We’re partnering with Biotechnology Innovation Organization to help CLS member companies reduce costs and unlock strategic efficiency. Register now for BIO Savings Week, a five-day virtual event featuring BIO Business Solutions® partners sharing exclusive member benefits and real-world strategies to streamline purchasing, improve compliance and grow with intention. 📅 Sept 8–12, 2025 🔗 https://bit.ly/3HEy3wF
California Life Sciences (CLS)
Non-profit Organizations
South San Francisco, CA 16,309 followers
California Life Sciences (CLS) is the state’s most influential and impactful life sciences membership organization.
About us
California Life Sciences (CLS) is the state’s most impactful life sciences membership organization, advocating for the sector and its diverse innovation pipeline. For more than 30 years, CLS has served the community by supporting companies of all sizes, from early-stage innovators and startups to established industry leaders in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. As integral components of a healthy and collaborative ecosystem, CLS also works closely with universities, academic and research institutions, the investment community, and other critical partners that promote this vibrant sector. With offices in South San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, CLS works to shape public policy, improve access to breakthrough technologies, educate lawmakers, and advance equity within our ecosystem by championing innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our times. In doing so, CLS fulfills its mission to protect and nurture California’s life sciences industry, empowering discoveries that lead to healthier lives around the world. #WeAreCaliforniaLifeSciences
- Website
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http://www.califesciences.org
External link for California Life Sciences (CLS)
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- South San Francisco, CA
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2015
- Specialties
- public policy, healthcare, biomedical innovation, scientific discovery, life science trade association, meet leaders, federal government relations, state government relations, life sciences lobbying, biotechnology trade organization, influence law, and life sciences
Locations
Employees at California Life Sciences (CLS)
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Vandana Date
Board Member, Entrepreneur, Advisor, Mentor, Strategy, Operations, Growth, Risk Management, Legal Counsel And Intellectual Property Expert For Life…
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Robert Dickinson
Life Sciences Strategy and Innovation
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Kimi Barrio
Biotech Business Development and Strategy Executive
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Joe Markunas, CPA
Partner at CFOs2GO (Lead Healthcare, Life Science and M&A Groups)
Updates
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September 10-11, join Bisnow in San Diego for the third annual International Life Sciences & Biotech Conference! This two-day event will feature discussions focusing on financing growth, innovative lab design, universities as innovation catalysts and more. Don't miss your opportunity to connect with global leaders redefining innovation in the biotech and commercial real estate space. Members of California Life Sciences are eligible for a 20% discount on tickets. Interested in attending? Contact your CLS Account Manager for details. 🔗Register now: https://bit.ly/45PDJvM
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On August 20, we gathered in San Diego for An Evening with Thought Leaders, where experts from across life sciences explored how AI is transforming health innovation. Highlights included a lively panel on AI applications and collaborations, featuring Brendan Abel, JD, Abraham Lin, Amin Mazloom, Jason H. Moore, PhD, FACMI, FIAHSI, FASA, Laura Storto and Victoria Wallace, and a fireside chat with Rep. Vince Fong, CA-20, and Rachel Bluth on policy and innovation, with plenty of networking in our AI Solutions Corridor. Thank you to our sponsors Springer Nature, Agilent Technologies, Avantor, Battelle, and APC, and to everyone who joined us for an inspiring evening! 📸 View the photo album: https://lnkd.in/g-J34ABv
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Today, our SVP of Government Relations, Sam Chung, joined Sacramento Press Club’s panel on the impact of AI policy on California’s small tech community, which was moderated by Politico’s AI reporter, Tyler Katzenberger. Sam highlighted the vital role that California’s large biotech start-up community plays in the life sciences ecosystem and how California’s proposed AI regulatory framework can significantly harm their chances of succeeding in this state and ultimately compromise California’s ability to lead on healthcare innovation and the patients who rely on breakthrough medicine.
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CLS Senior VP Sam Chung will join lawmakers and experts on a Sacramento Press Club timely lunch panel on Balancing AI innovation & safety on Mon., Aug. 25 at the UC Center. With numerous AI bills before the Legislature, this panel comes at a critical moment. Learn more and register for the event 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g57GJAcN
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What a great night - and thank you Mia Sandvoll for helping capture all of the insights and fun 🎉
An Evening with Thought Leaders: AI Innovations Transforming the Future of Human Health, hosted by California Life Sciences (CLS), was excellent. I attended with Tiffany Rapp, our President at The Leadership Edge, and it was wonderful connecting with so many CLS board members during the evening networking. The conversations sparked by this incredible group of leaders were thoughtful and practical: Laura Storto, JD (Genentech) Victoria Wallace, JD (Hogan Lovells) Brendan Abel, JD (Johnson & Johnson) Abraham Lin, PhD (Orbits Oncology) Amin Mazloom, PhD (Exact Sciences) Jason Moore, PhD (Cedars-Sinai) Fireside chat with Rachel Bluth (POLITICO) and Representative Vince Fong Key takeaways from the sessions: • #AI is already reshaping how we discover, diagnose, and treat disease, but adoption will require trust, clear frameworks, and collaboration across government, science, and industry. • A national AI framework is critical to avoid patchwork regulation, and one size does not fit all (healthcare will need tailored approaches). • Guardrails are essential, but humility and expertise should guide implementation so AI enhances rather than replaces human judgment. • The pace of innovation is extraordinary, but so is the responsibility. Getting this right could redefine patient care and public trust in science. Thank you, California Life Sciences (CLS), for convening such an important dialogue and for your work bridging policymakers, advocates, and industry. I also captured a short video recap of the event if you missed it. Nice to see you - Mike Guerra Kim Brocchini Sam Assmann Emily Morgan #Lifesciences #biotech #sandeigo #patientcare
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Join us in welcoming six new board members to California Life Sciences! 🙌 Jeffrey Boerneke is the General Counsel and Secretary at Gossamer Bio. He has served in legal roles at Amgen and Latham & Watkins, and holds a J.D. from UCLA and B.S. in Chemistry. Mike Burgess is Senior Vice President of Discovery Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology at Bristol Myers Squibb. As a physician-scientist with a PhD in molecular biology, he has extensive experience leading pharmaceutical R&D globally. Tim Patz is Worldwide President of Advanced Patient Monitoring at BD. With over 20 years of experience in APM, Tim brings a wealth of knowledge in commercial strategy and operational excellence. Lesley Stolz is Regional Vice President of Early Innovation Partnering at Johnson & Johnson Innovation. She leads strategic partnerships and venture investments focused on early-stage life sciences innovation. Elizabeth H.Z. Thompson is Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development at Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. She has extensive experience advancing rare and CNS disorder therapies across leading biopharmaceutical companies. Curtis Tyree is Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development VivoSim Labs, Inc. He has a strong background in biotechnology partnerships, R&D strategy, and academic leadership. We're excited to see their expertise in action as they guide our mission of protecting and enhancing California's life sciences ecosystem.
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CLS' President and CEO Mike Guerra testified in the most recent Select Committee on Biotechnology and Medical Technology regarding the impact of NIH funding cuts to California's dynamic life sciences ecosystem. The immediate and long-term impacts of proposed NIH cuts to our academic research institutions will cause irreparable harm to life-saving biomedical research and the world-renown talent pipeline that makes California's life sciences ecosystem the most productive innovation hubs in the world. While the life sciences industry is a resilient and robust sector, especially in California, slashing NIH funding cuts compromises the very foundations of biomedical research that is the lifeblood of the entire ecosystem. “If one link in the biomedical innovation chain breaks as a result of funding cuts we are in serious trouble, we do not have the infrastructure and ability to continue the cycle without stable funding,” Mike shared yesterday.
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📢 The latest issue of Life Sciences Insights is out now! 'AI in Action: Real-World Innovation in Life Sciences' explores how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of life sciences across four key themes: 🧪 Discovery at Speed – AI is accelerating research and drug development 🧠 Intelligent Infrastructure – Tools and systems powering AI integration 🌍 Connection & Care – Improving access and patient impact through AI ✅ Responsible Action – Navigating ethics, bias, and human-centered design Thank you to the organizations that contributed to this issue: Project Outlier, Synfini, Inc., Digital Science, Synlico Inc., Springer Nature, Accelero Biostructures, BrainStorm Therapeutics, Inc., Powerhouse Biology, Twist Bioscience, Biotech Connection Los Angeles (BCLA), Katalyze AI, Icarus Therapeutics, BioIVT, Moss Adams, Baker Tilly, Hogan Lovells, consolut, QAD, Germfree, TIGAR Health, KAMI Think Tank, and Agilent Technologies. Read the full magazine ➡️ https://bit.ly/3UCNJTX
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💻 No matter where you are, the next few weeks offer virtual events designed to spark new ideas, expand your network, and drive innovation across the life sciences ecosystem. Here are some upcoming virtual events to add to your calendar: 💉 Advances in Immunology & Inflamation (I&I) Science and Therapeutics | PBSS International (Pharmaceutical and BioScience Society International) & BioScience Forum | Aug 20-21 🦠 Cell Therapy Development & Manufacturing: Regulatory & Supply Chain Considerations for Human AB Serum | GeminiBio & Compliance Insight, Inc. | Aug 25 🤖 Artificial Intelligence for Drug Discovery and Development | PBSS International (Pharmaceutical and BioScience Society International) | Sep 8 🌟 From the Laboratory to Leadership | The Leadership Edge | Sep 15 🔬 Accelerating Drug Discovery: Validated Biomedical Knowledge for AI-Driven Pharmaceutical Research | Springer Nature | Sep 17 🧪 When Lyocakes Go Bad – How to Identify & Fix It | Biopharma Technology LLC | Sep 23 🥼 Small-Molecule Formulation for Discovery & Early Development | PBSS International (Pharmaceutical and BioScience Society International) | Sep 29 Learn more about member organization's upcoming events ➡️ https://bit.ly/3UDYZiX
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