BURLINGTON — Students from Burlington High School recently attended a fireside chat at Northeastern University’s Innovation Campus in Burlington, where industry professionals discussed the intersection of life sciences and artificial intelligence.
According to a statement from Burlington Public Schools Superintendent Eric Conti, the Nov. 12 event, titled “Catalyzing Innovation at the Intersection of Life Sciences and AI in the Region,” was presented in collaboration with the Northeastern University Innovation Center, Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce, CallaBio Solutions, and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center as part of a quarterly Fireside Chat Series.
Speakers at the event included Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Director Carolyn Kirk and Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President and CEO Kirk Taylor. CallaBio founder and president Dr. Dina Wassaf and Northeastern University Director of Bioinnovation & Partnerships Dr. Jared Auclair served as moderators.
During the visit, students listened to industry leaders and asked questions about how the two fields interact and contribute to innovation in the life sciences sector.
“During this event, I learned about the impact of AI on not just life sciences, but on all career paths as a whole,” said Burlington High School student Jad Abouzhara, whose mother hosted the event and invited students to attend.
Students in attendance had also participated in the district’s Summer Career Academies, which offered opportunities to explore career pathways in AI, cybersecurity, and life sciences. Over the summer, students participated in three academies — the AI Summer Academy through the AI HUB, the Cyber Summer Academy through the MassCyber Center, and Northeastern BATL’s Life Sciences program, which offered hands-on lab experience. The AI and Cyber programs were supported by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
“I really enjoyed the fireside chat event. I loved how it gave you time to network and socialize with other people prior to the guest speakers conversing,” said Burlington High School student Tae-son Mun. “All in all, this event was nicely done and I hope they do more like it; I feel as though I learned a lot and I think my fellow students would agree.”
Superintendent Eric Conti said the experience offered students valuable insight into emerging technology and career pathways.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for these students to learn from industry professionals,” Conti said. “The event gave students a chance to network and learn more about the implementation and advancement in artificial intelligence, which is becoming more and more relevant across all industries.”
