Team Science Celebration Event 2026: Knowledge Integration

Great research rarely happens alone. Join us Nov 20, 2026 to explore knowledge integration and celebrate USC & CHLA's impactful teams.
About this Event

Team science brings together diverse professionals across disciplines, institutions, and sectors to tackle complex research problems that are difficult to solve alone, driving more impactful and innovative discovery.

This year's event centers on knowledge integration, the process of connecting different data, concepts, methods, and perspectives into more complete and powerful research insights.

Dr. Bethany Laursen (Team Science Specialist at The Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research) will explore what's possible with knowledge integration, the challenges that arise when disciplines and sectors hold differing views, and practical strategies for building stronger connections within research teams in her keynote presentation titled “The Integration Engine: Building Pathways Across Scientific Silos”.

The day will:

• Share and gain ideas about knowledge integration: the process of connecting epistemic or cognitive elements into more complex or comprehensive wholes
• Showcase and celebrate impactful research teams from USC and CHLA
• Highlight on-campus centers and institutes involved in knowledge integration
• Culminate in peer-selected awards recognizing outstanding team science.

Objectives

• Build community around team science by sharing ideas, challenges, opportunities, and successes around knowledge integration in teams.
• Learn about on-campus centers and institutes that help with knowledge integration around specific topics.
• Recognize team science through awards.

Expected Outcomes

• Foster new ideas for knowledge integration for research teams.
• Gain knowledge of on-campus centers and institutes for knowledge integration.
• Foster new collaborations.
• Foster idea generation for future translational science projects.

More information to come as we finalize the schedule and speakers.

Agenda
Team Science Celebration Event 2026: Knowledge Integration
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:10 AM
Opening Remarks

Info: SC CTSI leadership and Team Science — framing the day and logistics

🕑: 09:10 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote

Info: Dr. Bethany Laursen — “The Integration Engine: Building Pathways Across Scientific Silos” (including activity).

🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
On-Campus Centers and Institutes

Info: MESH Strategic Partnerships (https://keck.usc.edu/mesh/), USC+CHLA Alpha Clinic (https://keck.usc.edu/alpha-clinic/), and The Saban Research Institute (https://www.chla.org/research/about-saban-research-institute) (15-minute talks with questions).

🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Networking

Info: Peer voting via QR codes; drinks and food (snacks).

🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Research Team Presentations

Info: Nine 10-minute talks focused on knowledge integration (7 min presentation + 3 min questions).

🕑: 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM
Awards + Wrap Up

Info: Three team science awards.