David Banko

Director, HEOR Healthcare Strategy & Innovation at B. Braun Medical
Bethlehem
USA

Mr. Banko is Director, Health Economics and Outcomes Research at B. Braun Medical Inc. located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is responsible for identifying strategies to leverage health economics and outcomes studies across the breadth of B. Braun’s portfolio resulting in the differentiation of their products in a highly competitive market. Mr. Banko partners with all levels of the Organization to develop an optimized evidence generation plan ensuring widespread adoption of their innovative products upon commercialization. Mr. Banko is leading B. Braun Medical Inc in preparing for the challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to a value oriented healthcare system in the United States. Mr. Banko has been with B. Braun Medical for the past eight years and now has over 25-years of combined experience with pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and hospital finance experience. Prior to joining B. Braun, he previously spent 12 years working with two operating companies that were part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. During his time with J&J, he successfully leveraged outcomes evidence to shape Medicare’s National medical coverage and reimbursement policies and developed programs to assist hospitals and physicians in securing market access from Medicare and other third-party payors for FDA approved emerging medical device technologies. He has lead efforts in developing responses to payer’s Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) and in educating internal business partners on the implications of major policy shifts such as Medicare’s bundled payment initiatives, comparative (cost) effectiveness and gainsharing. Mr. Banko gained extensive experience in health care finance and reimbursement working with healthcare systems in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He received a B.S. degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Scranton and a M.S. degree in Finance from King’s College. Mr. Banko is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in the State of Pennsylvania.

Gurdane Bhutani

Managing Partner and Co-Founder at MBX Capital

Gurdane is a founder and Managing Partner of MBX Capital. He holds board roles at MBX partner companies Atlas Health, CareRev, Contraline, Freedom Biosciences, and Thesis.

Previously, he was the COO of FundRx, a healthcare and life sciences investment marketplace. Prior to FundRx, worked with private equity and corporate clients at Bain & Company and in public finance at Morgan Stanley. He has been an instructor on healthcare finance at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and guest lecturer in the Wharton School's healthcare management program.

Gurdane earned an MPH in Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences from Yale University’s School of Public Health, where he was a Trowell-Harris Scholar. At Yale, he conducted research on the applications of human organoids and organ-chips in predictive toxicology. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Public Policy from Duke University, where he was an A.B Duke Scholar. He was a Lord Rothermere Scholar at the University of Oxford and is a Kauffman Fellow.

Larissa Borys

Research Assistant, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Vice President of External Events at Penn Neuroscience Society

Larissa is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, having completed her studies in May 2023 with a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Health Care Management from the Wharton School of Business. She served as a Vice President for the Penn Neuroscience Society and conducted research in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) neurology department, which directed her Senior Honors Thesis. Larissa led University tours under the Kite and Key Society and volunteered at Penn Medicine’s Center for Surgical Health to ensure that local community members had access to vital surgical procedures (an initiative that she is still involved in today). She co-founded the Fuel Our Heroes at Penn chapter which raised funds for healthcare workers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania during the pandemic. Larissa was also a teaching assistant for neuroscience courses and general chemistry labs, a committee member of the Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club, and a general member of the Penn Women’s Biomedical Society and Greek life. During her first two years of undergrad, she was a Research Assistant at Penn’s Linguistic Data Consortium studying automated web-based methods for tracking neurocognitive health. Larissa interned on the Medical Affairs team at Clario for two summers of her undergraduate career, eventually publishing an abstract to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) examining eligibility criteria for subjects entering clinical trials. With plans to apply to medical school in 2024, Larissa is currently working as a Research Assistant at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain. In her free time, Larissa enjoys playing tennis, running in the city, traveling, and solving the daily NYTimes crossword puzzle.

Lindsey Breiner

System Director of Talent Acquisition at Main Line Health

Charles Cairns, MD

Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean; Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs at Drexel University

Charles B. Cairns, MD is the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the College of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs at Drexel University. He is a leader in emergency medicine and critical care education, training and research. Dr. Cairns has served as Director of the NIH United States Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group and as Principal Investigator of the DHS National Collaborative for Biopreparedness. He currently serves as clinical lead for the NIH COVID-19 Immunophenotyping (IMPACC) study and as Principal Investigator of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation project on COVID-19 Digital platform for patient recruitment, testing, prediction. He has published over 200 scientific articles and reviews and secured more than $40 million in research funding. He serves on the boards of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, National Foundation of Emergency Medicine and Eureka Institute for Translational Medicine.

Arthur Caplan, PhD

Director, Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine
USA

Currently the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

Prior to coming to NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Caplan was the Sidney D. Caplan Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he created the Center for Bioethics and the Department of Medical Ethics. Caplan has also taught at the University of Minnesota, where he founded the Center for Biomedical Ethics, the University of Pittsburgh, and Columbia University. He received his PhD from Columbia University.

Dr. Caplan is the author or editor of thirty-five books and over 860 papers in peer reviewed journals. His most recent books are Vaccination Ethics and Policy, with Jason Schwartz and, Getting to Good: Research Integrity in Biomedicine with Barbara Redman.

He has served on a number of national and international committees including as the chair of the National Cancer Institute Biobanking Ethics Working Group, chair of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations on Human Cloning; chair of the Advisory Committee to the Department of Health and Human Services on Blood Safety and Availability. He has also served on the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses, the special advisory committee to the International Olympic Committee on genetics and gene therapy, the Special Advisory Panel to the National Institutes of Mental Health on Human Experimentation on Vulnerable Subjects, the Wellcome Trust Advisory Panel on Research in Humanitarian Crises, and the co-director of the Joint Council of Europe/United Nations Study on Trafficking in Organs and Body Parts.

Caplan has served since 2015 as the chairperson of the Compassionate Use Advisory Committee (CompAC), an independent group of internationally recognized medical experts, bioethicists and patient representatives which advises Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals about requests for compassionate use of some of its investigational medicines.

Dr. Caplan is a regular commentator on bioethics and health care issues for WebMD/Medscape, WGBH radio in Boston, WOR radio in New York City and KNX-CBS radio, Los Angeles. He appears frequently as a guest and commentator on various other national and international media outlets.

Dr. Caplan is the recipient of many awards and honors including the McGovern Medal of the American Medical Writers Association and the Franklin Award from the City of Philadelphia. He was a USA Today 2001 “Person of the Year and was described as one of the ten most influential people in science by Discover magazine in 2008.

He has also been honored as one of the fifty most influential people in American health care by Modern Health Care magazine, one of the ten most influential people in America in biotechnology by the National Journal, one of the ten most influential people in the ethics of biotechnology by the editors of Nature Biotechnology, and, one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology by Scientific American magazine.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, he co-directed an advisory group on sports and recreation for the US Conference of Mayors, created a national working group on coronavirus vaccine challenge studies, developed an ethical framework for distributing drugs and vaccines for J&J, helped develop rationing policies for NYU LMC and many other health systems, was a member of the WHO advisory committee on Covid, ethics and experimental drugs/vaccines, and helped set policy for WIRB/WCG for research studies He was an advisor to Moderna and Accenture. And he continues to serve on the NCAA Sports and Covid committee.

He received the Patricia Price Browne Prize in Biomedical Ethics for 2011. In 2014 he was selected to receive the Public Service Award from the National Science Foundation/National Science Board, which honors individuals and groups that have made substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States. In 2016 the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) honored him with their Rare Impact Award and hFood and Drug Law Institute’s Distinguished Service Leadership Award. In 2019 he was honored by the Food and Drug Administration’s, Reagan/Udall Foundation with its Innovation Award.NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing Humanitarian Award.

He holds seven honorary degrees from colleges and medical schools.

Barb Carlin

Managing Director, Mid Atlantic Region at Danforth Advisors

Barb’s 25-year background in finance and accounting management ranges from life science start-ups to commercial-stage companies. Prior to joining Danforth she served as CFO of Enterin, where she established the financial infrastructure to support the company’s progress in its clinical trials and preparing for the company’s capital raise. She previously held finance leadership roles at Egalet Corporation (Zyla Life Sciences), Sobi, Topaz Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Sanofi-Pasteur), Genaera Corporation and Vicuron Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer). Barb served as Director of Client Service at Resources Global Professionals (RGP). She began her career as an auditor at Deloitte.

In addition to her work at Danforth, Barb serves on the Board of Directors of Life Sciences Pennsylvania and the Board of Advisors of Life Science Cares Philadelphia.

Barb is a CPA and holds a BS in Accounting and MBA in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing from St. Joseph’s University.

Laura Chase

Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, Immunology Practice at Johnson & Johnson

Laura Chase is a Senior Manager for Talent Acquisition, Immunology ~~Practice~~ at Johnson & Johnson. First and foremost, she’s a mom to two college kids and two dogs with a love of family, cooking, running and paddleboarding. She began working on the Oncology Unit in a Medical Center at 16 as a Unit Secretary where she developed a passion for helping patients. She went off to nursing school at Fairfield University, followed by 20+ years in Medical Education and Communications. Prior to J&J, she’s worked as a Project Manager through Vice President in consulting firms, various roles as a people manager, Associate Editor on an Outcomes Journal and a Medical Education Grant Reviewer at Rutgers (formerly University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ). Since joining J&J Talent Acquisition five years ago, Laura has brought in more than 100 new employees to Immunology R&D and Medical Affairs ranging from bench scientist to Vice Presidents with a focus on dermatology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, rare disease, and maternal/fetal health. With a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, she’s the Co-Lead on the People First Culture Pillar for the Immunology DEI Council. Laura works closely with academia (MDs and PhDs) in the challenging transition to the pharmaceutical world.

Ted Clineff

Director, Strategy & Business Development at DSM Biomedical
Exton
USA

Ted started at Orthovita and reaped on-job-training benefits of a fast growing start-up with their flagship medical device Vitoss bone graft substitute (bgs). Ted led the product development collaboration with Kensey Nash Corporation (now DSM Biomedical) who partnered with Orthovita to develop and commercialize Vitoss Foam bgs with additional handling benefits with bovine collagen. Stryker acquired Orthovita and Ted led the Stryker Orthobiologics Research & Product development team until switching career gears and moved to DSM Biomedical for a Commercial role. At DSM, Ted managed the largest commercial territory and grew his sales by 10% CAGR for past 5 years. Recently, Ted moved into S&BD role and is responsible for extending the DSM Biomedical Innovation team with external partners and forming alliances. Additionally, Ted conducts diligence on DSM Biomedical acquisition targets.

Christopher de Souza, PhD

Director at Broadview Ventures
USA

Christopher de Souza, PhD, MBA, is a Director at Broadview Ventures. He brings to this role over 30 years of experience in cardiovascular and metabolic related academic research, biopharmaceutical R&D, corporate strategy and business development.

Christopher started his pharmaceutical career at Novartis as a senior scientist in the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases group and then as Director of Strategic Alliances with responsibilities for therapeutic area strategy, business development and alliance management. After Novartis, Christopher was Vice President of Business Development at SkyePharma US Inc., a drug delivery company, where he was responsible for out-licensing the company’s clinical assets and drug delivery technologies.

Christopher received a Masters in zoology from the University of Bombay, a PhD in physiology from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Rutgers University. He completed his post-doctoral training at The Upjohn Company and the Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Medical School.

Christopher currently serves on the boards of Acesion, Gila Therapeutics, Mellitus and Pulmokine and previously served on the boards of Allosteros, CellAegis, DecImmune, Herantis, NuPulse, Provasculon and Ventrinova.

Outside of Broadview Ventures, Christopher serves on the board of MassBio and has served on the grant review committees of the British Heart Foundation and NIH/NHLBI.

Jeff DeVuono

EVP, Senior Managing Director, Life Sciences at Brandywine Realty Trust

Jeff DeVuono is currently Brandywine Realty Trust’s Executive Vice President of the Life Science Division and the former Regional Managing Director of the Pennsylvania region. He joined Brandywine Realty Trust in January of 1997. Prior to Brandywine, he worked for LCOR, Inc., a private developer with a previous connection to Brandywine. Before joining LCOR, he was a sales and leasing broker with Cushman & Wakefield.

He has 30+ years of real estate industry experience overall, involving leasing, operations, acquisitions, dispositions, redevelopment, and ground up development. To date he has been directly involved, or oversaw, 1600+ transactions aggregating over 22 million square feet and $4 billion in value.

Jeff currently serves on the Board, and is a former Chairman, of the King of Prussia District, and is a Board Member of the Center City District (CCD), the University City District, and the LaSalle University Rowing Stewards Foundation.

Tracy Dowling, JD

Chief Business Officer & General Counsel at AskBio

Tracy Dowling joined AskBio in January 2021 and serves as its Chief Business Officer and General Counsel. She is responsible for the company’s global business development strategy and execution, as well as alliance management, legal, compliance, and is the company’s Chief of Staff.

Prior to joining AskBio, Tracy served as Associate General Counsel at Spark Therapeutics providing legal oversight for essential business functions, including business development, licensing transactions, corporate governance, securities compliance, and real estate and construction. Notably, she played an integral role in Roche’s $4.6 billion acquisition of Spark.

Earlier in her career, Tracy was an attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, specializing in corporate and securities matters. She also served as a transactional, corporate, and securities attorney at Ballard Spahr LLP and the Monitor Group in London. She holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a JD from Boston University School of Law.

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Co-Founder & President at Every Cure

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, is a physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, co-Founder & President of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, and national bestselling author of ‘Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope Into Action‘. He is also a patient battling a deadly disease called idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD), which he discovered a treatment for that is saving his life and others. Through his work at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, he has also identified and advanced 10 other treatment approaches for iMCD and cancer. Fajgenbaum currently leads over 20 translational research studies including the CORONA Project, which is the world’s largest effort to identify, track, and advance COVID-19 treatments. He also co-leads Every Cure, a non-profit drug development organization focused on advancing repurposed treatments, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA. Fajgenbaum has published scientific papers in high-impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and The Lancet, been recognized with awards such as the 2016 Atlas Award which he received along with then Vice President Joe Biden, and been profiled in a New York Times cover story as well as by Good Morning America, CNN, Forbes 30 Under 30, and the Today Show. Dr. Fajgenbaum earned a BS from Georgetown University, MSc from the University of Oxford, MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and MBA from The Wharton School.

Matthew Fenske

Vice President, New Products & Business Development at Harmony Biosciences

Matt is currently the Vice President, New Products & Business Development at Harmony Biosciences. He responsibilities include advancing new products and lifecycle programs in the company portfolio as well as building the pipeline through business development. Prior to Harmony, Matt led the New Products Group at Shire for the Immunology and Hematology Franchises and also a similar role at Baxalta prior to that. Baxalta was a spin-off from Baxter where he held numerous roles in Global Marketing and US Marketing in the BioScience Business Unit. Matt also spent time with Boston Scientific (Guidant) in sales and marketing roles.

Jason Frederick

Partner, Strategic Growth Markets at Ernst & Young

Jason is an audit partner in the Growth Markets practice of EY and focuses on clients in the life sciences industry. Jason has spent his entire career working in EY’s Growth Markets vertical within the life sciences and has served numerous public and private clients through their growth stage, including serving several companies through their initial public offerings.

With over 20 years of experience working with both publicly and privately held domestic and international corporations, he has extensive experience in accounting and auditing services, internal controls, financial reporting, SEC registration statements and reporting, initial and secondary public offerings, private offerings and advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions and transaction support.

Jason also has served in various leadership roles within the EY Life sciences practice, including serving on EY’s Life Science Expert Network, in which he shares guidance and insights to EY teams throughout the country on matters that are relevant to life sciences. In this role, Jason regularly interacts with the firms leaders in other key life sciences locations in San Francisco, San Diego and Boston.

Jason is active in several Philadelphia business organizations, as well as in coaching youth sports. He has also served as a mentor for high school students in the Philadelphia public school system as part of EY’s College mentoring program.

Sarah Fuller

Vice President, Head of Business Development at Kyowa Kirin
Princeton
USA

Sarah joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1998, working in Business Development at a global CRO where she led the North American proposal team for Clinical Development services. In 2005, she joined Bristol-Myers Squibb where she worked in Finance, Clinical Operations, and Alliance Management. Sarah joined BioWa/Kyowa Kirin in 2020 and was named President of BioWa (Kyowa Kirin’s technology licensing business) in 2021. In addition to managing the BioWa business, she and her team also lead business development and alliance management activities for Kyowa Kirin North America.

Chris Garabedian

Chairman & CEO at Xontogeny
Boston
USA

Chris Garabedian founded Xontogeny in June of 2016 to support multiple promising technologies from early development through clinical proof of concept. In 2017, Chris joined Perceptive Advisors to develop their Venture Fund strategy and is Portfolio Manager of the Perceptive Xontogeny Ventures Fund which supports early stage companies with Series A investments across biotech, medtech and healthtech. Chris has a broad base of experience and a track record of success over his decades long experience in the biopharma industry. Chris served as the President and CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics from 2011 to 2015, overseeing the turnaround of a company that is now a commercial stage leader in the genetic technology space after leading the development of the company’s Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy program. Prior to Sarepta, Chris led Corporate Strategy for Celgene from 2007 to 2010. Prior to Celgene, Chris served in a number of global commercial and corporate development leadership roles at Gilead from 1997 to 2005. Chris serves on a number of Boards of life sciences companies and speaks at industry conferences on a wide range of important issues. Chris is also on the Board of Directors of MassBio, served as a Senior Advisor for the Boston Consulting Group and is a member of the Corporate Relations Board for the Keck Graduate Institute.

Andrei Georgescu, PhD

CEO at Vivodyne

Andrei Georgescu is the CEO and co-founder of Vivodyne, Inc, and leads the company’s mission to create a massively scalable platform to discover and develop better, more effective cures to therapeutics by testing on lab-grown human organs. Vivodyne’s goal is to effect revolutionary advancement in the development of safe and highly effective cures to human diseases: their innovative approach leverages cutting-edge robotics, proprietary human organ tissue models, and AI-driven therapeutic inference to create a streamlined, powerful solution to address critical translational challenges faced in therapeutics discovery and development. Andrei earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S./M.Eng. in Bioengineering from Cornell University. His work on engineering living human organ tissues has been published in journals including Science, Nature Medicine, and Nature Methods.

Jennifer Griffin, PhD

Partner at Mission BioCapital

Dr. Griffin is a Partner in the Cambridge office of early-stage venture capital firm Mission BioCapital where she focuses on fund strategy and investor relations. Jennifer has spent the last 10+ years accelerating early-stage life science companies through direct investing, as well as creating ecosystems for their success. As a VP at the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), she designed and executed the Commonwealth’s investment strategy with a particular focus on developing underserved and underrepresented markets and talent within the industry.

Michael Gunderson

Director, Corporate Development Team at Teleflex

Michael Gunderson is a Director on the Corporate Development team at Teleflex Incorporated. He focuses on sourcing, evaluating and executing M&A transactions for the Interventional and Interventional Urology business units. Prior to Teleflex, Michael was an associate at SSG Capital Advisors where he advised clients on distressed M&A, refinancing and restructuring transactions. Michael started his career at DuPont Capital Management as an Investment Analyst on the Private Markets team. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.S. in Finance and Economics.

Rebecca Guzman

Partner, Vice Chair of M&A Division at Duane Morris

Rebecca A. Guzman focuses on the representation of start-up and emerging growth companies with a focus on life science companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and healthcare IT industries. Her practice spans the entire corporate lifecycle, from formation through liquidity. In addition to her company client counsel, Rebecca represents a number of prominent venture capital funds and institutional investors in their financing activities.

Rebecca is broadly experienced in M&A and currently serves as a vice chair of the M&A Division of the firm. She also has extensive experience and regularly advises in all areas of Delaware corporate and alternative entity law.

Rebecca is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she won the Prosser Prize in Negotiations, and a graduate, with highest honors, of Lehigh University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Before law school, Rebecca was a Fulbright Scholar in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Scott Hamilton

Olympic Gold Medalist, Cancer Survivor, Activist and Fundraiser at Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation

The most recognized male figure skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Emmy Award nomination, induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

In 1984, Scott captured the attention of the world with his Olympic Gold medal performances in Saravejo and since has shared his love and enthusiasm for the sport as a analyst/commentator, performer, producer and best-selling author (Fritzy Finds a Hat, 2020, Finish First: Winning Changes Everything, 2018; The Great Eight, 2009; Landing It, 1999). He further inspires others as a speaker, humanitarian, and as a cancer and pituitary brain tumor survivor.

After losing his mother to cancer, then becoming survivor himself, Scott turned activist, launching the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship). He founded several education and survivorship programs including Chemocare.com and the 4th Angel Mentoring Program. Events such as Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer and An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends galas fund research into treatments that treat the cancer and spare the patient harm.

He is also the founder of the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy at the Ford Ice Centers in Antioch, TN and Bellevue, TN, where he may frequently be found coaching Learn to Skate students and sharing his love of skating.

In what little free time remains, Scott can be found on the golf course and enjoys spending time with his wife Tracie and four children – at their home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Theresa Heah, MD

Former CEO of Intergalactic Therapeutics at Intergalactic Therapeutics

Dr. Heah is an accomplished executive who brings over two decades of drug development and commercial experience, focused primarily in gene therapy and ophthalmology. She most recently served as President and Chief Medical Officer at Kriya Therapeutics, where she launched the ophthalmology division, Kriya Ophthalmology, and was responsible for building its AAV gene therapy portfolio strategy and supporting the company’s Series C financing. Prior to joining Kriya, Dr. Heah served as Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer at AsclepiX Therapeutics, where she led the company’s Series A financing and advancement of its pipeline products into the clinic. Dr. Heah also previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), working to develop gene therapies in ophthalmology and rare diseases. In addition, she has held several leadership positions with increasing responsibility in early-stage private companies (Fovea Pharmaceuticals) and publicly traded companies (Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, Bayer Healthcare, Sanofi). Dr. Heah earned her M.D. from Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine, King’s College, University of London, and her Executive Master’s in Business Administration from the European School of Management & Technology (ESMT), Berlin.

Katherine High, MD

Co-Founder & Former President at Spark Therapeutics

Dr. Katherine High, an internist and hematologist by training, began her career studying the molecular basis of blood coagulation and the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of bleeding disorders. Her pioneering bench-to-bedside studies of gene therapy for hemophilia led to a series of studies that characterized the human immune response to gene delivery vectors. Her work evolved to encompass clinical translation of genetic therapies for multiple inherited disorders, and as the Founding Director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. High assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists and researchers working to discover new gene and cell therapies for genetic diseases and to facilitate rapid translation of preclinical discoveries into clinical application. At CHOP and Penn, Dr. High was an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and held an endowed chair at the medical school. In 2013, Spark Therapeutics, a biotechnology company based in Philadelphia, was formed based on programs that Dr. High had led at Children’s Hospital and in 2014, she joined Spark full-time as President and Head of R&D; in 2019, Spark was acquired by Roche. While at Spark, she led the team that achieved the first FDA approval of a gene therapy for a genetic disease in the US, for a rare form of congenital blindness, and led the development of a gene therapy for hemophilia B that has now completed Phase 3 testing. Dr. High served a five-year term on the FDA Advisory Committee on Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapies and is a past-president of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT). She received her A.B. in chemistry from Harvard University, an M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and business certification from the UNC Business School Management Institute for Hospital Administrators. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP), and Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY), and on the Board of Trustees of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. She is the recipient of many honors and awards, is the author of more than 200 scientific papers, and the holder of multiple issued patents on gene therapy. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (US), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians (London), and the National Academy of Sciences (US). She is currently a Visiting Professor at Rockefeller University in New York.

Joshua Jeanson, JD, MS

Senior Associate Director of Licensing, Engineering, Arts & Sciences, The Wharton School at Penn Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
USA

Josh Jeanson has built a career identifying, protecting, and commercializing intellectual property created in academic research labs. In addition to traditional licensing, Josh has worked closely with thought leaders on conceiving and launching unique technologies in underdeveloped fields or emerging market spaces. Through his efforts he has supported several high growth new ventures from UPenn, including Vivodyne, AlphaThera, Neuralert, and FloBio. In his previous role at UVA Licensing and Ventures Group he supported the initial commercial efforts of: Mission Secure, Laser Thermal Analysis, MadiDrop, and VLNComm. Prior to UPenn, Josh helped found InfiniSat and Sano Chemicals. At the Penn Center for Innovation Josh serves as the Senior Associate Director for the Physical Science team where he is primarily responsible for innovation from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Arts & Sciences, the Wharton School, and the Weitzman School of Design.

David Kellman

Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking at JMP Securities, a Citizens Company

David Kellman is a Managing Director and is Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at JMP Securities, a Citizens Company. He serves on the firm’s investment banking management committee and commitment committee.

David has over 20 years of experience investing in and advising healthcare and life sciences companies. Since joining JMP, David has executed over 100 advisory and capital markets transactions.

Prior to joining JMP, David was a Vice President at Paramount BioSciences, a life sciences investment firm. Previously, he was a hedge fund analyst at S.A.C. Capital Advisors focused on healthcare investing and a member of the healthcare investment banking group at Piper Jaffray. David began his career in the healthcare group of Investor Growth Capital, the venture capital arm of Investor AB.

David holds a BS in finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a BSE in bioengineering from its School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Kimberly W. Klayman

Partner at Ballard Spahr

Kimberly W. Klayman has broad experience representing privately held emerging companies, as well as venture capital, private equity funds, family offices and corporate venture groups that invest in high growth companies. She works with companies through the entire corporate life cycle, including pre-formation and general corporate counseling, venture capital financings, and mergers and acquisitions. Kimberly also counsels investors and platform companies in strategic acquisitions of high growth companies.

Krish Krishnan

CEO at Krystal Biotech

Krish Krishnan is an accomplished biotech executive. He was specifically involved in two successful IPOs (COO/CFO of New River Pharmaceuticals, Inc., NASDAQ: NRPH) and COO of Intrexon Corporation, Inc., NYSE: XON), approval of the blockbuster drug Vyvanse (for ADHD in 2007) and the sale of New River Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to Shire Pharmaceuticals, plc for $2.6BN. He served as the CEO of Pinnacle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and advanced a potential treatment for urinary tract infection from discovery to Phase II. He has served as Board member for Biotie Therapies Oyi (BTH1V: Helsinki, NASDAQ: BITI), a specialized drug development company in Finland and Thar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. prior to its sale to Grunenthal GmbH in 2017. Previously, Krish served as a Managing Principal of Suppliermarket.com (a pharmaceutical B2B marketplace) that was sold to Ariba in 2001 for $500M. Krish started his career as a Senior Engineer at E.I. Dupont de Nemours. Krish has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology and a graduate degree in Finance from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Leahey

President and CEO at Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA)

Mark Leahey is the President & CEO for the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), the leading national trade association representing hundreds of innovative and entrepreneurial medical technology companies in Washington, DC. His responsibilities include advocating on behalf of the medical device industry to Congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal and state agencies. He has led efforts for more reasonable and predictable regulatory pathways for innovators, a more timely and fair reimbursement process, and worked to open access in the hospital marketplace for all medical devices. Mr. Leahey led efforts against the medical device tax when it was first proposed in 2009, and successfully advocated for multiple suspensions of the tax before securing a full repeal in 2019. He has been named one of the medical device industry's top lobbyists and has served as one of the lead negotiators for the medical technology industry during every user fee agreement. Leahey currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Fogarty Institute, a leading medical technology incubator, and the Executive Board of EXCITE International, a global collaborative seeking to accelerate access to health technologies and the Editorial Advisory Board of Medical Product Outsourcing. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and a graduate of Georgetown University, the Georgetown Law Center and Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

Frank Leonard

President, CNS Cancers U.S. at Novocure

Frank Leonard has served as President, CNS (central nervous system) Cancers U.S. since September 2022. He is responsible for the entirety of Novocure’s U.S. CNS business, including U.S. glioblastoma (GBM) Sales and Marketing, Regional Marketing, Learning & Development, Maxpoint, Government Affairs and U.S. CNS Medical teams.

Mr. Leonard joined Novocure in 2010 to help prepare the company for the commercial launch of Optune®. He most recently served as Chief Development Officer. In this role, he was responsible for engineering, product development, business development and the overall strategic and operational leadership of Novocure’s innovation platforms. He previously served as the Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Health Policy. In this role, he established Novocure’s health policy and business development groups, and additionally led various finance functions.

Prior to joining Novocure, Mr. Leonard was a venture capital investor focused on high-impact medical technologies. Mr. Leonard holds an A.B. from Harvard and an M.A. from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

J. Matthew Mackowski

Chairman, Managing Director at Telegraph Hill Partners

Matt has been a healthcare-focused venture capital investor since 1980 and began his career as an investment professional with Citicorp Venture Capital. In 1991 he formed Mackowski & Shepler, the predecessor to Telegraph Hill Partners, and over nine years took an active or founding role with eight companies, primarily in medical and life science technologies. Matt has represented THP on the boards of Althea Technologies (acquired by Ajinomoto), Ambion (acquired by Applied Biosystems), Asuragen (acquired by Bio-Techne), Emerging Therapy Solutions, Interface Associates (acquired by NDC), Kinetikos Medical (acquired by Integra), Magstim, MedPricer (acquired by Premier), Teknova (NASDAQ:TKNO), and TrakCel; and is an observer on the board of Nimble Therapeutics. Matt received a BA from Duke University and an MBA from The Wharton School.

Eiran "Ron" Mandelker, MD

Former Chief Medical Director, Radiology, Coordinated Health, Medical Imaging Artificial Intelligence Consultant at Consultant

Marian Nakada PhD

Vice President, Venture Investments at Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC

Marian Nakada, VP Venture Investments for Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, starting her career at the laboratory bench at Centocor and moving to a research leadership role before Centocor’s acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. She transitioned to Janssen Business Development and joined JJDC, Johnson & Johnson’s corporate venture group in 2013. She is passionate about leveraging Johnson & Johnson’s capabilities to help her portfolio companies succeed. Marian has a A.B. in Biology from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania. She has authored 62 peer reviewed publications and 14 book chapters and is a past reviewer for the NIH Pharmacology Study Section. She is currently on the Boards of Redona Therapeutics, Navitor Pharmaceuticals, and a stealth NewCo as well as the New England Venture Capital Association where she is working to champion change as an active contributor to its diversity & inclusion efforts. Outside work, Marian is a Board Member at InnerCity Weightlifting whose mission is to amplify the voice and agency of people who have been most impacted by systemic racism and mass incarceration.

Danielle O'Brien

Vice President, Finance - Assistant Corporate Controller at Teleflex

Danielle O’Brien is the Assistant Corporate Controller and Vice President of Finance at Teleflex Incorporated. As a leader within corporate finance, she is responsible for the oversight of the global accounting and reporting functions. Danielle also serves as the corporate finance liaison to the business development team, the commercial businesses and other finance functions within Teleflex. Additionally, she is a Teleflex Foundation Officer and a Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Committee member. Prior to becoming Assistant Corporate Controller and Vice President of Finance, Danielle led the external reporting department at Teleflex.

Before coming to Teleflex in January 2014, Danielle was a Senior Manager in the assurance practice area of PricewaterhouseCoopers. While at PwC, Danielle was responsible for planning, oversight, and execution of audits and audit-related engagements for public multi-national manufacturing companies as well as not-for-profit clients with health industries and higher education.

Danielle is a licensed CPA, a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants and a graduate of Villanova University.

Ryan O'Connell

Managing Director at Nucleate

Ryan is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate at University of Pennsylvania engineering bispecific antibodies for cancer immunotherapy, after working as a senior associate scientist in preclinical drug discovery for small-to-mid-size pharmaceutical companies developing small molecule therapeutics. Currently, Ryan acts as managing director of Nucleate for the Philadelphia region whose Activator Program facilitates the formation of life sciences companies by identifying founders creating impactful biotechnologies at local academic institutions. He and his team embark founders and supporting students in business, science, and medicine through a tailored curriculum that dismantles the start-up process into an incremental system of expert-led workshops and educational lectures, while providing executive-level mentorship and network access to entrepreneurial resources and opportunities, both locally and globally.

Michelle Ottey, PhD

Managing Director at CIC
Philadelphia
USA

Michelle Ottey, PhD, HCLD is a Philadelphia native, and completed a post doctoral fellowship at University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine in Genetics from Thomas Jefferson University. She transitioned from research science to science management and joined Fairfax Cryobank in June 2006, eventually becoming the Lab Director. Michelle dedicated fifteen years to building a strong, effective, and efficient team with Fairfax Cryobank while serving on the Medical Advisory Board and as the Spokesperson for Cryobank. Michelle joined CIC Labs + Innovation Campus in Philadelphia in January 2022 as the Managing Director. She oversees external relationship building, strategic planning, and supports the thriving life science labs and greater Philadelphia Life Science Ecosystem.

Jana Patton-Vogt

Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences at Duquesne University

Dr. Patton-Vogt joined Duquesne University in 2001. She has a BS from the University of Wyoming and a PhD from the University of Kentucky. Prior to working at Duquesne she was a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant then a Research Scientist, both at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Dr. Patton-Vogt's current research interests focus on the molecular genetics of phospholipid metabolism in Saccharomyces

Meghan Popoleo

Vice President of Growth at The O'Connor Group

George Poulin

Principal at Strada Architecture

With a passion for architecture and the built environment, George approaches each project as a privilege to help clients fulfill their aspirations. He enjoys working through complex design challenges and detailing architectural projects, resulting in thoughtfully considered and meticulously crafted designs.

Adam Prince

Partner at Morgan Lewis

Adam D. Prince advises clients on diverse business transactions, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies. Adam also advises clients on venture capital and emerging growth company investments and transactional matters; finance and restructuring; and general corporate governance. Adam’s clients represent diverse sectors including healthcare, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, retail, manufacturing, utilities, financial institutions, and energy. In law school, Adam served as an editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. He holds a B.A. in philosophy, politics, and economics.

Bruce Robertson

Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital

As Managing Director of H.I.G. BioHealth Partners, Bruce focuses on investment opportunities in the life sciences sector, including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics.

Bruce currently serves on the boards of Apollo Endosurgery, RxSight, CardioFocus, Clarus Therapeutics, Iconic Therapeutics, Exagen, and Augmedics.

Bruce has been active in the life sciences sector for more than 30 years. Prior to joining H.I.G., Bruce served most recently as Managing Director at Toucan Capital, a venture capital fund focusing on healthcare investments. While at Toucan, Bruce invested in leading drug and device companies throughout the U.S. Prior to Toucan, Bruce was a General Partner at GIV Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on investments in the US, India, and China. Prior to his private equity career, Bruce was Director of Business Development at IGEN International, where he was responsible for formulating and implementing IGEN’s partnering and M&A strategies. Bruce started his career as a Research Manager at W.R. Grace & Co., focusing on medical devices.

Bruce is on the boards of the University of Delaware Research Foundation and the BioLife Fund of Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology. Bruce holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering and BA in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, a PhD in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering from the University of Delaware, and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.

Squire Servance

Founder and Managing Director at Syridex Bio

Squire Servance is the Founder and Managing Partner of Syridex Bio, an impact-driven, life sciences-focused investment firm geared toward investing in and developing therapies that accelerate global health equity. As Managing Partner, he oversees the firm’s operations, growth strategy, investments decisions, and fundraising execution.

Prior to founding Syridex Bio, he served as SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Repligen Corporation, a bioprocessing-focused life sciences company. At Repligen, Squire led the legal, corporate secretary, compliance and enterprise risk functions as well as counseled the company’s Board of Directors and senior management. He also served on Repligen’s environmental, social, and corporate governance committee. Squire joined Repligen from Baxter International, Inc. where he led the global legal team supporting their multi-billion-dollar global pharmaceuticals business. Prior to joining Baxter, Squire worked in a variety of settings including as a Director providing legal support to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories business development team and as a life sciences attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Bruce Shook

Chair of Life Sciences PA, Serial MedTech Entrepreneur at Life Sciences PA
King of Prussia
USA

Wamis Singhatat

CEO at ActiveProtective
Malvern
USA

Wamis Singhatat is a mission-driven developer of wearables, surgical devices, and connected health solutions with over 20 years of industry experience. Focused on creating products that elevate the standard of care and positively impact society, he has led R&D and marketing functions within companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 50. He is currently the CEO of ActiveProtective and previously held various management roles within DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson company. He holds over 30 US patents in a variety of fields and has co-authored multiple publications on medical technology in peer-reviewed journals. Mr. Singhatat holds a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron.

Stephen Spagnol, PhD

Director, Enabling Technologies at Merck

Stephen Spagnol is a Director of Business Development & Licensing, Enabling Technologies at Merck. He leads Search & Evaluation efforts related to mRNA/RNA, Drug Delivery & Formulation, Vaccines & Biologics Bioprocess, Cell & Gene Therapy and Gene Editing. Prior to returning to Merck, Stephen was an Associate Director at Johnson & Johnson where he led efforts for novel new modality therapeutics. He led Phase III and late-stage development for AAV gene therapy programs and development for oncolytic viruses and viral vaccines for oncology. He led novel platform development for gene therapy culminating in several patent applications. Stephen started his career at Merck and serving as a Scientific Supervisor and led formulation and process development efforts for RNA Therapeutics and mRNA Vaccines. He also led design and optimization of novel drug delivery technologies for RNA therapeutics and mRNA vaccines.

Stephen received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Stephen completed his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.

Kara Thornton

Vice President, Human Resources at Neuronetics

Kara Thornton is Neuronetics VP of Human Resources, and has been with the company since July 2019.

Kara has over 20 years of Human Resources experiences in Life Sciences including Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, Consumer, Nutraceuticals and Medical Device. She has led both domestic and global Human Resources teams serving as a strategic HR business partner across all functions. Prior to joining Neuronetics, Kara was Head of Human Resources for the US branded pharmaceutical business at Sun Pharma where she supported the commercial and enabling businesses across 5 therapeutic areas.

Kara spent the large portion of her career at DSM, a global life and material sciences organization based in the Netherlands from 2008 – 2018. There, she spent 10 years in various roles of increasing levels of responsibilities across four business units including, Director, Human Resources in Pharmaceutical Products; Sr. Director Human Resources, Shared Services; Head of Human Resources, Biomedical; and Sr. Director, Human Resources, North America Region.

Prior to joining DSM, Kara held HR Business Partner positions at Johnson and Johnson, Bayer and Daiichi Sankyo. Kara holds a BA degree from Cabrini University in Communications and History.

Julie Tibbets

Partner, Chair, Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance Practice at Goodwin
Washington
USA

Julie Tibbets chairs Goodwin's Life Sciences Regulatory and Compliance practice at the firm. Julie focuses her practice on FDA-regulated product development, crisis resolution, product marketing and corporate communications as well as the intersection of each of those with corporate strategy and securities disclosure obligations. Her product areas of focus include biologics, drugs, medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, as well as digital therapeutics, tools and apps. Julie advises clients on product development strategy, interactions with the FDA, clinical trial conduct and documentation, adverse event reporting, commercial strategy, product labeling and advertising, and FDA inspections. She also leads the regulatory due diligence reviews of FDA-regulated M&A or investment targets, potential collaborators and licensees, and guides the regulatory disclosures of FDA-regulated entities in their initial public offerings and follow-on offerings. Julie also works closely with the Food & Healthy Living practice team at Goodwin on the intersection of food, supplement, and cosmetic regulation with FDA's drug and device authorities.

Bobby Trudeau

Managing Director at Nucleate

Bobby is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is studying the transcription of immune-linked genes by live-cell imaging. He participated in Nucleate Philadelphia as a team member on a women’s health startup. He then joined Nucleate as the Director of Partnerships, during which he helped establish relationships with companies across the Philadelphia region to help foster the translation of academic innovation. He is now working as a co-managing director of Nucleate Philadelphia where he is working to train the next generation of biotech leaders and strengthen ties between academia and the life science industry in the Mid-Atlantic.

Ryan Udell

Partner at Ballard Spahr

Ryan Udell is the co-leader of the firm's Life Sciences Industry Group. He advises companies throughout the corporate life cycle—and across industry sectors—in mergers, acquisitions, sales, licensing, and capital raising. He helps emerging growth companies to secure financing and represents angel and venture capital investors in debt and equity transactions. Ryan is particularly known for his work in the technology industry.

With a deep knowledge of business and an extensive professional network, Ryan helps connect companies to funding sources, identify challenges before they become problems, and develop practical, customized solutions that meet their business goals. He handles matters for clients in the biotechnology and medical technology, cannabis, health care, information technology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and software fields.

Arda Ural, PhD

Americas Industry Market Leader, Health Sciences and Wellness at Ernst & Young

As the EY Americas Industry Markets Leader for Health Sciences and Wellness, Arda leads the fast-growing multi-billion-dollar Life Sciences and Healthcare business. Prior to joining EY, he was a Managing Director at a strategy consulting firm for six years, where he led the Life Sciences M&A Practice. Earlier, he worked as a VP of Strategic Marketing and a BU Lead at an American medical technology company. He also served as the SVP Marketing & Sales for a startup biotechnology company which went public. Arda started his career with a pharmaceutical company in Istanbul and subsequently relocated to New York, where he held leadership roles in product commercialization and new product development. He earned a PhD in General Management and Finance and an MBA from Marmara University and his MSc and BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Boğaziçi University. Arda serves on several Advisory Boards at BIO, BioNJ and NJIT Biomedical Engineering.

Mary Walker

Vice President, Human Resources at PECO

Mary Walker is the vice president of Human Resources for PECO. She is a highly sought-after strategic business partner who specializes in human resources and delivering progressive talent solutions.

Walker has over 20 years of experience leading organizational transformations. Over the course of her career, she has worked in talent acquisition and talent management functions to deliver innovative solutions to her many clients in the areas of strategic program management, career management, succession planning, performance management, organizational development and employee/labor relations. She has also overseen the process of candidate attraction and selection, employee development and the retention of human capital.

Walker has been equally as committed to giving back to her community. Beyond her dedicated support to many local non-profit organizations, she holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Lasalle. She sits on the Board of Directors for AchieveAbility (current Chair) and Mission First Housing Group. She has been named an Energy for the Community Achievement Award winner and a recipient of the Philadelphia Tribune's Women Achieving Award. She has also been featured on national and local panels and was featured on NBC's Growing Greater Philadelphia.

Walker holds a bachelor's degree in Business from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and a master's degree in Business Administration from Eastern University. She has also obtained certifications from numerous organizations including Cornell University for Resolution Facilitation and Human Resources Certification Institute as a Human Resources Professional (PHR).

Neal Walker, DO

Co-Founder and Chair of Board of Directors at Aclaris Therapeutics

Neal Walker co-founded Aclaris and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director since its inception in 2012.

Neal is a board-certified dermatologist and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry. Neal’s pharmaceutical industry career began at Johnson & Johnson, from which he went on to co-found a number of companies, including NeXeption, LLC, a biopharmaceutical assets management company; Vicept Therapeutics, Inc., a dermatology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company (acquired by Allergan, Inc.); Octagon Research Solutions, Inc., a software and services provider to biopharmaceutical companies (acquired by Accenture plc); Trigenesis Therapeutics, Inc., a specialty dermatology company (acquired by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Inc.); and Cutix Inc., a commercial dermatology company. Neal also co-founded and previously served on the boards of a number of ventures, including the Dermatology Summit, Dermatology Innovation Forum, and Advancing Innovation in Dermatology. In 2016, Dr. Walker was awarded the Frank Baldino Bioscience CEO of the Year award and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Greater Philadelphia award.

Currently, Neal is on the board of directors of Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc., and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. He received a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Lehigh University.

Mark Wells, MS, PA-C

Associate Director, Strategy & Innovation at B. Braun Medical

With more than 18 years experience, Mark is a board-certified physician assistant with broad and deep clinical experience. Prior to practicing medicine, he has held several, senior-level, marketing and business development positions within the biotech industry. Additionally, he has the proud distinction of having served his country, with honor, as an officer in the United States Navy.

Jim Wilson PhD, MD

Director, Gene Therapy Program Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Wilson is an innovator and pioneer in the field of gene therapy. In a career spanning four decades, he has identified, isolated, and developed virus-based vectors for in vivo gene therapy. His laboratory is responsible for discovering a new family of endogenous adeno-associated viruses (AAV) that have become best-in-class for in vivo gene therapy vectors. His research efforts and novel technology have contributed to successful clinical programs of in vivo gene therapy for rare monogenic diseases developed by other companies, including Glybera® for familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency (AAV1), Luxturna® for RPE65-mediated retinal dystrophy (AAV2), and Zolgensma® for spinal muscular atrophy (AAV9). More recently, his laboratory demonstrated for the first time therapeutic in vivo genome editing in a large animal model, thus extending the therapeutic potential of the AAV platform.

During the early 2000s, Dr. Wilson found that AAV genomes are prevalent in primates; characterization of these novel capsids revealed an expanded family of viruses that have great therapeutic promise (1-3). For example, the rhesus isolate AAV8 has shown improved gene transfer to liver, muscle, and photoreceptors (1, 4) whereas the human isolate AAV9 is capable of crossing endothelial and blood-brain barriers that enable it to target the heart and central nervous system (5, 6). Recent work in Dr. Wilson’s laboratory has highlighted how specific AAV-protein interactions in endothelial cells enhance the ability of AAV to cross the blood-brain barrier (7); such work may prove instrumental in the development of new AAV-based therapies for genetic diseases which affect the central nervous system.

Dr. Wilson aims to expand gene therapy to also treat acquired diseases and other conditions, such as deploying AAV-based therapies to treat influenza (8) and central nervous system metastases located beyond the blood-brain barrier (9). Novel applications of the AAV platform include prophylaxis against subsequent organophosphate poisoning, potentially offering protection in biowarfare (10). Dr. Wilson is also pursuing in vivo genome editing. In a world-first, his laboratory recently demonstrated efficient and stable in vivo gene editing in liver cells in non-human primates that resulted in reduced levels of circulating PCSK9 and serum cholesterol; this work has important implications in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (11).

Translational research efforts are ongoing in his laboratory across a portfolio of lysosomal storage diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infantile epilepsies, and liver metabolic diseases. A robust, discovery-oriented research program in virology, vector engineering, and gene editing complements the translational portfolio and informs the development of next generation vectors and therapies.

Elizabeth (Betty) Woo, PhD

Vice President of Cell, Gene and Advanced Therapies at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Elizabeth Woo (Betty) serves as the Vice President of Cell, Gene and Advanced Therapies at Thermo Fisher Scientific. In her current role, Betty leads a business focused on fit-for-purpose solutions for cell and gene therapy (CGT) innovators, by integrating CGT products and services across Thermo Fisher. Prior to her current role, Betty led a corporate team focused on strategic collaborations with Thermo Fisher global customers. Betty has held business, technical, and commercial leadership positions at Thermo Fisher over the past 20 years, with a common thread of providing enabling technology to serve customers.

Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Betty served in various leadership roles at Cellomics, a biotechnology start-up, spanning product management to business development and strategic marketing.

Betty started her professional career on the faculty of University of Pittsburgh Medical School in the Department of Pharmacology, where she also completed her post-doctoral studies.
Betty obtained her doctorate in pharmacology from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Betty serves on several advisory boards including the Standards Coordinating Body, the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse.

Janet Woodcock, MD

Principal Deputy Commissioner at US Food & Drug Administration

Janet Woodcock is the FDA’s Principal Deputy Commissioner. In this role, she works closely with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to develop and implement key public health initiatives and helps oversee the agency’s day-to-day functions. She served as the Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs from Jan. 20, 2021, until Feb. 17, 2022.

Dr. Woodcock began her FDA career in 1986 at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) where she served as the Director of the Division of Biological Investigational New Drugs and as Acting Deputy Director and Director of CBER’s Office of Therapeutics Research and Review, which oversaw the approval of the first biotechnology-based treatments for multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis during her tenure.

In 1994, she was named Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), leading the Center’s work that is the world’s gold standard for drug approval and safety.

In 2004, she became the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer. Later she took on other executive leadership positions in the Commissioner’s Office, including Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Chief Operating Officer.

In 2007, she returned as Director of CDER until asked to be the therapeutics lead for “Operation Warp Speed” in early 2020. This entailed supporting the development, evaluation, and availability of treatments such as monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs for patients with COVID-19.

Dr. Woodcock holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA), and a Doctor of Medicine from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University Medical School (Chicago). She is board certified in internal medicine.

David Banko

Director, HEOR Healthcare Strategy & Innovation

B. Braun Medical

USA

Christopher de Souza, PhD

Director

Broadview Ventures

USA

Chris Garabedian

Chairman & CEO

Xontogeny

USA

Wamis Singhatat

CEO

ActiveProtective

USA

Person Name	Job Title	Organization
David Banko	Director, HEOR Healthcare Strategy & Innovation	B. Braun Medical
Gurdane Bhutani	Managing Partner and Co-Founder	MBX Capital
Larissa Borys	Research Assistant, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Vice President of External Events	Penn Neuroscience Society
Lindsey Breiner	System Director of Talent Acquisition	Main Line Health
Charles Cairns, MD	Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean; Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs	Drexel University
Arthur Caplan, PhD	Director, Division of Medical Ethics	New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Barb Carlin	Managing Director, Mid Atlantic Region	Danforth Advisors
Laura Chase	Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, Immunology Practice	Johnson & Johnson
Ted Clineff	Director, Strategy & Business Development	DSM Biomedical
Christopher de Souza, PhD	Director	Broadview Ventures
Jeff DeVuono	EVP, Senior Managing Director, Life Sciences	Brandywine Realty Trust
Tracy Dowling, JD	Chief Business Officer & General Counsel	AskBio
David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc	Co-Founder & President	Every Cure
Matthew Fenske	Vice President, New Products & Business Development	Harmony Biosciences
Jason Frederick	Partner, Strategic Growth Markets	Ernst & Young
Sarah Fuller	Vice President, Head of Business Development	Kyowa Kirin
Chris Garabedian	Chairman & CEO	Xontogeny
Andrei Georgescu, PhD	CEO	Vivodyne
Jennifer Griffin, PhD	Partner	Mission BioCapital
Michael Gunderson	Director, Corporate Development Team	Teleflex
Rebecca Guzman	Partner, Vice Chair of M&A Division	Duane Morris
Scott Hamilton	Olympic Gold Medalist, Cancer Survivor, Activist and Fundraiser	Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation
Theresa Heah, MD	Former CEO of Intergalactic Therapeutics	Intergalactic Therapeutics
Katherine High, MD	Co-Founder & Former President	Spark Therapeutics
Joshua Jeanson, JD, MS	Senior Associate Director of Licensing, Engineering, Arts & Sciences, The Wharton School	Penn Center for Innovation, University of Pennsylvania
David Kellman	Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking	JMP Securities, a Citizens Company
Kimberly W. Klayman	Partner	Ballard Spahr
Krish Krishnan	CEO	Krystal Biotech
Mark Leahey	President and CEO	Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA)
Frank Leonard	President, CNS Cancers U.S.	Novocure
J. Matthew Mackowski	Chairman, Managing Director	Telegraph Hill Partners
Eiran "Ron" Mandelker, MD	Former Chief Medical Director, Radiology, Coordinated Health, Medical Imaging Artificial Intelligence Consultant	Consultant
Marian Nakada PhD	Vice President, Venture Investments	Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC
Danielle O'Brien	Vice President, Finance - Assistant Corporate Controller	Teleflex
Ryan O'Connell	Managing Director	Nucleate
Michelle Ottey, PhD	Managing Director	CIC
Jana Patton-Vogt	Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Sciences	Duquesne University
Meghan Popoleo	Vice President of Growth	The O'Connor Group
George Poulin	Principal	Strada Architecture
Adam Prince	Partner	Morgan Lewis
Bruce Robertson	Managing Director	H.I.G. Capital
Squire Servance	Founder and Managing Director	Syridex Bio
Bruce Shook	Chair of Life Sciences PA, Serial MedTech Entrepreneur	Life Sciences PA
Wamis Singhatat	CEO	ActiveProtective
Stephen Spagnol, PhD	Director, Enabling Technologies	Merck
Kara Thornton	Vice President, Human Resources	Neuronetics
Julie Tibbets	Partner, Chair, Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance Practice	Goodwin
Bobby Trudeau	Managing Director	Nucleate
Ryan Udell	Partner	Ballard Spahr
Arda Ural, PhD	Americas Industry Market Leader, Health Sciences and Wellness	Ernst & Young
Mary Walker	Vice President, Human Resources	PECO
Neal Walker, DO	Co-Founder and Chair of Board of Directors	Aclaris Therapeutics
Mark Wells, MS, PA-C	Associate Director, Strategy & Innovation	B. Braun Medical
Jim Wilson PhD, MD	Director, Gene Therapy Program Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine	University of Pennsylvania
Elizabeth (Betty) Woo, PhD	Vice President of Cell, Gene and Advanced Therapies	Thermo Fisher Scientific
Janet Woodcock, MD	Principal Deputy Commissioner	US Food & Drug Administration