Invented at Duke 2026

This year, we will be holding it on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, 4:30-7PM, at the beautiful Penn Pavilion on Duke campus.

We’ll have remarks from President Price, head of OTC Robin Rasor, and our featured speaker beginning at 5:30PM. Dr. Donald McDonnell, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, will be our featured speaker this year.

Besides his academic position at Duke, Dr. McDonnell is a pioneering translational scientist whose discoveries have transformed the treatment landscape for hormone-driven cancers. His laboratory's research led to the development of a new class of medicines known as oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERDs), including Elacestrant, which received FDA approval in 2023 for metastatic breast cancer. Over three decades, his team has advanced multiple therapeutic candidates from fundamental discovery to clinical development, demonstrating the power of translating basic science into life-changing therapies. Through his commitment to innovation, Dr. McDonnell continues to develop new approaches for treating breast and prostate cancer while mentoring the next generation of translational researchers.

Beyond our featured remarks, there will be featured inventors with booths, drinks and hors d’oeuvres, gifts for Duke inventors who register and attend, and more. You will see innovations and companies that have not only been started by Duke faculty and students, but have also been supported through funding and mentoring by a variety of Duke translational funds, incubators, and more.

Whether you're already part of the Duke entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem or you're just starting to explore how to bring your research out to the public - or perhaps you're a member of the wider Triangle technology commercialization ecosystem - there will be something to learn and celebrate. We hope to see you there!

Attire: business casual.