Sponsors

Ross DeVol is Director of Regional Economics and the Center for Health Economics at the Milken Institute. He oversees research on comparative regional growth performance; technology and its impact on regional and national economies; and health-related topics. He is an expert on the intangible economy and how regions can compete in it. He was the principal author of An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease, which brought to light the economic losses associated with preventable illnesses and estimated the avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans' health. He also authored America's High-Tech Economy: Growth, Development and Risks for Metropolitan Areas and created the Best Performing Cities Index, an annual ranking of U.S. metropolitan areas that shows where jobs are being created. Other recent work involves the study of biotechnology and life-science clusters and their impact on regional economies. Previously, DeVol was senior vice president of Global Insight Inc., where he supervised the Regional Economic Services Group, served as the firm's spokesman on international trade and headed its U.S. Long-Term Macro Service.

Panels:
An Unhealthy America: Obesity and the Economic Implications of Chronic Disease

Tech Centers of North America: How to Build and Sustain a Knowledge Economy

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