Board of Advisors

A 35-year veteran of the biopharma and CPG industries, Tom Anderson has led and been a part of high-growth organizations for much of his career. Prior to Tom being appointed CEO and Director at SwanBio Therapeutics, he was recruited to Sage Therapeutics, Inc. in 2014 to be the company’s Chief Commercial Strategy Officer and a key member of Sage’s leadership team. Between 2004 and 2014, Tom was a senior operating (P&L) executive with Shire Pharmaceuticals Group in a number of operational and strategic roles in both rare diseases and specialty pharmaceuticals. During that time, Shire achieved a 5-fold increase in revenues and market cap valuation. Prior to that, Tom was with J&J (Janssen and McNeil Pharmaceutical) in a number of leadership, sales, marketing, and business information roles which experienced transformational growth. Between 1997 and 2002, Tom served in C-suite and Board roles with market-leading consumer product companies as part of the Claneil Enterprises, Inc. family of companies: President & CEO for Ranir-DCP Corporation, and EVP / COO with Claneil’s Lander Company, Inc. Tom is on the boards of SwanBio Therapeutics, ExpressCells Inc. and a strategic advisor to Sealink International and CEO Trust. He is also an investor partner at Robin Hood Ventures in Philadelphia, PA. Tom earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business Administration. He received a BS in civil engineering from the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering at Lehigh University.

Michael Annunziata is the Managing Director at Donnelley Financial Solutions, the largest SEC Filing agent in Life Sciences.   Michael is devoted to serving clients in the life sciences industry with accounting software, financial reporting solutions, SEC registration statements management, initial public offerings, and data rooms related to mergers and acquisitions and transaction support.   Michael’s +25-year background ranges from life science start-ups to commercial-stage companies, managing their fundraisers, crossovers, licensing agreements, and clinical trial data support.  Pre/Post IPO companies rely on Michael and his team for their deal preparations expertise at various stages of growth. Michael looks forward to supporting the goals of LSC to address both immediate and long term needs of individuals living in poverty.

Prior to joining Vectiv Bio, Mr. Applebaum was the Chief Legal & Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Trevena, where he played a key role in gaining FDA approval for their lead product, Olinvyk®. Previously, he served as President of Context Therapeutics and was General Counsel at Vitae Pharmaceuticals, where he was instrumental in their sale to Allergan. Formerly, he was Chief Legal Officer for Medgenics, a rare genetic disease company. Mr. Applebaum spent 10 years at Shire, where his roles included heading up their global legal group, managing their neuroscience portfolio outside of the United States as SVP of the Neuroscience Business Unit and leading the implementation and execution of the regulatory strategy for all of Shire’s specialty pharmaceutical products worldwide as SVP of Global Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance and Compliance. Previously, he was Senior Counsel for medicines and medical imaging at Bristol Myers Squibb.

Prior to his career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Mr. Applebaum was a lawyer at Dechert LLP. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.S. in Economics, Finance and Accounting from the University of Pennsylvania.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Chuck Baum, M.D., Ph.D.

Louis W. Beardell Jr. focuses his practice on intellectual property (IP) matters in connection with patent strategies, IP due diligence, litigation, and transactions. He assists clients in developing and implementing programs that protect products and inventions including trade secrets, particularly in the life sciences, technology, and financial services fields. For US and international clients, Louis negotiates and prepares the IP aspects of licensing and purchase agreements, as well as agreements relating to product and service supply, collaboration, research, consulting, patent litigation settlement, and material transfer.

Glenn is the CEO of Tactix Real Estate Advisors, one of the largest tenant-only brokerage firms in the region. Prior to forming Tactix, he was a partner and Chair of the Real Estate Equity Practice at Dechert where he practiced for 17 years.

Ms. Bourdow was appointed President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of the Trevena Board of Directors in October 2018. She has served in various senior positions at Trevena since May 2015. She joined the Company as Chief Commercial Officer and was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in January 2018. Prior to joining Trevena, Ms. Bourdow was Vice President of Marketing at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., from 2013 until its acquisition by Merck & Co. (MRK), Inc. in January 2015. At Cubist, Ms. Bourdow led launch strategy, marketing, reimbursement, and operations for five acute care hospital pharmaceuticals totaling over $1 billion in annual revenues. Prior to Cubist, Ms. Bourdow served for more than 20 years at Merck & Co., Inc., where she held positions of increasing responsibility across multiple therapeutic areas. Since June 2017, she has served on the board of Nabriva Therapeutics plc. (NBRV), a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. In February 2020, Ms. Bourdow joined the board of Sesen Bio (SESN), a public biopharmaceutical company.

Dr. Braunstein was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Marinus Pharmaceuticals in August 2019. Prior to his current leadership role at Marinus, he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From 2002 to 2014, Dr. Braunstein worked as a Healthcare Analyst and Portfolio Manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, where he invested in and conducted diligence on a wide variety of pharmaceutical products and product candidates. Dr. Braunstein began his career as a practicing physician at the Summit Medical Group and as Assistant Clinical Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center. He completed his training at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Braunstein currently serves on the board of Trevana Inc., Caribou Biosciences and Constellation Pharmaceuticals. He previously served as board member of Ziopharm Oncology Inc., Esperion Pharmaceuticals, and Protara Therapeutics Inc.

Dr. Braunstein received his M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his B.S. from Cornell University.

Topher Brooke joined the Aytu BioPharma executive team in April 2021 upon the acquisition of the global license to AR101 from the company he founded, Rumpus Therapeutics. Topher has over 20 years of general management experience in healthcare across all phases of development and commercialization. He has worked across several modalities (proteins, small molecules, and vaccines) and across multiple therapeutic areas. Topher has held roles of increasing responsibility at Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and AmerisourceBergen. Most recently, Topher co-founded Rumpus Therapeutics to develop new medicines for pediatric onset rare and orphan diseases. Topher has a BA from Colgate University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tom is President & CEO of AOIC, LLC –a medical and scientific communications organization that helps biopharma and non-profit companies communicate clinical trial data and disease treatment advances. Tom has a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from Drexel University. Prior to becoming President & CEO of AOIC, Tom served in several marketing and management roles for the company. In addition, he spent 15 years in business and engineering management for several pharmaceutical drug delivery and chemical manufacturing companies including FMC, Colorcon, and Allied Signal. A native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Chester County, Tom has served in community service for West Whiteland Township, Chester County, and the state of Pennsylvania for almost 18 years. He serves on the Board of the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) and the Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n). Tom also served on the Board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for 8 years. Tom is married, and they have one son who loves sports, science, and math.

Rachael M. Bushey is a partner in the Life Sciences group at Goodwin. She joined the firm in 2023. Rachael represents public and private life sciences companies in connection with a variety of capital markets transactions; Securities Exchange Act work; mergers and acquisitions; complex divestitures and carve-out transactions. In addition to day-to-day corporate counseling and strategic advice, she also regularly provides counseling to boards of directors and senior management on a wide range of corporate governance and compliance matters. Rachael has significant experience negotiating transactions with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Andrew joined Cytokinetics as Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer in March 2021.

Andrew has a deep biopharma background which includes well over 20 years at Pfizer and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, including roles of increasing responsibility overseeing US and International pharmaceutical franchises. Most recently Andrew served as Regional President and General Manager North America, Upjohn Business Unit at Pfizer. Prior to this role and during his 11+ years at Pfizer, he held several leadership positions including Vice President U.S. Cardiology & Metabolic Marketing where he led the commercialization of Eliquis in the U.S., Vice President and Head of Inflammation Marketing Europe and Vice President Global Commercial Development Rare Disease. Prior to Pfizer, Andrew spent over 10 years at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in various roles within Business Planning & Analysis, ultimately serving as AVP Marketing across several products. Andrew started the first 7 years of his career as a Consulting Manager at Accenture.

Andrew received a B.S. in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.

Andrew enjoys spending time with wife Alicia and two children, Daniel, and Julia. In addition, he is an avid runner, home chef, bourbon enthusiast (in moderation of course), and sports fan – especially his lifelong love of the Dallas Cowboys!

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.

CEO

ORIC Pharmaceuticals

As an Executive Director and Executive Financial Services Director, Brett enjoys making a difference in his clients lives by providing impartial advice and helping them achieve their goals. With over 17 years of experience at Morgan Stanley, Brett brings extensive knowledge and experience in working with affluent individuals and families including corporate executives and owners of private companies. As a Private Wealth Advisor, Brett focuses on executive compensation, pre & post liquidity planning and long-term financial planning. Brett earned a B.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from The George Washington University while participating in the University Honors Program. Brett currently lives in Center City Philadelphia with his wife Jackie, their children Dillon and Parker, and their French Bulldogs Oscar and Penny. In his free time, Brett enjoys yoga, hiking, and traveling. His favorite cities to visit are Florence, Italy and Tel Aviv, Israel.

John F. Crowley is our Executive Chairman. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Amicus from 2005 to 2022. John’s involvement with biotechnology stems from the 1998 diagnosis of two of his children with Pompe disease—a severe and often fatal neuromuscular disorder. In his drive to find a cure for them, he left his position at Bristol-Myers Squibb and became an entrepreneur as the Co-founder, President and CEO of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, a biotech start-up conducting research on a new experimental treatment for Pompe disease (which he credits as ultimately saving his children’s lives). In 2001, Novazyme was acquired by Genzyme Corporation and John continued to play a lead role in the development of a drug for Pompe disease as Senior Vice President, Genzyme Therapeutics.

John and his family have been profiled numerous times on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and are the subjects of a book by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand, “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million-And Bucked the Medical Establishment-In a Quest to Save His Children.” The major motion picture, Extraordinary Measures, starring Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford, is inspired by the Crowley family journey. John is the author of a personal memoir: Chasing Miracles: The Crowley Family Journey of Strength, Hope, and Joy.

John served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2005-2016, assigned to the United States Special Operations Command, and is a veteran of the global war on terrorism, with service in Afghanistan. He graduated with a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and earned a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard. The Crowley family was the recipient of the 2011 Family Exemplar Award from the University of Notre Dame. He is also a member of the University Council on Science & Technology at Notre Dame. Currently, John serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. and Entrada Therapeutics, Inc. He is the former National Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and is a founding Board member of the Global Genes Project. John is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He was awarded a Doctor of Laws Degree (Honoris Causa) from the University of Notre Dame, where he delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2020.

Jeffrey M. Dayno, M.D., is Chief Medical Officer for Harmony Biosciences. A nationally recognized expert in neuroscience, Dr. Dayno is currently responsible for managing research, development and medical and regulatory affairs for Harmony Biosciences.

He is a neurologist with 10 years experience in clinical/academic medicine followed by over 20 years experience in leadership roles at Merck & Co., Cephalon, and ViroPharma, building and leading clinical, regulatory and medical affairs teams toward multiple NDA approvals and medical support of successful product launches.

Dr. Dayno has served as Principal Investigator on numerous clinical trials and published and lectured extensively on various topics in the field of Neurology, with a focus on stroke, sleep disorders, pain and migraine. He has also served as a peer reviewer for several scientific neurology journals.

Dr. Dayno earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine, did his residency training in Neurology at Temple University Hospital, and completed a fellowship in Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disorders in the Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital.

John Fry was appointed Drexel University’s 14th president in 2010 and has served in higher education for his entire professional life.

A focal point of Drexel’s strategic plan is to become an even greater economic engine for Greater Philadelphia. Fry announced the creation of Drexel Ventures and Schuylkill Yards, a $3.5 billion mixed-use development on University. Under Fry, Drexel has seen a significant increase in fundraising and philanthropic partners. Landmark gifts in recent years include $50 million from Thomas R. Kline to support the Kline School of Law and $45 million from Dana and David Dornsife to support the Dornsife School of Public Health. A $400 million campaign reached its goal ahead of schedule in 2013, and in late 2017 Fry announced a new, four-year campaign to raise $750 million - already past the $600 million mark.

Fry came to Drexel from Franklin & Marshall College, where he served as president from 2002 and was instrumental in the college’s academic growth, campus and neighborhood development and improved finances. From 1995 to 2002, Fry served as executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Penn, Fry was a management consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick and then with Coopers & Lybrand’s National Higher Education Consulting Practice.

In addition to leading Drexel, Fry served two years as chair of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, concluding his tenure in October, 2018. He previously served as chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council and chair of U.S. Squash. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission. In January, 2020, he was appointed to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Fry graduated from Lafayette College and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the New York University Stern School of Business. Fry and his wife, Cara, an art historian, have three children.

Dr. Gelone has served on our board of directors since March 2021. Dr. Gelone joined Nabriva Therapeutics in December 2014 and mostly recently served as our President and Chief Operating Officer until January 2023.  Over the past 20 years, Dr. Gelone has been involved in all stages of drug development and commercialization. He has served as Head of Clinical Research and Development at Spark Therapeutics, Inc. (Roche Holdings AG) as well as Vice President of Development at ViroPharma Inc., (now Takeda). Previous roles include leadership positions with GSK, Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, and Temple University Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine. Dr. Gelone has a Bachelor of Sciences and Doctorate in Pharmacy degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. We believe Dr. Gelone is qualified to serve as a director due to his extensive experience in all stages of drug development, his experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and his educational background.

Dr. Jon George is an Interventional Cardiologist and Endovascular Medicine Specialist actively practicing at Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania Health System. He is also President and Chief Executive Officer of ReVascMedProfessionals, a comprehensive cardiovascular center in Philadelphia. He is President and Founder of Academy for CardioVascular Collaboration, which is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate, train, and advance physicians in the specialties of cardiovascular medicine. Most recently, he started Little Medical School Philly, a franchise operated in the Greater Philadelphia region as a pioneer and developer of hands-on interactive programs for children with a focus on various aspects of healthcare.

With broad expertise across Real Estate, Finance, Business Attraction, and Corporate & Public Affairs, John is an entrepreneurial C-level executive with extensive leadership success building public-private partnerships, driving messaging, and propelling investment, development and business growth.

Daniel Griffing is Managing Partner of Griffing Speizer & Partners LLC. Most recently he served as Vice President and Head of Global Marketing for Orchard Therapeutics PLC from 2018 to 2020 a leading gene therapy company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with serious and life-threatening rare diseases. Previously, Mr. Griffing spent 20 years at Merck & Co., Inc. in various commercial leadership roles across sales, finance, market access, new product planning and marketing in Global HQ, Region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) based in Zurich, Switzerland, and Local (U.S. Market) assignments. Mr. Griffing holds a BSc. in Business Administration from The College of New Jersey an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph's University and completed postgraduate education at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Harte-Hall currently serves as Chief Compliance Officer of Cabaletta Bio and was Head of Clinical Quality and Compliance at Adaptimmune where she built a compliance program and helped establish a culture of integrity to drive ethical behavior in the management and conduct of clinical trials. Ms. Harte-Hall developed and implemented Quality and Compliance programs focusing on risk management and compliance functions to improve activities such as regulatory monitoring, auditing, and managing alignment with policies, procedures and controls. Ms. Harte-Hall has held various positions in Quality and Compliance in companies such as Centocor, Wyeth and Pfizer. She currently serves as a committee member for the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) Accelerator Group, The Research Quality Association (RQA) and a member of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). Ms. Harte-Hall holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Capella University and BA in Business Administration from St. Leo University.

Donna Higgins is Founder & CEO of The Higgins Group, Inc., one of the oldest and most successful search firms in the life sciences. Founded in 1998, the firm has grown exclusively through referrals as a result of Donna’s simple but powerful business philosophy: to develop lasting relationships with a select group of clients by doing great work. This drive for excellence infuses every aspect of the firm’s work due to a culture that values superior results, exceptional teamwork, and doing the right thing. Although her team has diverse backgrounds and experiences, all of The Higgins Group consultants, researchers, and associates share Donna’s energy, optimism, integrity, and grit.
Over her 30 years’ in the life sciences, Donna has gained a global reputation for her insight, expertise and integrity. Prior to starting her own firm, Donna was Vice President & Life Sciences Practice Lead for HFA International, where she built the life science practice by consistently exceeding her clients’ expectations. Before search, Donna worked on commercial teams at both ends of the life sciences spectrum, dividing a decade between Abbott Laboratories, a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical company, and Immunex, an emerging biotech company at the time.
Donna holds an MBA from Drexel University and a BA from Penn State University. Committed to lifelong learning, she joined the Coaching Certification Program at Columbia University to continue sharpening the strategic coaching she provides to clients and candidates. She is an Advisory Board member for Life Sciences Cares and the Association of Women Entrepreneurs, and a Board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region and ACHIEVEability. She also serves as adjunct faculty at the Center for Positive Leadership, where she is a frequent speaker on women in business. Donna divides her time between the company’s Philadelphia and Boston offices.

Chris is a Trust Solutions partner at PwC with extensive experience leading audit engagements in the Health Industries sector. Chris has served clients ranging from private biotech start-ups to large, multinational public companies. Chris has experience with IPOs and other going public transactions and has worked with clients in the sector on numerous complex technical transactions. Chris is a graduate of Villanova University and currently resides in Wayne, PA with his wife and two children.

KJ is responsible for cultivating and maintaining tenant and landlord relationships within Philadelphia’s bustling life sciences industry. It’s KJ’s goal to help his clients find the functional facilities they need based on their specific requirement. KJ has lived in the greater Philadelphia area for over 15 years, and most recently worked for one of the regions top retail brokerage firms where he had experience handling both tenant and landlord representation. KJ received a BA in Supply Chain Management from The University of Rhode Island in 2017.In his free time, KJ enjoys outdoor activities. Hiking, camping and exploring new places, as well as being active in several sports leagues within the city of Philadelphia.

Co-founder and CEO of Context Therapeutics, an emerging women's oncology company.

Evan Loh, M.D. has been our Chief Executive Officer since June 2019. Prior to that, Dr. Loh served in various roles including President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Medical Officer from 2014 until June 2019. Dr. Loh has been a member of our Board since 2012.

Prior to the merger with Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Loh had served as Chairman of our Board and Chief Medical Officer. Previously, Dr. Loh served as Senior Vice President, Development and Strategic Operations, Worldwide Research and Development, at Pfizer. While at Pfizer Inc., or Pfizer, Dr. Loh’s responsibilities included scientific, operational, and strategic drug development oversight for all R&D development phase programs through proof of concept and leading global portfolio prioritization.

Dr. Loh joined Pfizer from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Wyeth where he was Vice President, Multiple Therapeutic Areas and was responsible for global development strategy and clinical operational deliverables. At Wyeth, he led multiple successful global registration programs, including for Torisel and Tygacil.

Dr. Loh currently serves on the board of directors of Eiger Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Adapative Phase Therapeutics.   He formerly served on the boards of Windtree Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Nivalis Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Loh was Chairman of the Antimicrobials Working Group, an industry leading coalition of biotech companies focused on antimicrobial development from 2019 to 2021, and currently serves on its Executive Committee.

Dr. Loh received his A.B. from Harvard College and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed his Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  His academic appointments include being a faculty member at Harvard Medical School (1990-1994) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1994-2000).

Executive with >20 years of pharma and biotech experience in strategic and operational roles at global, regional and country level in US, Europe and Emerging Markets.
Multiple startup experiences, setting up commercial strategy and organization, building strong teams and inspiring them to successfully launch brands in multiple therapeutic areas in both Hospital and Retail.

Mr. Maslowski is Chief Commercial Officer at Forge Biologics. He served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. from January 2020 to March 2021 and served in the same role at Fibrocell Science, Inc. (a NASDAQ rare disease cell and gene therapy company) from 2016 until Fibrocell was acquired in 2019. Prior to the acquisition, Mr. Maslowski served as Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs and Vice President of Operations of Fibrocell between 2012 to 2016. Mr. Maslowski has extensive experience in the field of cell and gene therapy, including advancing D-Fi, a genetically modified autologous fibroblast therapy, to pivotal clinical trials, and LAVIV ®, a non-modified autologous fibroblast therapy, through U.S. FDA approval and commercialization. Mr. Maslowski also serves on the board of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the scientific advisory board of Castle Creek Biosciences, and the advisory board of Life Science Cares Philadelphia. Mr. Maslowski previously served as the Chairman of the board of directors of Falcon Therapeutics, a privately held Durham, N.C. company focused on the development of cell therapy products for oncology, from 2019 to 2021, and on the board of directors of Castle Creek Biosciences and Fibrocell from 2016 to 2021. Mr. Maslowski has 20+ years of experience in pharmaceutical and biologics development at major pharmaceutical companies including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. Mr. Maslowski received his B.S. in biology from Ursinus College and his M.S. in microbiology from Villanova University.

Andrew Matthews is the Vice President of Business Development at GoodRx, focused on helping Americans get the healthcare they need at a price they can afford. He joined GoodRx as Director of Strategy and launched a Provider-facing platform that helps doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals provide affordability solutions to their patients. As a Product Owner at Merck & Co, Andrew led a digital strategy and operations team and launched a newly approved cardiology brand. He also launched an immuno-oncology, rare disease indication for Keytruda. He began his Merck tenure as Associate Director of market access strategy and U.S. new product development. Andrew started his career in healthcare as a consultant for Business for Social Responsibility, where he advised the biopharma and medical devices industries on access, affordability, and social impact in the U.S. and in low- and middle-income countries. Andrew received his MBA from NYU Stern and his BA from Princeton.

Matt Medeiros is an Insurance broker and risk management consultant specializing in providing insurance solutions for breakthrough, high growth companies in life sciences and technology. Matt has extensive practice advising life sciences and technology clients on best practices for managing exposures. He oversees the negotiation, implementation, and management of comprehensive insurance programs for clients ranging from venture-backed startups to publicly-traded companies. Matt has considerable expertise in Directors’ & Officers’ Liability, Professional Liability, and Products Liability.

Alison Morrissey is an experienced litigator representing a wide variety of clients in complex commercial litigation, and mass tort pharmaceutical product liability litigation. Alison maintains an active pro bono practice including representing animal welfare organizations, clients seeking asylum, and various family court cases. She is also the past Chair of the board governance committee for the non-profit organization Canine Partners for Life in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Alison is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Rutgers University, and she resides in Philadelphia with her partner and son.

Mr. Murray joined BVF Partners L.P. in 2013. Prior to joining the General Partner, Mr. Murray was an Associate at Leerink Swann in the strategy consulting division where he advised pharmaceutical and biotech clients on M&A strategy, due diligence, clinical development strategy, and commercial opportunity assessments. He holds an A.B. in Human Evolutionary Biology and a Secondary Field in Economics from Harvard College.

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.

MATTHEW A. PEARSON is a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Dr. Pearson litigates patent cases across a range of technologies, including pharmaceuticals, chemistry, and biotechnology, with a particular focus on biologics and antibody technology. Dr. Pearson is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Mike is a Managing Partner of Section 32, a venture capital fund investing at the frontiers of technology and healthcare. Prior to joining Section 32 in 2017, he served as CEO of Foundation Medicine, a company which transformed the way pharmaceutical companies and physicians evaluate the genomic changes underlying a patient’s cancer, until he transitioned to Chairman through the close of Roche’s (RHHBY) acquisition of FMI in August 2018. Previously, he was President and COO of Clarient, a national leader in molecular pathology, which was acquired by GE Healthcare in 2010.

He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Nusano, Singular Genomics (OMIC), Adaptive Biotechnologies (ADPT), Octave BioSciences, TwinStrand Genomics, the Personalized Medicine Coalition, and the American Cancer Society. He previously served on the board of Thrive Earlier Detection, which was acquired by Exact Sciences (EXACT) in 2021, and Tango Therapeutics (TNGX). Mike brings a breadth of understanding in personalized medicine, with a particular interest and focus on defeating cancer. He is also a member of the President’s Leadership Council at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health.

During the COVID  pandemic, Mike served as a Senior Advisor to the Rockefeller Foundation’s efforts on COVID-19 testing.

Mike received a BA from Boston College, an MBA from Drexel University and an MD from Jefferson Medical College.

Gretchen Pinto is an audit partner at KPMG with more than 18 years of experience in accounting and financial reporting.

Mr. Radie joined Neuraptive Therapeutics in June 2020 as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Previously he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Zyla Life Sciences (formerly Egalet) from March 2012 to October 2019. From November 2010 to October 2011, Mr. Radie served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company acquired by Sanofi Pasteur in 2011. From March 2009 to November 2010, Mr. Radie served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Transmolecular, Inc., a biotechnology company developing cancer diagnostic and treatment products, after serving as a consultant to Transmolecular, Inc. from December 2008 through March 2009. From September 2007 to September 2008, Mr. Radie served as the Chief Business Officer of Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company. Before joining Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Radie served in senior management positions with a number of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Morphotek, Inc., Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Rockwell Medical, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, Horse Power For Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with cancer, since 2007 and Life Sciences of Pennsylvania, formerly Pennsylvania Bio. Mr. Radie has served as a Director of Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., a specialty pharmaceutical company, from July 2012 to March 2014 and Veloxis Pharmaceuticals AS, a public commercial stage company from June 2016 until its acquisition in February 2020. Mr. Radie received his B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College.

Chairman, Fate

Chairman, Neurocrine

Chairman, Daré

Fusing science and lifestyle knowledge in integrated communications programs.

For more than 30 years in the healthcare communications industry, Maryellen has partnered with leading global organizations in pharma, biopharma, diagnostics, and consumer health products. As Group COO, Communications at Evoke, she leads global operations for its growing communications offering. Her teams have been awarded for their ability to build integrated communications programs that fuse knowledge of science and lifestyles. Maryellen has been named a Top Woman in PR by PR News.

In March 2021, Gary retired as the Chief Financial Officer of Nabriva plc, (NBRV) a publicly traded biotechnology company. Gary joined Nabriva in 2016. Prior to Nabriva, Mr. Sender was the Chief Financial Officer of Synergy Pharmaceuticals (SGYP.) Gary now sits on the Boards of Directors of Schrodinger Inc. (SDGR), Harmony BioSciences (HRMY), iBio (IBIO), Elucida Oncology and Gennao Bio. He is the Chair of all 5 Audit Committees and 2 Compensation Committees. Gary also engages in select consulting assignments. From 2009 until 2015, Gary was the Senior Vice President of Finance for Shire plc, supporting its global commercial businesses and all functions of its Specialty Pharmaceuticals Business. Prior to joining Shire, Gary was the Chief Financial Officer of Tengion, Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of regenerative medicine. He joined Tengion as its second employee in 2004 and managed the corporate finance /accounting, human resources, public affairs and information systems functions. Prior to Tengion, Gary served in leadership roles with Aramark and Merck & Co., Inc where he served as its Vice President and Controller for the U.S. pharmaceuticals business in his last role after a 15-years with the company. Gary has been quoted in dozens of newspapers, magazines and journals, including the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Reuters and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He also the author of an article in the Harvard Business Review titled “Option Analysis at Merck.” Mr. Sender earned his bachelor's degree in Finance and Management Information Systems from Boston University in 1983. He received his master's degree in Industrial Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1987. Gary and his family reside in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Kathleen M. Shay, a partner at the law firm of Duane Morris LLP, is a corporate and securities lawyer who concentrates her practice in business finance, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law matters for both public and private companies and venture capital and private equity investors. Kate represents both established and emerging businesses in a wide range of legal transactions and issues, including debt and equity financings, structuring transactions, licenses and other strategic relationships, mergers and acquisitions, governance matters, and employment and compensation issues.

Kate is a longstanding member of her firm’s Partners Board and served as the Chair of her firm’s Corporate Practice Group from 1996 to 2005. Kate also serves on the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania Bio, the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and the Board of Consultors of Villanova Law School and is a Trustee Emeritus of the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur. She is an Advisory Board member and former director of the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) and has served as AWE’s counsel since its inception. Kate previously served as a director of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and is a past-Chair of the Securities Regulation Committee.

Kate received her B.A. from Villanova University and her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of The Villanova Law Review.

For more information, visit the firm’s website at www.duanemorris.com.

Bruce Shook is a serial medical device entrepreneur and CEO with more than 30 years of industry experience, including multiple early stage ventures focused on opportunities in cardiac surgery, cardiology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and vascular disease. Mr. Shook formed Vesper Medical in 2016 as a spinout of Intact Vascular. Mr. Shook served as President & CEO of both Intact Vascular and Vesper Medical until Intact Vascular and Vesper Medical were both purchased by Royal Philips in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Prior to Vesper Medical and Intact Vascular, Mr. Shook was co-founder, Director, President and CEO of Neuronetics [NASDAQ: STIM], which markets a non-invasive brain stimulation technology for the treatment of depression. Previously, Mr. Shook was co-founder, Director, President and CEO at Neuron Therapeutics, a venture-backed company developing a drug/device product for the treatment of CNS disorders and President of Abiomed [NASDAQ: ABMD] where he successfully obtained PMA approval for the first, FDA-approved ventricular assist device. Mr. Shook also developed cardiac pacing and anti-arrhythmia products at Cordis Corporation. Mr. Shook holds advanced degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Business Administration from Columbia University and the MIT Sloan School of Management, respectively. He earned a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University. Mr. Shook currently serves on the Board of Directors at Neuronetics, and AchieveAbility, and is Chairman of the Penn State Research Foundation and Life Sciences PA. He previously served as a Director at Devoro Medical, Surgiquest, Respicardia and CoTherix.

Dr. Siciliano serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Inc., a leading edge, gene-edited cell therapy company with a novel platform technology exclusively licensed from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to Vittoria, Dr. Siciliano co-founded Invisible Sentinel and served as CEO from 2013 thru 2021, where he directed both commercial and R&D strategy, as well as operations and business development. An immunologist by training, Dr. Siciliano draws on over 20 years of experience in immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, therapeutics, and assay development to drive innovation and pipeline execution. He enjoys working with educational initiatives and work-training programs that include the Drexel University Co-Op Program & Wistar Biomedical Technician Training Program (BTTP). Dr. Siciliano also serves as President of the Jefferson College of Life Sciences (JCLS) Alumni Board at Thomas Jefferson University.

Steve is an audit partner in the Growth Markets practice of EY with more than 30 years of experience. Steve is fully devoted to serving clients in the life sciences industry with experience in accounting and auditing services, 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.

Judith is a senior Medical Affairs and Clinical Development executive with over 20 years of experience in clinical development and scientific strategy. This includes building and leading high-performing scientific teams and managing rapid organizational growth. She has a track record of successes in early and late-stage drug development, regular engagement with US and global key opinion leaders, experience in drug development, scientific support of multiple commercial launches, and scientific differentiation strategies. As the President and founder of SMAC, she has specialized in bringing nimble, data-driven scientific and medical affairs expertise to bridge development and launch. Judith received her B.A. in both Microbiology and Chemistry at Miami University (Oxford, OH) and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NY). She spent over 20 years supporting antibiotic development programs at small biotechnology companies including Cubist Pharmaceuticals and Paratek Pharmaceuticals.

As a Producer, Thomas' responsibility is to contribute to Gallagher's organic growth across the property and casualty insurance market.

Gallagher is a global leader in insurance brokerage and risk management services. They help clients around the globe address risk, protect their assets and recover from losses. The products and services we provide keep businesses and institutions running, and enable individuals and families to rebuild their lives.

Gallagher is recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, and is the only insurance broker recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a leading international thinktank dedicated to the advancement of business ethics.

Michelle is the Philadelphia Life Sciences practice leader at Gallagher, one of the world's largest consulting and brokerage firms. Michelle works closely with human resources and finance executives in the life sciences industry to reduce risk, attract and retain talent and contain costs through employee benefit programs. She ensures that her clients are staying ahead of the market through propriety data and market trends. Michelle's passion includes working with life sciences companies from start-up all the way through IPO. Michelle is a wife, mother of 2 and a small business owner and looks forward to making an impact with LSC.