Tuesday, March 9, 2027 @ 6:00PM
The Union Club of Boston, 8 Park Street., Boston, MA
Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhDA physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, and humanitarian whose life story reflects resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to improving human health.
From War to Wonder: How Curiosity, Courage, and a Little Ice Can Change the World
What if the next breakthrough in medicine begins with asking a question everyone else dismisses? In this personal and inspiring talk, Dr. Garibyan shares her journey from immigrating to the United States as a child fleeing conflict to becoming a Harvard physician-scientist and entrepreneur whose unconventional idea, using injectable ice as a therapy, grew into multiple startup companies developing entirely new treatments. Through stories of failure, perseverance, scientific discovery, and entrepreneurship, she explores how curiosity, resilience, and purpose can transform impossible ideas into innovations that improve lives.
Dr. Lilit Garibyan is a Harvard-educated and trained dermatologist, physician-scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur whose career has focused on translating bold scientific ideas into technologies that improve patients’ lives. She serves as Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where her research spans dermatology, biomedical engineering, and translational medicine.
Born in Armenia, Dr. Garibyan immigrated to the United States with her family following the collapse of the Soviet Union and regional conflict. Arriving without speaking English, she faced the challenges of adapting to a new country while pursuing her love for education and learning. Those early experiences shaped a lifelong belief that adversity can become a powerful catalyst for innovation.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Garibyan has authored more than 77 scientific publications, holds over 20 issued and pending patents, and has founded multiple startup companies dedicated to bringing breakthrough therapies from the laboratory to patients. Her pioneering work on injectable cooling technologies led to the co-founding of Brixton Biosciences, whose lead platform received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the treatment of chronic pain. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Annecy Bio, where she is developing novel injectable ice therapies other therapeutic applications.
Beyond research and entrepreneurship, Dr. Garibyan is deeply committed to mentoring innovators and expanding access to healthcare globally. She co-founded the Magic Wand Initiative, an international program that brings together physicians, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to accelerate medical innovation, and she regularly leads humanitarian medical missions in Armenia.
Through her research, leadership, and TEDx talk, Dr. Garibyan shares a message that innovation begins with curiosity, resilience, and the willingness to pursue ideas others may think are impossible.
