TEDMED seeks to shape the biomedical community by selecting people who are qualified to discuss or represent important cutting-edge science, current issues and game-changing ideas across health and medicine. Guided by a distinguished, independent Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) of leading physicians, scientists, researchers, public health experts, academics, journalists, philanthropists, technologists, designers, performers and communicators, TEDMED selects speakers to address high-priority topics. These topics are chosen based on groundbreaking research, significant and underexposed issues, new discoveries and new thinking.

TEDMED believes valuable insights that contribute to breakthroughs often come from fields outside of a particular medical specialty – and even from outside of health and medicine. Accordingly, TEDMED is committed to an inclusive, radically multi-disciplinary approach to health and medicine that breaks down the silos of traditional specialties and considers viewpoints from a multiplicity of fields. TEDMED’s “horizontal” thinking reaches beyond health and medicine to government, technology, business, journalism, philanthropy, entertainment, design and the arts. Our multi-disciplinary philosophy is reflected in the makeup of our global community, in our speaker/performer roster and in our selection of topics for the stage program.

TEDMED believes the most critical issues in health and medicine require the best thinking from all of us. That’s why TEDMED believes it is not only possible, it is urgently necessary to bridge the gap between biomedical science and the general public on the great issues that impact the wellbeing of our planet’s seven billion people.

In creating our annual stage program, TEDMED seeks to engage thought leaders in health and medicine with cutting-edge research, while addressing the educated public by making these rigorous topics accessible to non-scientists who are passionate about health and medicine. Our key strategy to accomplish this is to help our speakers find and share stories that inform, inspire, engage and provoke action across our global community.

TEDMED recognizes that scientific ideas change from decade to decade, and even from day to day. Intellectual evolution is the hallmark of science. TEDMED believes that the more responsibly and imaginatively we can challenge today’s medical thinking, the faster we can create a healthier world. Our speakers are selected in part because of their personal, demonstrated commitment to living these values, to embracing the TEDMED mission of catalyzing a healthier world, and to accelerating new thinking that can spur revolutionary approaches to improving health and medicine for all.

In designing the annual stage program, TEDMED is dedicated to openness, transparency and responsibility. We accept speaker nominations and encourage topic suggestions from any and every member of the global community.

TEDMED’s process for creating our program themes and topics, as well as our rigorous process for speaker selection, leverages the insights and wisdom of a distinguished and independent Editorial Advisory Board. The Board’s members and selection criteria are public. Our Editorial Advisory Board consists of leading thinkers and doers from health and medicine, business and technology, foundations and academia, philanthropy and design, and journalism and communications.

The mission of the Board is to assist TEDMED in selecting appropriate themes and topics and to review nominated speakers, ensuring that their qualifications and topics meet the highest standards for scientific relevance. This mission is governed by TEDMED’s Code of Ethics.