamental understanding of the science enables executives to recognize commercial opportunities and position their companies for future success in the biotech industry. San Diego is widely known as one of the top biotech clusters in the United States. This environment allows participants to immerse themselves in the industry and interact with leaders in the biotech community.

“The major thing that attendees gain is a context for understanding biotechnology as both a discipline and a business,” says UC, San Diego biology Professor Steve Wasserman, one of the program’s instructors.  “We give attendees a focused introduction to the science behind biotechnology, with examples drawn from the biotech industry. We help them see problems and approaches from a scientist’s point of view.”

Biotech Demystified is open to business professionals with a desire to understand the rapidly changing world of biotechnology. The program is designed for CEOS and executives, venture capitalists and angel investors, service providers including consultants, attorneys, marketing and sales professionals, government officials, executive recruiters, and journalists covering related industries.

“Biotech Demystified is a very focused program, but offers broad perspectives from San Diego’s biotech community,” says Wasserman. ”UCSD has excellent faculty in basic science as well as medicine and pharmacology, all of whom are experienced at teaching for a wide range of levels. We also have one of the largest concentrations of biotech companies anywhere in the world. These attributes feed into the Rady School of Management, which has a unique focus on scientific and technological innovation.”

The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego is a professional school within one of the top-ranked institutions in the U.S. for higher education and research. The Rady School offers a Full-Time MBA program, a FlexMBA program for working professionals, a Ph.D. program, and undergraduate and executive education courses.

To learn more or to register for the program, visit http://rady.ucsd.edu/exec/open/biotech/.