Over the past year, reflecting on the shifting terrain of scientific exchange, I recognize the complex challenges that Keystone Symposia and the scientific communities we serve have encountered. We find ourselves navigating persistent funding pressures, escalating travel costs, and a noticeable trend of researchers unable to travel to in-person meetings for various economic and political reasons. Yet, while these developments reshape the scientific landscape, the escalating urgency of global biological and health crises demands that we remain agile, inclusive and deeply connected on the global scale. Keystone Symposia remains committed to serving that role, recognizing that alongside these obstacles, new opportunities arise as the proliferation of on-demand platforms and virtual alternatives continue to transform scientific engagement. These overlapping currents compel us to reconceive how we advance our mission, all while preserving the scientific rigor and communal vitality that define our organization.
Livestream, On Demand & Digital Pass Subscription Access
In response to these realities, we are pursuing a series of new digital initiatives designed to amplify our impact. Building on the hard-earned lessons of the pandemic era and recognizing the need to create value for scientists amid tightening budgets, we are revitalizing our virtual conferencing platform, Livestream – not as a substitute for in-person events, but as a dynamic extension of them. We know that to resonate, virtual experiences must go beyond passive content viewing to actually engage remote participants in the feeling of being there.
That is why the upgraded platform is meticulously designed to offer immersive, interactive experiences that preserve the connections, engagement and serendipitous insights that arise when scientists gather in person.
To further broaden access, we are also rolling out our digital meeting offerings (On Demand, Livestream) through a subscription model, Keystone Symposia Digital Pass. This product acts as an in-person complement, providing researchers and institutions customizable access to leading-edge content in a more comprehensive and budget-conscious way.
Expanded Travel Awards for Underrepresented Scientists
Another strategic initiative is to amplify our impact on the global scale, especially in support of scientists in underrepresented and resource-limited regions through travel awards, strategic placement of conference in accessible regions and enhanced virtual options. Conversations with global health leaders have illuminated the need for expanded access, capacity building and inclusive dialogue around health threats emerging from urbanization, climate dynamics, and shifting disease burdens. In response, we are exploring ways to scale up our Global Health Travel Awards. These awards currently help scientists from low-resource settings attend our conferences.
Acknowledging that resources are finite, we will continue hosting conferences in low- and middle-income countries with content aligned to regional scientific priorities. At the same time, our investment in virtual offerings will ensure that global audiences can actively participate in and benefit from Keystone Symposia’s programming, regardless of location.
Responsible Travel: TerraPass Partnership
Just as we are committed to widening access for researchers through virtual extensions, travel awards, and strategic geographic hosting, we are equally committed to ensuring that in-person participation remains responsible. That’s why we’ve partnered with TerraPass to offer carbon offsets for conference travel. This initiative recognizes the realities of global science: travel is essential, but so is stewardship. By offering offsets, we give our community the ability to invest not only in scientific progress, but also in the health of the planet.
The Next Generation of Scientists: Listening & Acting
Amongst these changes, Keystone Symposia also remains steadfastly committed to supporting the next generation of scientists, who arguably need our support now more than ever before with the challenges they face ahead. I am inspired by passionate scientists launching their careers that I have the privilege of interacting with at our conferences and through our Fellows Program, and am constantly learning how Keystone Symposia can meet their needs and help to set them up for success.
By meeting with scholarship winners at our Colorado-based conferences this year, I and our Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Terry Sheppard, heard directly from students and postdocs about current challenges facing early-career investigators. As we actively seek to assist in the growth of these young careers, we will continue to enhance our conferences to provide additional career-development opportunities for the next-generation. These include expanding our career roundtables to include more diverse career paths, workshops on communication and networking, panel discussions to address funding challenges and opportunities, health equity discussions and facilitated networking events that build connections and capacity. Also, we are recognizing our merit-based scholarship winners and elevating their visibility at conferences via special badges and on-stage announcements to celebrate their achievements and scientific excellence– be sure to find them and talk to them about their work or recruit them to your lab!
In addition to actively seeking feedback from our conference attendees to understand the pressing needs of trainees, and adapt our programming to address the new reality they are facing, we also engage our Fellows community in creatively solving these issues. During “Fellows Friday” discussions we address various topics ranging from grant writing to mentorship strategies, and the dialog with these early-career scientists is equally informative in shaping the Keystone Symposia Fellows Program as it is in shaping the careers of this extraordinarily talented group of researchers from varying fields and backgrounds. The 2025 class was selected from a record number of applicants, many referred by peers who have since graduated from the program. Hearing that graduates and their communities value this career-development program so highly is both humbling and energizing, and we strive to continually adapt the program to address current needs of this generation.
Leading this organization fills me simultaneously with humility and inspiration. I see in our staff, our Scientific Advisory Board, our Board of Directors, and our global collaborators not just the engine propelling our world-class meetings but the guardians of a mission that seeks to accelerate life-science discovery with impact, equity and purpose.
Looking ahead, I invite our global community of scientists, funders, partners and advocates to join us in person and virtually with creativity and energy. Now is the time to collaborate, innovate and evolve together.
With your engagement, Keystone Symposia will remain a beacon where science, community and discovery converge to address humanity’s most urgent challenges.
Return to the September 2025 Keypoint Newsletter