Utah Life Sciences Summit returns Nov. 11 with FDA town hall, AI panels, and industry awards
BioUtah's annual flagship event convenes Utah's life sciences community in Salt Lake City for a full day of expert panels, networking, and a live session with the FDA's device center director.
Source: mayerbrown.com
Utah's largest life sciences gathering is back. BioUtah's Utah Life Sciences Summit 2026 is set for November 11 in Salt Lake City — a full-day event bringing together startup founders, established executives, researchers, and policymakers to take stock of where the state's so-called 'BioHive' stands and where it's headed.
Law firm Mayer Brown is the title sponsor this year, and five of its partners are slated to speak across the afternoon's specialized panel tracks, according to mayerbrown.com. The breadth of their topics — from seed-round financing to national security in biotech to FDA regulatory uncertainty — reflects how wide-ranging the day's agenda is.
The morning program includes discussions on artificial intelligence in life sciences, BioUtah's annual industry awards, and panels on mergers and acquisitions and policy, according to the published agenda. A dedicated lunch session and an exhibit hall round out the networking opportunities.
The session drawing perhaps the most attention from regulatory watchers is an FDA Town Hall with a director from the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). With federal regulatory policy in flux, a live forum with a sitting CDRH director gives Utah's device and diagnostics companies a direct line to Washington.
Afternoon attendees can choose from multiple specialized tracks covering regulatory updates, AI in research and regulation, and other industry topics, according to utahlifesciencessummit.com.
Mayer Brown partners Brian Hirshberg and Richard Scoville will appear on the 'Financing Best Practices from Seed Round to IPO' panel. Thomas Perez will address 'Assessing the Impact of the Midterm Elections on Life Sciences.' Thea Kendler takes the 'National Security Considerations in Biotech' panel, Scott Young speaks on 'Tips from the Trenches: Strategies for Starting and Growing a Life Sciences Company in Utah,' and Scott Liebman covers 'From Tariffs to Peptides: Navigating FDA Regulatory Uncertainty,' according to mayerbrown.com.
Registration and full agenda details are available at utahlifesciencessummit.com.
Why it matters — For anyone working in Utah's life sciences sector — from early-stage founders to device executives — this is the state's primary annual forum for regulatory, financing, and policy intelligence, with direct access to a sitting FDA center director.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- The afternoon agenda includes multiple specialized tracks; exact track titles and full speaker list beyond Mayer Brown partners not fully detailed in available sources
- specific date as Wednesday November 11
- Hilton Salt Lake City Center location
- Veterans Day tribute
- specific award names Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year
- Michelle Tarver name and exact CDRH title in FDA session
Reported by mayerbrown.com, utahtechcalendar.com, utahlifesciencessummit.com
