Symposium Schedule

November 4, 2019  |  Register »

UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center
1675 Owens St.
San Francisco, CA

The Breakthrough Prize Symposium features presentations by world-class researchers working in the fields of physics, life sciences and mathematics. For information on all of this year’s winners, visit the Breakthrough Prize Foundation website.

 

Daytime Sessions | Talks


Welcoming Reception with Breakfast, Opening Remarks
Robertson Atrium

9:30 AM


Session 1: Talks

David Julius | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Beyond Opiates: Future Directions in Pain Therapy

10:30 AM


Jo Dunkley | 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize
Signals from the Beginning of Time: Our Quest in the Next Decade

10:55 AM


Virginia Lee | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Laureate
Transmission of Misfolded Proteins in Neurodegenerative Disorders: Where Do We Go From Here?

11:20 AM


Alex Eskin | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
Structure Hidden in Chaos: Past and Future

11:45 AM


Shep Doeleman | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
The Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope: Making Black Hole Movies in the Coming Decade

12:10 PM


Lunch
Fisher Banquet Hall

12:30 PM


Session 2: Talks

Dan Freedman | 2019 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Will Nature Confirm Supersymmetry and Supergravity?

1:35 PM


Arthur Horwich | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
10 Year Vision: Improving Upon Natural Protein Quality Control in the Setting of Disease

2:00 PM


Ulrich Hartl | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Understanding Protein Folding in the Cell: Opportunities for Improving Human Life in the Decade Ahead

2:25 PM


Peter van Nieuwenhuizen | 2019 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
The Future of Supergravity: Dream of Reality?

2:50 PM


Coffee Break
Robertson Atrium

3:15 PM


Session 3: Talks

Sergio Ferrara | 2019 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Supersymmetry: Reflections on the Future of a Symmetry from the Future

3:45 PM


Jeffrey Friedman | 2020 Breakthough Prize in Life Sciences
To Eat, or Not to Eat?

4:10 PM


Samaya Nissanke | 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize
New Perspectives into the Universe in the Coming Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy

4:35 PM


Closing Remarks

5:00 PM


 

 

Evening Session | Panel Discussions


1. Will Black Holes Give Up Their Secrets to Science?

Shep Doeleman | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, Experimental Astrophysicist
Andrew Strominger | 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, Theoretical Physicist
Samaya Nissanke | 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize, Experimental Astrophysicist
Moderator: Derek Muller, Veritasium

5:30 - 6:00 PM


2. The Future of Cancer Therapy 

Napoleone Ferrara | 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Cancer Biologist
Robert Weinberg | 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Cancer Biologist
Michelle Arkin | UCSF Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Co-Director of the Small Molecule Discovery Center
Moderator: Luke Timmerman, Timmerman Report

6:00 - 6:30 PM


3. How Do We Think About Higher Dimensions? 

Alex Eskin | 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, Geometer
Emmy Murphy | 2020 New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, Geometer
Terence Tao | 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, Number Theorist
Moderator: Erica Klarreich, Mathematics and Science Journalist

6:30 - 7:00 PM