About The Conference
The Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference: from Global to Local offers engaging speakers on advancing health equity by addressing gaps in healthcare and networking opportunities that launch collaborations for applied research and design of affordable, high-quality solutions that improve access and drive impact. The 2026 Conference will focus on innovations for the health of women and children in underserved rural and urban communities across Texas.
Conference sessions will:
- Examine case studies of technology- and systems- based healthcare solutions that were successfully put into practice.
- Highlight emerging innovations that address unmet healthcare needs of women and children in underserved communities in Texas.
- Discuss inclusive design and effective translation of affordable, quality technology- and systems-based solutions to improve health in resource-constrained settings.
- Facilitate workgroups to short-list high-potential needs areas and seed new projects to emerge from the conference.
Join researchers and innovators from Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, policy makers, and community members to identify high-priority unmet healthcare needs for women and children in Texas and build collaborations to address them.
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When: October 22–23, 2026
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Where: BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) on Rice University's campus in Houston, Texas.
Registration
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Early Registration: Secure your spot by September 14. (Exclusive merch will be provided for those who register early!)
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General Registration: Available from September 15 to October 15.
Registration includes access to all keynote plenary sessions and panel discussions, as well as the poster session, and innovator marketplace. All registered participants are invited to a networking reception, as well as provided daily breakfast and lunch.
Go to event registration
Cost of Attendance
| Registration Category | Early Registration (Two-Day) by 9/14 | General Registration (Two-Day) on 9/15-10/15 | General Registration (One-Day) on 9/15-10/15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice University Students, Faculty & Staff |
Free | Free | Free |
| Other Organizations Students |
Free | $20 | $10 |
| Other Organizations Other Individuals |
Free | $50 | $25 |
- Our Speakers
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The conference will feature an exciting lineup of renowned leaders and representatives from key-stakeholder organizations in the areas of maternal and child health, chronic disease care, rural healthcare transformation, medical technology development and commercialization, and healthcare policy and financing. Speakers will share their experiences to expand access to healthcare in underserved communities as well as innovations and opportunities to address high-priority needs.
- Participation
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Our call for abstracts for the 2026 Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference is just around the corner. We are looking for impactful research posters and innovation marketplace exhibitors to feature. The call will open on August 3, 2026, and run through September 11, 2026.
More details will be shared soon regarding the specific themes and submission guidelines for this year. -
Who We Are
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This event is organized by the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, a multi-disciplinary institute at Rice University. Rice360 is a leader in health technology research, implementation, and education, with a distinctive focus on collaborative medical device innovation to sustainably expand healthcare access.
The Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference is guided by a Program Committee of engineering, medical, public health, and policy experts. The members have direct, practical, and in-depth experience, representing a range of multi-disciplinary perspectives and stakeholder communities, and provide the overall strategic vision for conference sessions offered and speakers featured. - Conference History
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The Innovation for Healthcare Access Conference was launched in 2025.
An archive of conference recordings can be found on the Rice360 Global Health Institute YouTube channel @Rice360GLHT, organized in playlists by year.