Stanford, CA • September 5 - 6th, 2025
An exploration of the future of healthcare.
Join conversations with thought leaders from academia, business, policy, and journalism as they present their Big Ideas that will shape the future of medicine.
2025 Themes:
Neuroscience Magic Medicine
Climate and Health Living to the Last
Keynote Speaker:
Will Flanary, MD, is an ophthalmologist and part-time comedian. He moonlights in his free time as “Dr. Glaucomflecken,” a social media personality who creates medical-themed comedy shorts for an audience of over 4 million across social media. He co-hosts the medically themed podcast Knock Knock, Hi! alongside his wife, Kristin Flanary, also known as "Lady Glaucomflecken." Dr. Flanary's humor has been shaped by the tribulations of med school and residency and his experiences as a patient. He is a two-time testicular cancer survivor and cardiac arrest survivor, saved by his intrepid wife and her timely CPR. Initially used as a creative outlet to cope with these health challenges, Dr. Flanary's comedy has evolved over time to incorporate biting satire of the US healthcare system, academic publishing, and interpersonal conflicts pervasive in the medical system.
In this third annual Big Ideas Conference, four theme areas were selected by a committee of Stanford faculty. Each theme will feature four speakers giving a 15-to-30-minute talk on a transformational Big Idea followed by a conversation with the speaker. The speakers from each theme will then be asked to join a panel at the end of each half day session for an open discussion.
Read about the 2024 Conference here and 2023 Conference here.