Livelong Media has unveiled the complete roster of speakers and sponsors for the Livelong Women's Health Summit, taking place on September 25–26, 2026, at the Hilton Midtown in New York City. Following the overwhelming success of its sold-out debut in San Francisco, this year's event is expected to welcome more than 2,000 attendees and over 100 leading experts for two days of evidence-based discussions on women's health, including aging, hormones, brain health, and the science behind today's rapidly expanding wellness and treatment landscape.

Academy Award-winning actress and activist Jane Fonda will headline the opening session, "The Third Act: Aging Successfully." Joining her are renowned beauty entrepreneur Bobbi Brown, menopause specialist Dr. Mary Claire Haver, exercise physiologist Dr. Stacy Sims, orthopedic surgeon and Unbreakable author Dr. Vonda Wright, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, Chief Medical Officer of Hers, fertility expert Dr. Natalie Crawford, and psychiatrist Dr. Sasha Hamdani, alongside a diverse lineup of clinicians, scientists, researchers, and health innovators.

"Women are looking for facts—not marketing. They want access to research, honest discussions about benefits and risks, and the freedom to make informed decisions about their health," said Katie Gaudu, Chief Operating Officer of Livelong Media. "Our summit is designed to provide exactly that: a trusted space for meaningful conversations without pushing products or miracle solutions."

The two-day agenda features keynote presentations, 15 specialized masterclasses centered on longevity, and 40 interactive roundtable sessions exploring topics such as hormonal changes, ovarian aging, the effects of declining estrogen, inflammation and cognitive health, AI-powered personalized medicine, and navigating midlife in the workplace.

The summit is made possible through the support of a broad network of sponsors whose contributions help fund educational programming, research presentations, discounted and complimentary student tickets, and an interactive exhibition showcasing innovations in women's healthcare. Rather than viewing them simply as sponsors, Livelong Media recognizes these organizations as mission-driven partners committed to advancing women's health education.

The 2026 partner lineup includes AAUW, Align Tech, Ammortal, Arid Blayne, Athletech News, Buck Institute, Carolyn Rowan Center at Mt. Sinai, City Pickle, Cntrl+, EightSleep, Elixir Play, Evermore Pet Food, Experience Life, Function Health, Gina, Gloria, Gotham, Hailey Happens Fitness, Health & Fitness Association, Human Longevity Inc., Jona Health, Kathy Kamei, KeraFactor by Skin QRI, Lume Health, Lumisque, Mblue Labs, Menrva, Monarch, Parasym, Portfolia, Pvolve, ReVelist, Seli Strength, Siemens, Spears Physical Therapy, Sybil Wellness, The 'Pause Life, Throne Science, Timeline, Twelve 28, Vital Ventures, Women's Health Forum NYC, and Zero Gravity.

"Each of these organizations has invested in something far greater than brand visibility," Gaudu added. "Their support allows us to deliver credible, research-driven education instead of sales-driven messaging. This summit exists because they believed in creating a platform where women can access reliable information and make empowered health decisions."

In return, sponsors gain exposure to a highly engaged national audience seeking trustworthy health information rather than conventional advertising. Throughout the event, participating organizations will be integrated into the educational experience through the exhibition hall and program activities, sharing space alongside respected physicians and researchers. Livelong Media says this editorial-first approach reflects the trust it has built with its audience of more than 300,000 monthly readers.

The New York summit also marks the beginning of a broader expansion, with additional Women's Health Summit events scheduled for Dallas, San Francisco, and Boston in 2027, before returning to New York.

Healthcare professionals attending the conference can earn up to 10 CE/CME credits across 10 credentialing organizations, including AMA PRA Category 1, ACPE, and ANCC. An optional two-hour clinical workshop on Saturday afternoon, produced in partnership with Pinnacle Conference, is expected to offer an additional 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (pending accreditation) for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and allied health professionals.

Conference registration is priced at $595 for General Admission, $695 for Premier access, and $1,095 for the VIP experience. VIP attendees will receive exclusive access to a Friday evening reception with featured speakers and a private meet-and-greet with Jane Fonda. Discounted group pricing is also available for organizations and teams.

Additional event information, the complete agenda, and ticket registration are available through the official Livelong Women's Health Summit website.

When the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) was founded in 2013, it already had an Illumina connection, as it was founded with the assistance of Illumina co-founder David Walt. Illumina now accepts in-kind donations to help fund its mission.

Gloucester is one of several towns on Cape Ann, Massachusetts, which is located north of Boston. For hundreds of years, the region had a thriving fishing industry; however, when fishing declined, so did the community.

GMGI was created to catalyze research, education, and economic growth, with the idea that “the ocean could be a new source of opportunities for human health, as well as stewarding the local waters,” said Executive Director Christine Bolzan.

“It could also be a springboard for a new way of thinking about education in the life sciences.”

Researching and Education on Genomics
GMGI studies marine animals' unique adaptations in order to better understand not only ocean systems, but also human health. Andrea Bodnar, PhD, the Donald G. Comb Science Director, is researching the genetics that enable sea urchins to live for hundreds of years. Bodnar and her colleagues hope to find new ways to combat age-related diseases in humans by better understanding the mechanisms that drive this longevity.

The institute is also studying Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Gulf of Maine by sequencing over 200 cod samples with low-coverage whole-genome sequencing. Its researchers created a panel of genetic variants that they use to classify individual fish into one of two seasonal spawning groups, allowing fisheries to manage their populations more sustainably.

GMGI was also the first to sequence the American lobster (Homarus americanus), an iconic and valuable species whose complex genomic data could help researchers study cancer resistance, ageing, and the effects of warming oceans caused by climate change.

GMGI established the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy (Academy) to advance education in the local community. The Academy provides seven months of hands-on training and a three-month paid biotech internship. Private donations covered all tuition costs in 2022, and 95% of Academy graduates found life sciences jobs in the region or went on to enroll in a degree program in biology or chemistry.

“Gloucester High School has one of the lower college attendance rates in the state, and these are young people who, without this opportunity, might never gain access to the life science industry," says Bolzan.

Students learn how to culture cells and sequence DNA and become certified laboratory technicians. To meet the growing demand for entry-level talent among Massachusetts biotech companies, the program recently added a cutting-edge biomanufacturing learning space. The academy's cohort grew from 20 to 42 students with the arrival of the class of 2023 in August. It has been so successful that GMGI is planning to open a second Biotechnology Academy in Boston in 2024.

Students at the Academy begin with intensive hands-on training.

“In 10 months, our students get more bench time than most people would get in a four-year biology degree,” said Education Director John Doyle, PhD. “They get an hour of lecture each day and the rest of the time is spent in the lab.”

GMGI is sponsoring outreach to high schools in Cape Ann and Boston to provide even more educational opportunities. What the Heck is Biotech? is a one-hour program that introduces students to the discipline and its associated educational and career paths.

GMGI hopes to attract companies to Cape Ann by developing this pipeline of trained biotech professionals and marine genomic research expertise. Many Academy graduates move to Boston but would welcome the opportunity to stay in Gloucester.

“We’re trying to make Gloucester and Cape Ann more attractive to companies looking to expand and maybe not pay so much for lab and office space,” says Bolzan. “We have a trained workforce, leading marine genomic researchers, and one of the most beautiful working waterfronts in the country. Gloucester is a great place to do science.”

Connecting to Consumables
In the lab, GMGI researchers use a variety of Illumina sequencers, including the NextSeq 500 and the MiSeq. Illumina has provided reagents, library prep, and other consumables to the Academy program. Next-generation sequencing is an important component of everything the institute does, from understanding and stewarding the ocean to educating young adults fresh out of high school.

GMGI can sequence whole genomes in-house thanks to Illumina's advances in sequencing technology, making it one of only a few organizations dedicated solely to marine genomics research. "GMGI is unique among marine research institutes in that we not only have access to the marine environment here on Gloucester's working waterfront, but we also have the tools and instruments we need to take the samples we collect from DNA extraction to sequencing and data analysis on our bioinformatic server," Jennifer Polinski, Senior Research Associate, explains.

This hands-on approach is paying dividends in job readiness and continuing education at the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy. Some students went on to earn undergraduate degrees, and one is on track to begin a PhD program. For many, the benefits extend far beyond a steady paycheck; they become a part of a thriving ecosystem of scientists producing meaningful work.

“They’re looking for something more than just a job,” said Doyle.

“One thing we’ve heard from students is that, for a lot of oncology research companies, everything starts with cell culture. They talk about how maybe their aunt passed away from cancer or one of their parents had cancer, and now they can have an impact in that area. For a student who was previously not on a pathway to college or a career, this is a big deal.”

In its efforts to inspire future leaders of the genome era, Illumina values collaborations with organizations such as GMGI. To learn more about how Illumina is empowering communities and working to provide five million learners with equitable access to genomics by 2030, click here.