Speakers

Mackenzie Abramson is a dedicated advocate, driven by her personal journey and commitment to amplifying voices of patients, caregivers, and advocacy groups. Diagnosed in her mid-20’s with a rare disease, Mackenzie pursued advanced education to raise awareness for public health initiatives and rare diseases. Her advocacy efforts have reached an international scale, involving active participation and speaking with organizations such as Patients as Partners, Global Genes, The Everylife Foundation for Rare Disease and Congress, NIH Rare Disease Day, and more.

Mackenzie's work at Global Genes and consulting business (Tenacious Advocacy Consulting Team) focuses on rare and chronic diseases, mental health, and women’s health patients while partnering with the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries to create meaningful change. Drawing on her experience in research, communications, public health programming, and patient operations, Mackenzie specializes in bridging the gap between patient communities and industry stakeholders, ensuring that patient needs and insights are at the forefront of research, development, and care initiatives.

Mackenzie is committed to empowering patients, transforming the way their voices shape the future of healthcare, and enhancing patient engagement throughout the development lifecycle. By sharing her story and insights, she hopes to inspire others to navigate their healthcare challenges with tenacity and resilience.

Foluso Agboola, MBBS, MPH is the VP of Research at ICER. She is responsible for conducting rigorous analyses and critical appraisals of published medical evidence, managing the broader HTA process on reviews, as well as managing the work of members of the evidence synthesis team at ICER. Ms Agboola’s expertise is in the application of principles of evidence synthesis in healthcare and public health decision-making. Prior to joining ICER in 2016, Ms Agboola worked at Mass General Brigham Center for Drug Policy, where she developed economic evaluations to accompany rigorous reviews of clinical evidence, assessed the potential cost and budgetary impact of a wide range of clinical interventions, performed clinical forecasting, and developed pharmacoeconomic models. Prior to that, she worked at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on designing evaluation research and the application of measurement methods to assess public health and healthcare system preparedness. Dr Agboola has authored several peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and educational materials.

Dr Agboola earned her medical degree from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and her Master of Public Health degree in Quantitative Methods from Harvard University. In her spare time, Dr Agboola enjoys going on a bike ride or hiking with her family.

Adrelia Allen, PharmD, is a 22-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry working in sales and clinical research at Merck. She has held positions of increasing experience as a Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Trial Project Manager, and Clinical Research Manager (CRM). She is currently the Executive Director of Clinical Trial Patient Diversity, where she is responsible for the strategy and execution of activities for the diverse representation of patients in clinical trials. Dr Allen has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy.

Catherine Ames, B.A., is a professional patient advocate, published author, and keynote speaker who weaves narrative expertise into health research and communications. Author of the popular column Chronically Catherine, she writes candidly about the complex experience of being a young disabled woman, exploring tough and taboo topics with humor and fabulosity. Her business, Fierce Hope Patient Advocacy & Consulting, provides executive strategic guidance to pharmaceutical companies, non-profits, researchers, health news outlets, and more. @itschronicallycatherine

Jyoti Angal, PhD is the Director of Clinical Research at Avera Research Institute – a team dedicated to improving child health and development through community-based research.

Dr Angal provides compliance and regulatory expertise on all of the center’s studies, including several National Institutes of Health (NIH) research projects such as the:

• Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Study – examination of environmental influences on child health and development
• Safe Sleep Study – initiative to reduce infant mortality in American Indian communities
• Safe Passage Study – investigation of the association between prenatal alcohol exposure, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and stillbirth

As the director, Dr Angal enjoys managing large research projects and incorporating research ethics in order to improve research design. She’s also passionate about using research to improve maternal and child health in communities with health disparities.

Tracy Battaglia, MD, MPH is a primary care clinician-investigator internationally recognized for her collaborative, innovative approaches to addressing health disparities among women historically marginalized. She has led the development of foundational infrastructure to support community-engaged methods in translational science. Her own research focuses on engaging with community to increase access to care for at-risk women, including ground-breaking work on the role of oncology patient navigators. Through her participation on several National Cancer Institute cooperative groups, she contributed to the 2012 Commission on Cancer Accreditation Standard requiring navigation services in cancer centers. As founding chair of the National Navigation Roundtable, she partners across sectors for sustainable navigation workforce.

Amanda Beasley is a Director in the Representation in Clinical Research (RISE) team at Amgen. She has been working in preclinical and clinical research for 18 years. She holds a Master's degree in Clinical Research Administration and a Doctorate in Human Services. Dr Beasley's passion to support marginalized and underrepresented individuals paired with her many years of study management experience help to move the RISE vision and mission forward. She specializes in collaborating cross- functionally to build internal infrastructure to make representative studies a part of Amgen’s everyday work. She also works outside of Amgen’s walls partnering with organizations that work directly in the communities where these people live, work, play, and pray to build sustainable presence and trust.

Dr Beasley joined Amgen in 2018 and has held positions of increasing responsibility. She has also been instrumental in improving Amgen’s informed consent template and process to be more patient-centric and efficient. She actively participates in multiple Employee Resource Groups as well and has held past leadership roles within.

Robyn Bent, RN, is the director of CDER’s Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) Program, an effort to systematically obtain patient input and facilitate the incorporation of meaningful patient input into drug development and regulatory decision making. Prior to joining FDA, Ms Bent was a Chief Scientific Program Specialist at the National Institutes of Health. She has extensive experience in clinical trial design, conduct and oversight. Ms Bent earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Catholic University of America and a Master of Science degree from George Washington University.

Cheryl Bernstein, RN, BSN, CCRC is Director of Clinical Research at the Bernstein Clinical Research Center, LLC, Cincinnati Ohio. During the last 40 years, Cheryl has coordinated multiple Phase II and III multicenter clinical research trials of new investigational products for Asthma, COPD, Allergic Rhinitis, Urticaria, Hereditary Angioedema and for sublingual allergen immunotherapy tablets.  She currently serves as a consumer representative on the FDA advisory panel for new ENT devices.  Cheryl has co-authored 7 research publications. Throughout her career, Cheryl has been a featured speaker for Allied Health continuing medical education programs at multiple annual AAAAI and ACAAI meetings. For her years of service, she received the AAAAI Allied Health Professional Recognition Award in 2013.

Angela Bilkhu joined Roche Canada in 2018 where she was a Senior Manager with the Federal Government Relations and Policy Team. She focused on delivering innovative strategies and plans that established a favorable policy environment for Roche’s pipeline specialty molecules. In this role, Ms Bilkhu worked to support policy and access priorities in rare diseases, oncology and neurosciences, building meaningful relationships with key stakeholders, including patients, caregivers and patient organizations to embed their voice into Roche Canada’s policy strategies and tools. In 2020, Ms Bilkhu joined the Global Patient Partnership Team to assume a newly created role focussed on patient-centric research and development activities in the solid tumor space. Ms Bilkhu worked closely with Roche-Genentech’s Product Development teams and the patient community to ensure Roche’s research and development activities are patient inclusive. Ms Bilkhu is looking forward to continuing these efforts in the hematology space and as the Global Patient Networks R&D Community of Practice Lead.

Niambi Blodgett is the Senior Director of Customer Advocacy for Areti Health, a venture-funded Silicon Valley company using advanced generative AI to revolutionize clinical trial recruitment. Areti's AI Coordinator delivers up to 10x improvement in patient conversion rates which, coupled with its seamless mass outreach capabilities, consistently compresses recruitment timelines from many months to a few weeks across multiple therapeutic areas. Areti currently supports many of the largest US clinical research site networks.

As an experienced operations leader based in Orlando, Florida, she excels in fostering community partnerships, applying innovative engagement strategies, and streamlining organizational efficiency. Previously, as Senior Director of Patient Engagement at EmVenio Research, she built community-based recruitment strategies and established local partnerships to improve clinical trial participation among underrepresented populations. Her healthcare background includes clinical operations, project management, and patient engagement, with a strong record of launching new business units, optimizing patient acquisition, and advancing decentralized trials. A respected industry voice, she has presented widely on data-driven solutions, community-centered healthcare, and collaborative approaches to address health equity gaps.

Vanessa Boulanger brings over 15 years of experience to her role as Director of Patient Engagement at Boehringer Ingelheim, where she is responsible for advancing patient engagement strategies and expanding cross-functional capabilities to operationalize the science of patient input. Previously, Ms Boulanger served as Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Amyloidosis Research Consortium (ARC) where she worked at the intersection of research, strategy, and community engagement to reimagine how cross-stakeholder collaboration can advance equitable science and targeted impacts on behalf of patients. Prior to ARC, Ms Boulanger was the Director of Research at the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) where her work focused on the needs of the rare disease community and the fit-for-purpose use of data. Ms Boulanger holds an MSc in Global Health and Population from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and she currently serves as a member of the AcademyHealth Disparities Interest Group.

Kelly Brassil serves as a senior director for Pack Health, A Quest Diagnostics Company, where she oversees evidence generation focused on clinical, qualitative, and patient reported outcomes. Her research focuses on exploring patient experience and outcomes based on diagnosis or treatment type to better inform patient-centered interventions and outcomes. Her research is informed by over 15 years of clinical practice at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center where she continues to work, supporting individuals with diverse cancer diagnoses. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at The Catholic University of America, a Master of Science in Nursing at Yale School of Nursing, a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School, and a PhD in Nursing from The UT Health Science Center Cizik School of Nursing in Houston. She was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2020.

Beth Brooks is Head, Patient Insights and Behavioral Sciences (PIBS), within the Patient-Informed Development and Health Value Translation team at Sanofi.

The PIBS team generates insights about patient populations of interest to the R&D organization. Among other things, the team uses this information to establish diversity and inclusion recruitment objectives for studies in the United States. Based on these insights and additional findings, the team uses behavioral science principles to develop tools to address recruitment and retention challenges that some patient populations may present in clinical trials.

Justin has been involved in patient recruitment and engagement for the entirety of his 10+ year career in research. His experience spans multiple sectors, including in-hospital settings, CROs/SMOs, and pharmaceutical companies. His core focus is developing innovative solutions to address challenging clinical trial enrollment criteria and timelines. He is particularly passionate about the intersection of engagement strategies, artificial intelligence, digital media channels, and patient advocacy group relationships. Through these efforts, Justin consistently aims to achieve repeatable and quantifiable results. As Director of Global Patient Recruitment & Engagement at Alexion, he is building global processes to incorporate patient voices into trial design, creating targeted marketing and awareness campaigns, and streamlining internal processes. His ultimate goal is to accelerate research accessibility for those who need it most, while simultaneously reducing barriers, costs, and resource burdens associated with external engagement activities. His background in medicinal chemistry, web development, graphic design and desktop publishing, and digital campaign strategy/development/execution has afforded a rich and unique career path in clinical research.

June Cha is a policy director at FasterCures, Milken Institute Health. She brings decades of experience in infectious diseases research, non-profit, multilateral, and bilateral organizations, government, and the pharmaceutical industry, where she has focused on US and global health policy and program strategies across the healthcare ecosystem. Cha has in-depth knowledge and experience in medical product research and development, pharmaceutical regulatory laws, regulations, and policy, and has led efforts to promote sustainable and equitable healthcare.

Most recently, Cha worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the African Union Development Agency to provide program and policy strategies for creating a continental safety monitoring platform in Africa. She also worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a regulatory policy professional, collaborating with stakeholders from patient organizations, non-profits, trade associations, and the government to advance scientifically sound and innovative regulatory science.

Before joining the industry, Cha served as a public health advisor at the US Department of Health and Human Services, leading the strategic planning and review process to ensure the advancement of women’s health issues. She began her policy career at global health organizations advocating efficient HIV prevention policy for mothers and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Cha received a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame and an MPH in Global Public Health Leadership from New York University.

Hayley Chapman brings over 25 years of expertise in healthcare to her role as Senior Program Director at Patient Focused Medicines Development (PFMD)/The Synergist. Based in Canada, she holds a Master of Health Science from the University of Toronto and has held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry and patient organizations, specializing in Marketing and Community Engagement. A recognized expert in building and evaluating strategic partnerships between biopharma companies and patient organizations, Ms Chapman is dedicated to embedding patient-centricity within healthcare innovation. Her work is deeply informed by her personal caregiving journey after her child's cancer diagnosis, which fuels her commitment to reshaping patient engagement practices across the industry. At PFMD, Ms Chapman spearheads critical initiatives focused on leveraging patient experience data (PED) and patient engagement intelligence to drive more effective, evidence-based healthcare decision-making. Additionally, she leads efforts to integrate patient-centered approaches into corporate ESG and sustainability strategies, aligning patient insights with investment and organizational decision-making. By overseeing operational efficiencies and methodology integration across PFMD projects, she ensures strategic alignment and meaningful patient impact across the healthcare ecosystem.

Stephanie Christopher is a Patient Engagement Lead at Pfizer, where she supports clinical research teams to bring patient perspectives into the design and implementation of clinical trials and recruitment strategies.

Prior to Pfizer, Stephanie was the Associate Director of Research Programs at the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), where she directed the IAMRARE™ patient-powered registry program, which allows patients and organizations to inform and shape medical research for rare diseases by launching high-quality, customized registries to collect the data needed to define the natural progression of their disease. In previous roles, Stephanie helped advance real- world evidence research at one of the largest healthcare systems in the western US, helped develop tools to advance patient input in the regulatory review of new medical technologies and was part of a research team seeking to improve the quality of communication between physicians and patients.

Stephanie received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, WA) and Master of Arts in Science, Health, and Environmental Communication from Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI). Stephanie is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) and a Fellow of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (FACRP).

Horace Clark has a diverse work experience in the field of sales and business development. Horace's most recent role was as the VP of Account Management at BlackDoctor.org, where they connected pharma companies and brands to a highly engaged audience through digital advertising. Prior to that, they served as the Business Development Manager at BNtheMix, where they launched a news and information site dedicated to cause-related content. Clark also worked as an Enterprise Solution Sales professional at RR Donnelley, selling a range of products and solutions to companies in various industries. Earlier in their career, Clark held positions such as National Sales Executive at Yelp, Director of National Accounts at Wanderful Media, and National Digital Sales Manager at The EW Scripps Company. Clark also worked as the National Director of Digital Sales at ImpreMedia, where they developed the national digital sales strategy and managed multiple sales teams. Clark began their career as an Account Executive at Undertone Networks and later joined The New York Times as an Account Manager. Clark has a strong background in sales, strategic partnerships, and digital solutions, and has consistently shown their ability to achieve revenue goals and establish successful client relationships.

Horace Clark received their Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management, General from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Horace attended the university from 1990 to 1995.

Luther T. Clark, MD, is Executive Director, Patient Innovation & Engagement, Value & Implementation, Global Medical and Scientific Affairs at Merck.  In this role, he is responsible for (1) collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders to increase the voice of patients, directly and indirectly, in decision-making; (2) supporting representative clinical trial recruitment and retention; and (3) representing Merck externally, expanding bi-directional scientific exchange and connectivity with key patient and professional leaders and organizations.   

Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Clark was Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (SUNY Downstate) and founding Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Brooklyn Health Disparities Research Center.

Dr. Clark earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College and his Medical degree from Harvard Medical School.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and the American College of Physicians (FACP).  He has authored more than 100 publications and edited (as well as being principal contributor) the textbook Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (McGraw-Hill).

Dr. Clark has received numerous awards and honors, including the Harvard University Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. 

At One2Treat, Sébastien Coppe is is motivated by a strong belief in the transformative power of digital solutions to address patient needs and streamline clinical research. He is committed to pioneering approaches that prioritize patient-centricity in clinical trial design, decreasing sample size and therefore enhancing biopharma productivity.

Catherine Coulouvrat, MD, is leading a Health Value Translation Unit, within Patient Informed Development and Health Value Translation at Sanofi, R&D. Dr Coulouvrat is physician, specialized in psychiatry and sleep medicine, with 20 years of extensive experience in clinical development, clinical operations, medical affairs, market access and translational research. Dr Coulouvrat has a successful track record in patient relevant outcomes, clinical development strategy for product launch. Passionate about patients' empowerment, education, understanding unmet needs and disease burden for better integration into the clinical development strategies, she thrives to build health outcomes and innovative care models aiming at improved patient quality of life and access to care.

Jenn Curry is Head of Patient Engagement Capability at Biogen. In this role, Ms Curry is accountable for driving the capabilities that ensure the patient perspective is incorporated in a manner that optimizes the execution of patient-focused drug development and maximizes the degree of impact on participant enrollment and the participant experience in Biogen’s clinical studies. She is heavily engaged with internal leaders and external partners to support the patient engagement strategies leveraged across Biogen’s portfolio.

Ms Curry entered the field of clinical research as a Research Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2003 and shifted her focus to industry, specifically patient recruitment, in 2006. Prior to joining Biogen in 2019, she spent 9 years at AES/Acurian Inc., advancing from Project Manager to Director of Operational and Strategic Solutions.

Savine DaCosta is the Clinical Trial Diversity Site Lead at Biogen. In this role she is accountable for driving the strategies and capabilities to ensure diverse representation within clinical research that reflect the epidemiology of our diseases. She is also committed to building trust in underrepresented and underserved communities by identifying, creating, implementing, and measuring community engagements that educate patients on disease and clinical trials. In addition, She is charged with developing and implementing clinical trial site related diversity initiatives to build sustained engagement and trust with communities, patients, and surrounding sites.

DaCosta's career spans more than 25 years in the Pharma/Biotech industry with highlighted areas in sales, marketing, patient engagement and currently DE&I. She is a natural convener, communicator, and solutions provider. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. In addition, she obtained a master’s in business administration from Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania.

She now resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Tony and one son, and enjoys photography, basketball, and an enjoyable book. As a forever caregiver to a son who has Cerebral Palsy, DaCosta understands first-hand the various challenges that patients with chronic conditions experience and the emotional, social, and physical isolation and frustrations of caregivers. She is driven to educate and empower patients and caregivers to advocate for better health and consider clinical research as a part of their treatment options.

Susan Daniels is VP of Patient Strategy and Engagement at Lumanity where she supports the authentic integration of patients and communities in medicine development in partnership with pharmaceutical and biopharma clients and patient organizations. A licensed pharmacist, she has over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry and has completed EUPATI, PFMD and EUCAPA training. She is also a passionate patient advocate and sits on the board of Lymphoma Action in the UK and recently completed her Masters in International Patient Advocacy Management.

Ebony Dashiell-Aje, PhD, is a leading expert in clinical outcome assessment (COA) design and implementation, advising on COAs, study endpoint issues and regulatory science. As a health outcomes researcher and methodologist, Dr Dashiell-Aje is driven by her passion for public health and promoting patient-focused medical product development. Dr Dashiell-Aje has notably contributed her research expertise in academic, consulting and regulatory environments to arrive at evidence-based solutions, and to shape health policy.

Willyanne DeCormier Plosky, DrPH, is a Program Director at the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard, where she leads the Representation in Research portfolio. Previously she spent more than fifteen years working for Management Sciences for Health, the World Bank, Avenir Health, UNICEF, and USAID in the areas of health economics, maternal and child health, disability rights, HIV/AIDS, and humanitarian response. She participated in the Global Health Cost Consortium as a core team member, collaborated on the development of the first U.S. Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity, and supported the improvement of cost-effectiveness modeling of HIV and malaria interventions.

Dr DeCormier Plosky earned her DrPH in Global Health Leadership and Humanitarian Assistance from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, received her MPH in Global Health from the Yale University School of Public Health, and her BA in African History and Anthropology from Bowdoin College.

Jade Dennis is a global clinical development leader with 25 years experience across Phase I-IV trials within Pharma/Biotech with a focus on co- designing clinical research with patients and HCPs, enabled via innovative approaches to trial design and AI/ML powered data insights.

Michael is a seasoned non-profit professional with years of experience managing health equity-related initiatives. With a passion for public health and community engagement, Michael has worked on strategies and projects that engage stakeholders across industry, government, and advocacy.

Previously, Michael served as a Budget Analyst for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management, where he analyzed and administered capital and expense budgets for City-supported infrastructure projects and collaborated with City agencies to address challenges in project implementation. In addition to his experience in government, Michael also has experience in private philanthropy, where he supported the implementation of intersectional strategies to advance equity.

Michael joined the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) in October 2021 as the organization’s Collaboration Coordinator, where he managed multi-stakeholder interactions, created data use cases to advance health equity, and co-lead advisory boards to inform operational activities in healthcare.

Since 2022, Michael has served as the organization’s Program Manager, where he oversees data partnerships, strategy development and industry-sponsored initiatives for NMQF's Center for Professional & Strategic Alliances, with a special focus on projects related to clinical trial diversity, nephrology and equitable cancer care.

Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Harding University and a Master of Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York. He resides in Queens, NY with his husband.

Rebecca Donahue is the Associate Director of Medical Affairs at Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, United States. With over a decade of progressive leadership experience, including six years in the pharmaceutical industry, she is passionate about amplifying the voices of patients and care partners. She is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections, ensuring that the perspectives of patients and caregivers are captured and integrated into the organization throughout the product life cycle.

Rebecca supports various patient engagement initiatives, including Patient Advisory Panels and Nurse Network Activities. She collaborates and supports both internal stakeholders and external partners to oversee the end-to-end process involved in these engagement activities. Rebecca is deeply committed to ensuring that every initiative keeps the patient at the center and that all deliverables are both understandable and health literate.

Laura is a leader in ZS’s Clinical Development Excellence team with a central focus on Human-Centric Trials. She has spent the last 15 years helping life sciences companies improve decision-making through deeper understanding and engagement with patients and HCPs. Her deep expertise in developing scalable insights, strategies, and capabilities for driving site and patient participation and engagement in clinical trials has allowed companies to accelerate new therapies to market, while keeping the patient the central focus of their mission.

Tori Fahrney brings over 25 years of experience in building patient communities by creating strategic partnerships across industry and advocacy groups. She has extensive experience driving patient-centered engagement across the product lifecycle – including clinical trial planning, patient journey mapping, product strategy, and tactical execution. Tori is an expert in health literacy and behavior modification principles. She has helped shepherd many product launches throughout her career and is a champion of innovative solutions informed by patient-insights.

Ricki Fairley, MBA, is the co-founder and CEO of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance addressing Black Breast Cancer as a unique and special disease state, with the overall goal of reducing the mortality rate for Black women.

Ms Fairley founded and serves as co-host for “The Doctor Is In,” a weekly live breast cancer advocacy web series on the BlackDoctor.org Facebook page that reaches over 3 million viewers. She is a founding member of #BlackDataMatters, in partnership with Citizen, The Center for Health Care Innovation and Morehouse School of Medicine to encourage and elevate the importance of Black Women participating in clinical trial research.

In January 2022, she started the When We Tri(al) Movement to change the game on Black women participating in clinical trials to improve outcomes for Black women with breast cancer with culturally humble and provocative communication that has resulted in thousands of Black women entering clinical trial research. She also actively assists pharmaceutical companies in revamping and designing their clinical trial recruiting materials.

O’Ronica Fields is a dedicated former educator who devoted over 2 decades to serving the Philadelphia School District as a Teaching Assistant as well as a Home and School Committee President/ Treasure, influencing the lives of students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. Passionate about community and education, she extended her commitment beyond the classroom by volunteering with Philadelphia’s Fight Program, which provides essential services to individuals affected by AIDS and HIV. Additionally, O’Ronica served for 10 years as an acting Committee Person educating people in the Northwest community about issues affecting local government.

In 2020, Ms Fields faced a personal challenge with the diagnosis of breast cancer. Undeterred by her circumstance, she embarked on a courageous journey of treatment and participated in clinical trials. O’Ronica is approaching two years post treatment and she has gained a new level of strength emotionally and spiritually. Her resilience and determination have not only led to personal triumph, but also positioned her as a beacon of inspiration for others. Today, O’Ronica leverages her experience as a Cancer Thriver by actively participating as a Person-to-Person Cancer Mentor offering support in guidance to individuals navigating the complexities of their own cancer journeys. She is a Fox Chase Clinical Trials Ambassador that strives to edify the Black and Brown communities about the importance of participating in clinical trials. In addition, O’Ronica is an International and Domestic Missionary, going into various communities to teach about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith.

Rosalie “Rosie” Filling has transformed R&D operations in every company she has worked for, developing clear-cut strategies to advance clinical trials with high-quality operational execution and scientific excellence. Rosie’s focus is always on the end users — the patients. Bringing new and, at times, life-saving medications to people in need drives Rosie’s sense of purpose. Rosie is a powerful thought leader at Endo and across the industry, and she is especially proud to mentor the industry’s future leaders and difference makers. Through her work across the industry, she has earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for clinical sites and the patients they serve, believing that they are key to the future of medicine and health. As a breast cancer clinical trial participant, she knows firsthand that her work can positively impact and improve lives.

Lee A Fleisher, MD, ML (Masters in Law) is the Founding Principal and CEO at Rubrum Advising, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to identifying strategic pathways, including regulatory counsel, to ensure the highest quality care is adopted and diffused across the healthcare sector. From July 2020-July 2023, he was the Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In this capacity, he was responsible for executing all national clinical, quality, and safety standards for healthcare facilities and providers, as well as establishing coverage determinations for items and services that improve health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries. He serves as a Senior Advisor of the Bipartisan Policy Center and FasterCures of the Milken Institute, Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Visiting Fellow of the Duke-Margolis Center. He is a member of the Steering Committee of CHAI (Coalition of Health AI), consultant to the FDA Digital Health Advisory Committee and a member of the HITAC of the ONC. From 2004 through July 2020, he was the Robert D. Dripps Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently Emeritus Professor and continues to practice clinically. In 2007, he was elected to membership of the National Academy of Medicine.

As the Corporate Global Head of Accessibility at Merck & Co., Inc., Stephen Framil, DMA has been an ardent advocate and practitioner of equitable access across the range of human experience: including the built environment, food sustainability, education, performing arts, and the digital landscape. With over 30 years of executive leadership in business strategy and innovation, policy and governance, procedure and operations, and portfolio management expertise, Dr Framil continues to lead and champion accessibility in multinational corporations, non-profit education, and the performing arts.

Christie Fry is Director, Strategic Technology Innovation at AbbVie. Ms Fry has 30 years of experience in clinical research, including patient recruitment, data management and digital health innovation. In her current role, she is responsible for leading strategy, operations and implementation of decentralized clinical trials (DCT). In addition, Ms Fry actively assesses opportunities requiring innovative tactics to improve existing activities and processes within Clinical Development Operations. She is also involved in industry activities, focusing on technology, improving site experience in clinical trials and in the set up of new capabilities to drive patient centricity in drug development.

Patrick Gee, Sr, PhD, JLC, is Founder & Chief Executive Hope Dealer, iAdvocate, Inc. Dr Gee graduated from the American University School of Public Affairs in 2012 with a Doctor of Philosophy in Justice, Law & Criminology. Dr Gee is a former Peritoneal/Hemodialysis patient due to suffering from Diabetic Kidney Disease. He has been a Post-Kidney Transplant Recipient since April 2017. Dr Gee is also a retired Major/Chief of Security from the Virginia Department of Corrections; and currently serves as the Founder & CEHD of iAdvocate, Inc., a non-profit Faith-based Health & Wellness organization. He is also an Ordained Minister at Mountain Movers Ministry in Richmond, VA. As a Patient Representative for the Diabetes Kidney Disease-Collaborative Task Force and an advocate for those living with chronic kidney disease and the morbid conditions that contribute to this disease, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity, Dr Gee uses his personal experiences to teach, coach, mentor and educate others on how best to manage their outcomes. He also ensures that underserved, undervalued and disenfranchised communities of color have a voice in their quality of life and equitable healthcare access. He also serves as Chair of the Kidney Health Initiative's Patient Family Partnership Council and is on ASN's APOL-1 Kidney Disease Steering Committee.

Elizabeth George is Head of Patient Diversity at Labcorp and leads a team focused on advancing health equity leveraging Labcorp’s expertise with diagnostics, clinical trial recruitment and data. Ms George is passionate about enabling equitable outcomes for underserved populations by increasing access to clinical trials, therapeutics, diagnostics, and screening. She has led strategies and solutions to ensure science guides the selection of clinical trial participants at Labcorp and GSK.

Ms George is a strategic leader with proven experience leading large cross functional digital transformational initiatives to transform clinical trials. She has a deep knowledge of pharmaceutical R&D processes and her expertise spans leading and developing transformative business strategies and managing all phases of project lifecycle from conception through product launch. Ms George is a thought leader and has been invited to speak at numerous conferences.

Jayne Gershkowitz is one of the founding leaders of rare disease company Amicus Therapeutics and has served as Chief Patient Advocate since 2016. She’s responsible for developing and executing global strategies that ensure that the needs of people living with rare diseases and their families are integrated to all company operations and for keeping extraordinary patient dedication as the bedrock of Amicus. Gershkowitz founded the company’s Patient Advisory Boards program, through which patients, families and caregivers openly share their input and concerns with Amicus; leads Amicus’ Public Policy work to advocate for policies that advance innovation and expand access to satisfy unmet needs of those living with rare diseases; and guides advocacy-based evidence generation resulting in multiple publications co-authored with patient community thought leaders and medical key opinion leaders. She established Healing Beyond Disease™, an Amicus philanthropic and volunteer initiative to further serve the rare disease community in meaningful ways. She is a member of the company’s Executive Committee, reporting directly to the CEO, and sits on the board of directors.

Gershkowitz is widely recognized as a trailblazer in Patient Advocacy. In 2023, she was the Imagine & Believe honoree of National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association. In 2019, she received the second annual “Heart of BioNJ” Award in honor of her selflessness and dedication to patients in the rare disease community. She is a 2018 PharmaVOICE 100 honoree, recognized for providing inspiration and innovation in the life sciences industry. She often speaks about the strategic function of Patient Advocacy at industry conferences and how it is the essence of patient- focused drug development. She is the treasurer of the Board of Trustees of BioNJ and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey. Gershkowitz is the co- founder and vice chair of the board of Professional Patient Advocates in Life Sciences (PPALS), a non-profit educational organization committed to supporting the function of Patient Advocacy within the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, she was the executive director of National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association from 1998 – 2006.

Kenneth A. Getz, MBA, is the Executive Director and Professor at the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Tufts University School of Medicine, where he conducts research focusing on drug development management and operating strategies and tactics; protocol design practices; and global outsourcing, investigative site and patient recruitment practices and policies. He is also the chairman of CISCRP – a nonprofit organization that he founded to educate and raise public and patient awareness of the clinical research enterprise. A well-known speaker at conferences, symposia, universities, investor meetings and corporations, Mr Getz has published extensively in peer-review journals, books and in the trade press and writes a bi-monthly column nominated for a Neal Award in Applied Clinical Trials. He holds a number of board appointments in the private and public sectors including WCG and ORA and serves on the editorial boards of Pharmaceutical Medicine and Therapeutic Innovation and Regulatory Science. Mr Getz received an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from Brandeis University. Mr Getz is the founder of CenterWatch, a leading publisher in the clinical trials industry.

Hi all, Please find my information below and headshot attached. Ellyn Getz Director, R&D Patient Partnerships CSL Ellyn.Getz@CSLbehring.com 774-559-3714 1020 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406 Ellyn Getz, MPH is the Director of R&D Patient Partnerships at CSL, where she gathers input into clinical development and operations from patients, care partners, health care professionals, and researchers, and she develops strategies to support patient engagement, study access, and participant appreciation. She works with study teams across CSL's Hematology and Vaccines therapeutic focus areas. Prior to CSL, Ellyn directed CISCRP's community outreach programs to increase clinical trial awareness and education. Ellyn holds an MPH from Harvard University and a BA from Brandeis University.

Angi Gillen, MS, Senior Director, Head of Patient Experience, is leading a new program at Gilead, building a framework for incorporating Human Centered Design and Patient Voice into Clinical Development. She has over 20 years of proven cross-functional collaboration in drug development with demonstrated results in Clinical Operations and has worked across several therapeutic areas throughout her career. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from East Carolina University and a Master of Science in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins University.

Jonah Golder, MS, serves as a Project Manager in the Science of Patient Input (SPI) Program at the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC). At MDIC, he leads multiple work streams to develop innovative tools and resources for medical device developers, the FDA, and patient advocacy organizations. Mr Golder is passionate about designing patient-centric solutions within the industry and is dedicated to ensuring that patient experiences are thoroughly integrated across MedTech development processes. Mr Golder holds a master’s degree in Biotechnology from Georgetown University and a BS in Neuroscience from Tulane University.

Jamie Goldfarb was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma in January 2011, when her son was just 11 weeks old. Upon diagnosis, her oncologist told her that he would do everything in his power to buy her 6 more months. Ms Goldfarb joined a clinical trial at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is now completely disease-free. Having worked in patient recruitment for 8 years and having her own life saved by a clinical trial, Ms Goldfarb's personal mission is to spread information about the importance of medical research as far and wide as possible. To this end, she is involved with the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Melanoma International Foundation, CISCRP, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, and Imerman Angels. She also serves as a research advocate for NCI, and works one-on-one with people with cancer to help them navigate their treatment options, including clinical trials.

Jamie Goldfarb was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma in January 2011, when her son was just 11 weeks old. Upon diagnosis, her oncologist told her that he would do everything in his power to buy her 6 more months. Ms Goldfarb joined a clinical trial at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is now completely disease-free. Having worked in patient recruitment for 8 years and having her own life saved by a clinical trial, Ms Goldfarb's personal mission is to spread information about the importance of medical research as far and wide as possible. To this end, she is involved with the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Melanoma International Foundation, CISCRP, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, and Imerman Angels. She also serves as a research advocate for NCI, and works one-on-one with people with cancer to help them navigate their treatment options, including clinical trials.

Alissa Hanna is Director, Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences. Edwards is the global leader in patient- focused medical innovations for structural heart disease. Driven by a passion to help patients, Edwards collaborates with clinicians and researchers to address unmet healthcare needs, working to improve patient outcomes and enhance lives.

In her role at Edwards, she leads patient insight data collection and dissemination efforts. Focused on the science of patient input, she collaborates with trusted partners to implement qualitative and quantitative methods to elicit patient perspectives, preferences and values that can be incorporated into healthcare decision-making across all stages of the total product lifecycle. Alissa is passionate about giving patients a meaningful voice in medical technology product development.

Prior to joining Edwards, Alissa spent over a decade at the clinical research site level, functioning in several different roles during her time; Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, Manager of Clinical Operations and Manager of Patient Engagement.

Alissa received her Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion from Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC). She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, son and two dogs.

Brett Hauber, PhD, is Senior Director of Patient Preference Elicitation in the Chief Medical Office at Pfizer. He is also Affiliate Associate Professor in the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. He received his PhD from the University of Delaware and has over 25 years of experience in health preference research.

Dr Hauber currently serves as Pfizer’s representative on the PhRMA Patient Focused Drug Development Working Group and is Deputy Topic Lead for the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) E22 Expert Working Group developing consensus guidelines on General Considerations for Patient Preference Studies. He is also the industry lead for the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) public-private partnership project for Patient-Centred Clinical-Study Endpoints Derived Using Digital Health Technologies.

Dr Hauber was a member of the IMI PREFER project and led the Points to Consider for Methods Selection section of the framework that was successfully submitted to EMA for a qualification opinion. He was the Principal Investigator on the Catalogue of Patient Preference Methods developed by the Medical Device Innovation Consortium. He has been a member of multiple ISPOR Task Forces on preference elicitation and Chaired the ISPOR Task Force for Good Research Practices for the Statistical Analysis of Discrete-Choice Experiments.

Prior to joining Pfizer, Dr Hauber was a Senior Fellow at RTI International and Vice President of Health Preference Assessment in RTI Health Solutions.

Sue Hauck is Principal Patient Recruitment Lead for Parexel. At Parexel for nearly 20 years, she started as a Creative Designer, then added the role of Patient Recruitment Lead in 2013 and functioning in a dual role capacity. This combined role allows Ms Hauck to understand key points on development and delivery, the importance of understanding the patient population, and flexible strategic planning. Ultimately, blending these various strengths to streamline workflows and implement successful recruitment and retention strategies to achieve LPI. Ms Hauck leads recruitment study team members to deliver practical, experience-based approaches to recruitment to meet deliverables on time and within budget while also working to support Parexel initiatives and new business opportunities.

Dr. Amber Hill founded Research Grid (R.grid) to automate clinical trials to cut costs, reduce delays, and increase patient engagement and retention. Her expertise is in end-to-end medical research, patient engagement, and smart software systems. Prior to R.grid, her career in biomedical neuroscience, AI and clinical trials (UCL, Harvard, MIT) spans across 15 years in world-leading research institutions where she has built neurological deficit-scoring tech and previously founded a global non-profit supporting patient involvement in research. She’s also been an expert feature for top publications like the Wall Street Journal, Tech Crunch, and Essence Magazine. Dr. Hill has also received several honors such as the Royal Academy of Engineering fellowships and listed as one of The Financial Times: 100 Most Influential Women in Engineering. Research Grid has subsequently been backed and recognised by leading institutions from the likes of Google, Morgan Stanley, the Royal Academy of Engineering, The London Stock Exchange, Atomico, Plug and Play Health, and several others in the U.S. and Europe.

As the father of a son who is impacted by a rare disease, Justin brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to the table when it comes to serving the rare disease community.

Justin and his wife Courtney, have three children—Garrett, Avery, and Grady. Garrett was diagnosed with acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD, also historically known as Niemann-Pick disease) around his first birthday. Over six years, the Hopkin family and friends hosted an annual Golf For Garrett tournament that raised $150,000 for ASMD research.

A standout athlete, Justin played two years of college basketball during his undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming. He completed medical school at the University of Washington, was a resident at the University of Colorado, and ascended to the title of chief resident. During his eight years in Wyoming, Justin had the pleasure of teaching medical students, working in public health, and providing comprehensive medical care at a critical access hospital. Though Justin returned home to Wyoming following medical school and residency to practice inpatient and outpatient medicine in a rural, medically underserved community, his quest to find a clinical trial for Garrett moved the Hopkin family from Wyoming to Rochester, New York. Justin is currently the Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester where he leads a distinguished group of hospitalists that are excelling in the areas of patient care, scholarship, and medical education. He is also thankful for the opportunity to work with the medical students and residents at the University of Rochester.

Prior to joining the Uplifting Athletes board, he served as the Board Chair of the National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation.

Jen Horonjeff, PhD, is a patient advocate and the Founder & CEO of Savvy Cooperative. She was named one of the 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine, alongside Elon Musk and Reese Witherspoon, for her work at Savvy, which helps companies equitably gather input and insights from diverse patients. Dr Horonjeff is passionate about patient co-design as she grew up with numerous autoimmune diseases, and survived a brain tumor as an adult. She also holds a PhD in Environmental Medicine, and previously worked as a health outcomes researcher, a human factors engineer and user-centered designer, and an advisor to the FDA. Dr Horonjeff serves on the Board of Directors for The Sequoia Project, a non-profit focused on health data exchange, the Advisory Board of Trialbee, a clinical trial recruitment company, and numerous other committees. Utilizing her unique perspective, Dr Horonjeff strives to give patients a platform to have their experiences be heard, included, and equitably valued– because the future of healthcare is co-designed with patients.

Aaron J. Horowitz is the founder and CEO of Empath Labs, a pediatric patient experience lab dedicated to improving outcomes through empathy-driven design. Inspired by his own experience with human growth hormone deficiency, Aaron has created tools like Clinical Companions for pediatric clinical research, Rufus the Bear for children with type 1 diabetes, and My Special Aflac Duck, a robotic companion for children with cancer and sickle cell disease.

Used by over 165,000 children worldwide, these innovations help alleviate anxiety, provide comfort, and improve adherence to medical treatments. Aaron’s work has earned accolades such as the DIA Outstanding Contribution to Health Award (2024), two TIME Best Invention of the Year awards, and recognition by the White House as one of 50 honored makers. Prior to Empath Labs, Aaron founded Design for America, a nationwide non-profit that empowers college students with design thinking skills to create social impact innovations. He holds a degree in Mechatronics and User Interaction Design from Northwestern University.

Alexandria (Alex) Hughes is Manager, Patient Strategy & Insights for Parexel. In her current role she is dedicated to bringing the patient voice to study planning and conduct and improving the patient experience and accessibility to clinical research. She has six years of clinical trial experience within patient recruitment and retention, site engagement, and patient innovation across a variety of therapeutic areas and is experienced in conducting psychosocial studies using both quantitative and qualitative research modalities. Ms Hughes received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Stacy Hurt, MHA, MBA, is an award-winning 25 year pharma executive who bridges the industry/consumer gap as a stage IV cancer survivor and 24/7 caregiver to her son with a rare disease. Her unique professional and personal experience position her as an esteemed patient advocate as well as an influential pioneer in Patient Engagement. In Ms Hurt’s role as Patient Advocacy Ambassador at Parexel, the first of its kind, she commands a seat at the table on behalf of patients and caregivers to examine and reduce patient burden thus increasing participation and retention along the clinical trial patient journey. Ms Hurt was named to the 2022 Medika Life Top 50 Influential Voices in Healthcare. She resides in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two sons.

Campbell Hutton, is Senior Vice President, Global Advocacy at Breakthrough T1D, a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications. In her role she oversees the regulatory affairs and health policy teams within the Advocacy Department as well as the advocacy work in the European Union (EU). Ms. Hutton joined Breakthrough T1D in 2009 as Director, Regulatory Affairs – Medical Devices and since that time has focused on shaping policies that will accelerate the research, development, approval and availability of innovative T1D therapies. Prior to joining JDRF, Ms. Hutton was Vice President, Strategic Consulting Group at Becker & Associates Consulting, a boutique scientific consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Ms. Hutton holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree in public health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Liselotte Hyveled MSc. Pharm, MBA, is an executive R & D leader at Novo Nordisk, currently working as chief patient officer. She has worked in a number of different specialist and leadership roles within drug development all the way from research to market and across a variety of therapy areas. The assignments have also been international in both EU and US.
Ms Hyveled is recognized for her superior ability to development strategies and build units that deliver unprecedented results. She is visionary and always with a patient-centric focus.She has a passion for diversity, equity and inclusion and has initiated and lead programs in Novo Nordisk to include people with physical disabilities or neurodiverse people into the workspace. In her spare time, she enjoys nature, yoga, reading and cooking.

Karen Jackler, MPH, has oversight of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) patient engagement activities. Working with scientific and policy staff across the FDA, she identifies patient engagement opportunities and assures CBER’s coordinated participation in them. With a professional background in public health and strategic communications and expertise in project planning and mobilizing diverse teams, she is a leader in promoting the importance of the patient voice in FDA’s decisions about biologic medical products.

Korinne Jew, PhD, BSN, joined Medtronic in 2011 as a clinical research associate and has taken on a succession of roles with increasing responsibility within the Clinical Research and Medical Science (CRMS) function. In her current role of Sr. Director Enterprise CRMS, Dr Jew serves as sponsor of the Medical Science council to drive the value of the function as a strategic partner to the business. She also leads the enterprise Patient Engagement Strategy to ensure that patient input is incorporated throughout the product life cycle. Dr Jew holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado-Boulder as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Regis University. After her education and training in the academic research setting, she left to pursue her nursing degree and practiced as a critical care nurse prior to joining Medtronic

Holly John, Senior Director, Global Patient Advocacy at Agios is an innovative and thoughtful leader with a passion for elevating the voice of the patient community and ensuring that their insights are woven across the company’s activities. With a strong record of building authentic partnerships with patients, patient advocates and their clinician supporters, Holly has defined an ambition for evidence-based advocacy that goes beyond words, driving meaningful action and change for both her colleagues and the patients they serve.

Paris Johnson is a highly experienced clinical research professional with over 13 years of dedicated service at AstraZeneca in Site Management and Monitoring. With experience as a US Study Lead in both Biopharma and Oncology, she has a commitment to data-driven delivery with a patient-centric focus. Ms Johnson has played a crucial role in developing, implementing and executing strategies to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in clinical trials, development of Clinical Trial Diversity Action Plans and addressing health disparities within the US. Ms Johnson is a passionate advocate for ensuring that clinical trials reflect the diversity of the populations they aim to serve.

Maimah Karmo is the Founder/CEO of the Tigerlily Foundation (Tigerlily)and a twelve-year survivor of breast cancer. On February 28, 2006, at 4:45 p.m., Maimah was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. She had no family history and was32-years old. While undergoing her second round of chemotherapy, she launched an organization to educate, empower, advocate for and support young women affected by breast cancer. Tigerlily provides breast health, educational, empowerment wellness and transformational programs to young women. After working with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to develop the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness RequiresLearning Young (EARLY) Act, in October 2011, Maimah was appointed to theFederal Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, a committee established by the Affordable Care Act, on which she works to develop initiatives to increase knowledge of breast health and breast cancer, for women under the age of 45 and those at heightened risk for developing the disease. She is a speaker and media personality, regularly called upon to speak on Capitol Hill and other venues,as a health, advocacy and empowerment expert. In 2015, Maimah advocated withMembers of Congress to ensure that young women had access to breast screening. Tigerlily Foundation flew young women to Washington, D.C. to meet with 74 members of Congress. The visit resulted in doubling theHouse and Senate support for the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screening(PALS) legislation. The bill was signed into law within a month, protecting the lives and rights of millions of women. Maimah has worked with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to launch national campaigns and has served as an Ambassador for National Women’s HealthWeek, an initiative of the Office of Women’s Health. Tigerlily Foundation has launched national and global health initiatives focused on ending disparities, through the #InclusionPledge, partnering with global stakeholders, with a call to action to recognize health disparities as a social justice issue; and working to end disparities for black women in our lifetime.

Maimah has appeared in several nations publications. She has also been featured on Fox 5, ABC 7, CBS, the Oprah Winfrey Show, OWN, Good Morning America, theToday Show. Most dear to Maimah’s heart is her 17-year old daughter,Noelle. Maimah earned her BA in Communications from George Mason University and an MBA from the University of Maryland UniversityCollege. In 2010, Maimah published Fearless:Awakening to my Life’s Purpose Through Breast Cancer. Visit www.tigerlilyfoundation to learn more.

Maureen Kashuba has over 20 years of Pharma experience. She leads the Plain Language Summary (PLS) program at Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, United States.

She led the development of the company’s > 1250 term Health Literate Glossary which has been reviewed, tested for cultural competency and approved for use internally. She’s led Patient Panel and Cultural Competency reviews to engage diverse insights on terms and concepts. Maureen co-chairs the DIA PLS Working Group is a member of the MRCT Center Glossary Development Review Team and the EFPIA CREG joint subteam on patient friendly language. She is passionate about clear communication of research information to empower patients to make informed health choices for themselves and their

Christa Kerkorian is vice president of Patient Advocacy at Day One Bio, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing new, more effective, and safer treatments for children with cancer. Day One’s clinical programs are focused on pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) and other pediatric and adult solid tumors. Christa joined Day One in 2021 to establish the Patient Advocacy function and support Day One’s clinical programs in pLGG, as well as to lead outreach and support for the broader pediatric cancer patient community. Her approach to patient advocacy has centered around establishing trusting, long-term relationships with patients, families, and advocates, elevating their voices, and facilitating community and capacity building to advance shared goals.

Prior to joining Day One, Christa spent six years at Agios Pharma. At Agios, Christa established and led Patient Advocacy, covering oncology and rare genetic diseases. Her work in these therapeutic areas included advocacy at the grass-roots and grass-tops levels and creating international partnerships and coalition building.

Before joining Agios, Christa spent nine years in Managed Care at Genentech. Her area of expertise was patient access, first with Genentech’s patient assistance programs and then in managed care marketing, where she led brand strategy and communications.

Christa earned a BA in Communications Studies from UCLA and an MBA from St. Mary's College.

Molly Kerrigan has been working at AstraZeneca for 2.5 years across a variety of teams within R&D, ranging from Applied Data Science in Early Oncology, Digital Health Design Research, Clinical Trial Diversity, and Patient Safety Data & Analytics. In her current role as Manager in the Patient Safety Data & Analytics team, she conducts real-world data analytics for safety contextualization and clinical trial diversity action plans. She is responsible for the data strategy and design of AZ’s Clinical Trial Diversity Dashboard, enabling study teams to monitor and improve demographic representation in real time for all AZ Phase 3 studies. Molly is passionate about bringing data-driven insights to improve representation in clinical trials and promote health equity.

Shafaat Ali Khan, MBBS is a seasoned clinical research professional with a passion for revolutionizing the way clinical trials are conducted. As a Clinical Research Lead in Lilly’s Site and Investigator Engagement organization, Dr Khan spearheads efforts to operationalize and execute highly decentralized clinical trials, driving efficiency and innovation in the field. He also leads multidisciplinary teams at Lilly to closely collaborate with sites and investigators to drive innovation across the drug development lifecycle.

With a strong focus on patient empowerment, Dr Khan is on a mission to enhance patient education and improve access to novel investigational therapies and diagnostics. By leveraging advanced technologies and patient-centric approaches, Mr Khan strives to break down barriers and ensure that more individuals can benefit from cutting-edge treatments.

Dr Khan received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Baqai Medical University and continued on to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Science Research from Emory University School of Medicine.

Sharib Khan is a Biomedical Informatics Entrepreneur, who combines his passion for the application of computers in healthcare, with his belief in startups as vehicles for change. As Co-founder and Product Lead at TrialX, he is responsible for developing and executing the product development vision. Mr Khan holds a Masters in Biomedical Informatics from Columbia University and an MD from the University of Medical Sciences, Delhi University. An Iyengar Yoga practitioner, he can be found teaching yoga classes or doing headstands, when not brainstorming clinical trials technologies. Contact information for brochure & registration purposes

As Chief Strategy Officer, Joseph Kim brings over 23 years of pharmaceutical research expertise and innovation to ProofPilot. Most recently performing Senior Advisor roles at Lilly in Digital Health, Patient Experience Design, and Clinical Innovation.  Mr Kim brings a wide array of industry knowledge, integrating his experience working for multiple Sponsors such as Merck and Takeda (Shire), as well as CROs, and technology vendors. He has a robust combination of experience across all phases of clinical research, and a well-known history of innovation in the industry, recognized as one of the “Top 100 individuals on the 2015 MedicineMakers Power List,” and “20 Innovators Changing the Face of the Clinical Trials Industry” by CenterWatch. He holds a BS in Molecular Biology from Lehigh University and an MBA from Villanova.

Diagnosed in her teens, Sabina Kineen is passionate about educating others how the diagnosis of an inherited, rare disease can impact an entire family and sharing the unique perspective of living as both a patient and a caregiver. Ms Kineen strives to use her own life experiences, including her involvement and participation in clinical trials, to support patients and industry in order to build bridges and encourage health equity and patient engagement.

Katie King is the Associate Director and DU Lead of Patient Centricity & Engagement for Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Disease pipeline. She brings a wide range of experience in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases from not only the CRO, vendor, and sponsor perspective, but also from her firsthand knowledge as both a patient and caregiver. Katie advocates for authentic empowerment of patients and firmly believes that the patient voice should be woven throughout every facet of the clinical research tapestry. In addition to her work in patient engagement strategy development, Katie has dedicated a significant portion of her personal and professional time to the creation of disruptive digital innovations and is known for challenging the “mental red tape” often encountered within the industry.

Nick Langevin is a regulatory affairs strategy leader with more than 25 years’ experience in medical device and pharmaceutical product development. At Boehringer Ingelheim, Nick works with cross-functional teams to bring new therapeutic options to those living with ophthalmology and mental health conditions.

Nick’s past roles include United States region regulatory lead and several positions within toxicology, project management, manufacturing and quality assurance. He holds a MS in Biology, is an alumnus of the University of California San Francisco Regulatory Sciences program, and is certified as a regulatory professional by the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society and as a project manager by the Project Management Institute.

In terms of patient-centric medical development, there have been many career-shaping influences for Nick. Starting in the 2010s, the rise of the PFDD meeting series from FDA and Advocacy Groups represented a true shift in thinking. Upon joining Boehringer Ingelheim in 2020, seeing patient focus segments at the beginning of project and departmental meetings provided motivation and purpose to his work. Attending a Patients as Partners meeting in 2022, hearing Jen Horenjeff speak about patient-centeredness with such energy and passion only fueled his fire more. Colleagues such as Keri Yale have had a significant impact on realizing how we (medical product developers) can truly think with the patient in mind throughout the product lifecycle, actively listening to them and actually incorporating what we hear into the project and the product.

Dr Ann-Marie La Ronde-Richard is Director and Patient Engagement Lead in the Translational Clinical Sciences Unit in Pfizer Research and Development. Formerly Principal Scientist in the Internal Medicine Research Unit, Ann-Marie has been at Pfizer for a total of 17 years.

As Patient Engagement Lead, Ann-Marie is now in a unique position to bridge the gap between patients and those working to develop breakthrough therapies to improve their lives, ensuring that researchers better understand the experiences and unmet medical needs of diverse patient populations living with disease. Her role entails partnering with Patient Advocacy Groups, patients and their families to ensure that patients’ perspectives and needs are incorporated into the drug development strategy from beginning to end to ultimately improve health outcomes for all.

Dr La Ronde-Richard obtained her BS degree from Suffolk University in Boston and then completed her Doctorate in Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr La Ronde-Richard is also the cofounder of the Dominican Health and Education Initiative (DAHEI), a 501c3 organization founded in 2013, focused on improving the quality of life for Caribbean individuals, families and communities, including from her native island, Dominica, through enhancing education, healthcare and training.

April Lewis is a 25-year veteran of clinical R&D, with proven success leading global teams focused on innovating and disrupting clinical trial operations. Ms Lewis has served as a key leader on large transformational initiatives including the Quintiles/IMS merger, and GSK’s “Future Ready” Vx/Rx integration strategy. Currently, Ms Lewis leads Innovative Health at Johnson and Johnson, responsible for the development and scaling of novel and innovative solutions for use across Global Development. Ms Lewis holds an MS in Organizational Psychology. Ms Lewis is a proud girl mom, with 3 college-aged daughters.

Barry Liden, JD is the Director of Public Policy. He works with the Schaeffer Center leadership to amplify the Center’s impact on public policy through the development and implementation of high-impact strategies; research translation through the strengthening of existing and new methods for maximizing dissemination and uptake of our initiatives; and liaising with key stakeholders through the creation and cultivation of relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Mr Liden was with Edwards Lifesciences from 2002-2022, where he served in various roles, including patient engagement, government affairs and communication. Most recently, he served as the Vice President of Patient Engagement, where he pioneered the advancement of the patient engagement function in the medical device industry. Mr Liden was formerly an Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies from 2018-2022 and Adjunct Faculty at USC Annenberg from 2002-2007. He is also the former Chair of MDIC’s Science of Patient Input Working Group.

Mr Liden is a USC Sol Price School of Public Policy alumnus and received his JD from Loyola Law School.

Gonzalo Linares is the Global Head of Patient Advocacy in R&D at Johnson & Johnson, bringing over 20 years of experience in patient advocacy and corporate affairs. Based in Basel, Switzerland, he is responsible for bringing a systematic and strategic approach to the way J&J partners with advocacy organizations throughout the R&D process. Mr Linares began his career leading advocacy programs with oncology patient organizations in his native Spain in 2004, and has since held increasingly senior global roles in the UK and Switzerland. Most recently, he served as the Global Head of Patient Advocacy in R&D at Novartis, as well as the Global Executive Director of Patient Engagement Neuroscience at the same company, where he worked across Research, Development, and Commercial organizations to integrate the patient community’s perspective.

When he is not behind his desk, Mr Linares is passionate about nature in Switzerland while maintaining strong ties with his family and friends in Spain. Outside of work, he enjoys mountain biking, meditation, and CrossFit.

With over a decade of experience working directly with patients and sites, Rachael MacQueen, MBA, is no stranger to understanding patient burden. She has spent the bulk of her career helping to build better, more efficient, patient and site friendly trials through patient centric solutions.

In her current role, as Senior Manager, Patient Centricity with Moderna she ensures that in all the trials Moderna delivers, they are considering novel solutions that meet patient needs and that their trials are designed and executed with those needs in mind.

Before Moderna, she was Director of Delivery for the Patient Experience Unit of CorEvitas, where she played a key leadership role and led the operational delivery of research services for qualitative and quantitative patient insights.

Ms MacQueen received her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Josh Madej brings over 15 years of experience in data-informed healthcare strategy. A former patient and caregiver, he is passionate about amplifying the patient voice. He has led teams across digital strategy, analytics, and marketing to drive patient engagement. As a health-tech entrepreneur, Mr Madej used predictive analytics to improve patient and caregiver experiences from hospital to home. An expert in blending data with human insights, he has led multiple product launches using a “tech and touch” approach. He earned his MS in Data Science & Analytics from Northwestern University and an MBA from MIT Sloan where he was a Sloan Fellow

Maartje Mangelaars is the Patient Engagement Manager EMEA at Johnson & Johnson. She has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 20 years, having experience in clinical research, medical affairs and patient engagement. Motivated by deep understanding of the patient experience and drive to make a profound contribution to improving the treatment paradigm for families who experience rare and chronic disease, she is responsible for developing and executing the patient engagement strategy for autoantibody diseases within J&J in the EMEA region. She is a true believer in collaborative efforts and contributed to several multi-stakeholder projects, including IMI Paradigm, IMI EU-Pearl and is a trainer for the EUPATI fellow program in the Netherlands.

Additionally, Maartje holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health from the Wageningen University (Netherlands).

Jasmine Masullo is the Director of Research Services at the non-profit organization CISCRP (The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation, INC.). She is responsible for overseeing and supporting the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of a variety of CISCRP research studies. This includes the Perceptions & Insights studies, as well as Patient and Caregiver Advisory Boards, workshops, and other custom research projects.

Prior to CISCRP, she worked in the public health field specifically with maternal and child populations in a variety of different capacities.

Matthew Maxwell serves as the Chief Growth Officer at Centricity Research, leading initiatives in patient engagement and growth strategy. With nearly two decades of experience in clinical research, he has focused on developing patient-centric strategies and fostering strategic partnerships to advance healthcare outcomes. His expertise encompasses patient barriers and motivators, recruitment methodology, technology integration with an emphasis on AI, and study simulations, with a particular focus on enhancing clinical trial efficiency through decentralized, patient-centered models. Matt holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and a Master of Science (MS) in interactive technology.

Maggie Kuhl is Vice President of Patient Engagement at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's research. She leads a team engaging community partners and gathering patient experience data toward patient-focused drug development, as well as practicing and piloting recruitment and retention methods to enable faster trials.

Sarah McKeown-Cannon (she/her) is the Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Research at Heartbeat, where she is flipping the script on traditional recruitment and retention. Heartbeat isn’t in the business of chasing referrals or measuring success by vanity metrics. Instead, she leads the charge in fixing the “leaky funnel” once and for all—by shifting the focus to patient activation. At Heartbeat Clinical Research, Ms McKeown-Cannon and her team meet patients where they are, ensuring they aren’t just found but are ready, willing, and empowered to take action. This means moving beyond outdated recruitment tactics and instead designing sustained engagement strategies that transform passive candidates into active participants in their own health journey. Her commitment to health equity is evident in every initiative she leads—ensuring that underrepresented communities aren’t just included in research but are centered in it. As Co-Chair of the Reflections collective, she extends this work even further, driving industry-wide change for more inclusive, patient-first clinical trials. A MM&M 40 Under 40 honoree, Ms McKeown-Cannon bridges global healthcare intelligence with deep behavioral insights, ensuring every study doesn’t just recruit but activates. Through her bold vision and relentless leadership, she is shaping the future of clinical research—one where patients aren’t just participants but powerful advocates in their own care.

Christine McLennan joined BioNTech during the global pandemic, as she was impressed with BioNTech’s passion and commitment to improving the health of people worldwide with innovative immunotherapies. Christine began her career as a clinical nutritionist at McMaster University, where compassionate, patient-centered care and evidenced-based medicine were fundamental to clinical practice. She then moved to the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University, where she managed NIH-funded research studies in heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Since 2008, she has directed oncology clinical trials of immune-based therapies. She is an accomplished research professional with over 20 years in clinical research and a strong passion to drive research policy and operations to incorporate the patients voice into clinical trial design and meaningful study endpoints. She is committed to implementing technology-based solutions to reduce respondent burden on patients and site research teams, which will ultimately enhance the overall efficiency of trial operations and bring new medicines to market more quickly. She is also actively engaged in efforts to address barriers to clinical trials, especially to underserved communities. Her goal as a healthcare professional is to engage in efforts that create access to effective and affordable health care for people across the globe.

Tasha was diagnosed with maternal alloimmunization during her second pregnancy in 2019. When her OBGYN could offer little information on the implications of the Kell antibodies discovered or Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN), she turned to the internet and found an invaluable patient-led support group. This group was pivotal in educating her about this rare condition and empowering her to advocate for proper care during her high-risk pregnancy and post-delivery while her miracle baby battled HDFN.

Tasha has extensive experience in non-profit organizations including the American Red Cross and American Cancer Society. She holds a Master's Degree in Health Promotion Management from Marymount University and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Mary Washington. Today, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Allo Hope Foundation, a patient advocacy organization born from that support group. She has also continued to advocate for alloimmunized mothers and improving care and outcomes for affected babies by serving as an HDFN Global Patient Council member and contributing to patient-centered research.

Beth Moody has over 17 years of clinical research experience with expertise in immunology, pediatrics, and oncology. In her current role as Senior Manager within the Patient Recruitment & Retention team at AbbVie, she supports the development and oversees execution of programmatic patient recruitment strategies within Immunology (dermatology and rheumatology). She leverages cutting-edge recruitment resources and results in successful acceleration of clinical trial recruitment.

Before AbbVie, she was Senior Strategy Lead, Patient Recruitment at IQVIA. She supported key stakeholders, including Business Development, Therapeutic & Medical Strategy team and Functional Team Members, bringing the patient voice to the solution story through insights and specific Patient Centric Solutions’ products and service recommendations to create a seamless patient journey.

Moody earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Marketing from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Monique Mulkern is the Head, Global Patient Insights & Solutions (GPIS), Patient Experience (PEX), at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. She leads a talented team to bring patient voices and insights into the organization to inform strategy and action from clinical trials through commercialization. She has been in healthcare for over 20 years and joined Alexion in 2018, establishing launch excellence, congress excellence, and strategic planning capabilities. She is inspired by co-creating solutions with all stakeholders who strive to positively impact patient health and dedicated to supporting the company’s mission of transforming the lives of people affected by rare and devastating diseases. Prior to Alexion, she worked with an array of companies through strategy consulting, in-house at Novartis, and at Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Public Health. Monique has been based out of Paris, Rome, and is now back in Boston. She holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MBA from HEC Paris.

Jon Nelson is a lived-experience expert in mental health. A healthcare communications executive in the biopharmaceutical space for 20+ years, Jon is a tireless advocate and voice for those who, like him, suffer from mental illness. Jon’s mission is to pulverize the stigma associated with mental illness to help the millions who needlessly suffer in silence.

Jon was first diagnosed with mental illness in 2010 and has participated in numerous treatments since then intended to mitigate against its harmful effects.

Having not shown improvement after exhausting all treatment options, in 2022 Jon became one of only a small handful of people in the US to participate in clinical trials aimed at healing mental disorders and related depression.

Known as deep brain stimulation, the procedure was built on the scientific premise that electrical stimulation could reset brains that are in the grip of powerful and devastating psychiatric disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The procedure was a resounding success. He has been in remission from depression since the day the device was turned on in August 2022.

Of the many physiological and psychological challenges that Jon has endured over the years, perhaps the biggest one he’s yet to overcome is the stigma that’s often associated with mental illness. In today’s world, the resilience of those who have diseases like cancer is often celebrated while those grappling with mental illness are heavily stigmatized.

Rather than succumbing to the challenges of suffering with mental illness and its stigma, Jon instead chose to channel his experiences into a lifelong mission of advocacy and support. Jon currently serves as a strategic advisor for several not for profits including One Mind and Mental Health Collaborative and as an advisor to Motif Neurotech, which develops minimally invasive bioelectronics to treat and monitor severe mental illness.

Most recently, Jon was invited by the NIH to speak at a congressional briefing to discuss progress from the BRAIN Initiative, which fosters better understanding of the human brain and its potential for revolutionizing treatments for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Jon previously held executive leadership roles across several companies including Omnicom and Syneos Health.

Jon resides in Newtown, PA along with his wife Barbara and their three children, and when he’s not tirelessly serving as a lived-experience mental illness expert, he can be found on the ice coaching youth hockey.

Barry Nelson has been a resident of Boston for over thirty years and has deep ties to the local community. A retired risk management professional, with credentialing for business continuity and disaster recovery planning, Mr Nelson has a background in technology that extends across multiple industries, including financial services and banking, airlines, and government contracting.

Since 2012, Mr Nelson has served as a patient experience presenter and patient advisor and he regularly participates in patient and family centered conferences, patient experience panels, and other events where he discusses opportunities for improving long-term health care outcomes. Mr Nelson has participated on multiple research initiatives that focus on patient centered outcomes and healthcare improvements at the Brigham and Women’s Center for Patients and Families and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Mr Nelson’s spirit of activism is centered on his Christian faith and he is the co-chair of the “Somebody Prayed For Me, Let Us Pray with You” weekly prayer call.

As a patient volunteer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Patients and Families, Mr Nelson supports several Patient Family Advisory Councils, Steering Committees, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiatives (PCORI), and other research goals focused on patient care and engagement. Mr Nelson also volunteers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and provides support for marketing, fundraising, and community outreach.

Mr Nelson is a volunteer and board member for common cathedral, a nonprofit faith organization focused on the homeless community, providing weekly worship on the Boston Common, Street Ministry, educational outreach program to youth and their support entities.

Abigail Newell, PhD is a Director of Research at Cancer Support Community (CSC). She received her PhD in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was an award winning undergraduate instructor and researcher.

Prior to joining CSC, she conducted mixed methods research on four interdisciplinary teams, performed program evaluation for a non-profit dedicated to ending health disparities, and served as an editorial assistant for Social Forces journal. Her research spans a variety of topics, including intersectional health disparities, healthcare policy, and program development and evaluation. At CSC, Dr Newell is responsible for designing and conducting mixed methodology research projects on health service delivery, patient and caregiver experiences, quality of life, and health equity. She is passionate about conducting rigorous research to ensure that CSC's programs and education continue to meet the diverse and dynamic needs of patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Delphine Nicolas is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry, specializing in patient advocacy.

Throughout her career, she has held various senior positions in renowned pharmaceutical companies such as SERVIER, ABBVIE, JANSSEN (Johnson & Johnson), NOVARTIS, and ROCHE. Ms Nicolas has developed and implemented advocacy strategies and built impactful partnerships with global and local patient advocacy groups. Her work has contributed to shaping the optimal environment for patients living with severe conditions (immunology, oncology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular).

As Head of Global Patient Affairs in oncology at Servier, Delphine Nicolas is dedicated to improving patient pathways in collaboration with global Patient Coalitions in the field of rare cancers, digestive cancer, and onco-hematology. She holds a Master in Biochemistry from Pierre et Marie Curie University, a Master in Communications from Neoma Business School, and is finishing an Executive Master in Public Policy and HealthCare Management from Sciences Po Paris.

Ifeyinwa (Ify) Osunkwo, MD, MPH, is the chief patient officer of Novo Nordisk Rare disease. Prior to this she served as the inaugural chief patient officer and senior vice president at Forma Therapeutics. In her role, Dr Osunkwo is responsible for realizing Novo’s vision to transform the lives of patients by improving access and care through partnerships with global patient and community stakeholders while driving an internal culture of patient focused medicine development. Dr Osunkwo is an internationally acclaimed expert in the research, treatment and care delivery of sickle cell disease (SCD), pediatric to adult care transition, and the management of chronic pain. She has a passion for health equity and has focused her research on identifying the comparative effectiveness of interventions in eliminating health disparities in Black and brown populations. She has more than 25 years of experience in clinical management, population health using the chronic disease management model and health literacy. She is an accomplished clinician educator adept at training clinical and non-clinical audiences and is also a visionary leader in pragmatic program development and implementation using quality improvement.

Dr Osunkwo is the Founder & Director of the Sickle Cell Disease Enterprise at Levine Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Atrium Health - a vertically integrated healthcare system serving 1400+ adults and 400+ children with sickle cell disease in NC/SC/GA. Previously, she was the medical director of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta @ Egleston and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University. She directed the Teen Scene Transition Program that provided care coordination and education to facilitate the smooth transition of young adults from pediatrics to adult care. Dr Osunkwo earned a medical degree from the University of Nigeria College of Medical Sciences and Dentistry and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She received her pediatric residency training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and completed her fellowship in pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr Osunkwo is board certified in pediatric hematology oncology and has led a robust research enterprise garnering over $15 million in research funding and has served as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials over the course of her career.

Madeleine Pagel, myTomorrows Senior Patient Navigator and a Pharmacist by training. She leverages her extensive knowledge of pharmacy to guide patients and physicians in finding, understanding, and accessing clinical trial options worldwide. Madeleine specializes in supporting patients with neuromuscular and neurodegenerative conditions within the rare disease space, bringing compassion, expertise, and personalized care to her work.

Andrew Pearlmutter is an Associate Director of Patient Centered Outcomes Science at BioMarin, with over 6 years of experience in patient-centered outcome (PCO) measurement design and implementation, with a focus on supporting digital health technology development and integration in clinical trials. Before joining BioMarin, Mr Pearlmutter was a Digital Biomarkers Consultant at Koneksa Health, a leading digital biomarker solutions provider. Mr Pearlmutter was also an inaugural member of Sanofi’s Digital Innovation team, where he led Sanofi’s efforts to build, test, and scale app- and wearable-based digital endpoints and health technologies in Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and rare diseases – including driving concept elicitation, regulatory engagements and clinical validation.

Jessica Perry is a leader in driving innovative solutions that place patients at the heart of clinical trial operations. With over 20 years of experience in clinical research, Jessica has been instrumental in making clinical trials more accessible, efficient, and participant-friendly. Her expertise in digital solutions and commitment to reducing trial burden have shaped her career. She is passionate about enabling the delivery of medicines to more people while enhancing the clinical trial experience. Before joining Kymera Therapeutics, Jessica led the strategy development for decentralized trial approaches across the Moderna clinical trial pipeline. She played a pivotal role in expanding access and reducing participant burden by fostering innovative partnerships and exploring new ways of conducting trials. Notably, Jessica led key initiatives aimed at enabling access within communities, including the first vaccine trial fully conducted in a retail pharmacy and the use of mobile health care vans to bring trial pre-screening directly to communities. As a champion of digital health technologies, Jessica has led digital initiatives that garnered industry recognition with multiple awards. Her commitment to incorporating the patient voice into clinical trial planning, designs and solutions were integral to the success of these technology launches.

Heather Pin has spent most of her career in project, program and change management for pharma software development and implementation. She joined Sanofi in 2014, and currently works in the global Patient Informed Development & Health Value Translation department. Ms Pin and her team drive reporting and impact measures with a razor-sharp focus on commitment to listening and translating patient concerns and insights. This analytical data provided by Ms Pin and her team delivers new health care solutions so that patients can experience improved quality of life. Ms Pin’s other duties include providing operational, interdepartmental and business management solutions.

Angela Radcliffe is a best-selling author, speaker and advocate for teaching health, data and Al literacy. Drawing on 20+ years of experience centered around healthcare innovation, she combines deep Al healthcare expertise with authentic storytelling to engage diverse audiences and empower children and adults to succeed in a data-centric world. Driven by the preventable loss of her 21-year-old brother to an undiagnosed heart condition, Ms Radcliffe champions health literacy while navigating the complexities of raising three children across different technological generations, including a neurodivergent learner. This unique intersection of personal tragedy and parenting challenges and her journey from poverty to escaping domestic violence fuels her mission to advance health, data and Al literacy for the next generation. As the author of Quantum Kids Guardians of AI, a narrative-based activity book for children and teens, she teaches Al fundamentals such as neural networks, large language models, data ethics and prompt engineering, all woven into stories about school life, social media and robotics. The book makes complex Al concepts accessible and enjoyable, encouraging young minds to think about technology’s role in addressing challenges like bullying, climate change, and health inequity and empowering them to make better health and other critical life decisions and take more control of how their personal data gets used by third parties to reduce exploitation or becoming a victim of fraud. As a senior executive in health tech, patient engagement & education, and overseeing clinical operations programs, including Managing Director of Heartbeat’s Clinical Research practice, a division of Publicis Health, and Head of Digital Performance Improvement and Innovation for Research and Early Development IT for Bristol Myers Squibb, Ms Radcliffe  translates complex concepts into actionable insights, helping families and organizations thrive. Her unique background and her stellar communications and

Swathi Ramesh is the Director of Patient-Centered Developed for the Early and Late Respiratory and Immunology (R&I) Therapeutic Areas at AstraZeneca. In this role, she works closely with the Chief Medical Office’s Patient Sciences team to deliver patient centric services to program and clinical trial teams in R&I. This includes the areas of patient insights, clinical trial diversity and inclusion and collaborating with patient organizations. Prior to this role, she started in MedImmune as a Clinical Project Manager, overseeing early R&I studies. She continued this role within AstraZeneca, where she also managed a COVID-19 clinical trial. She has extensive knowledge about clinical operations, patient centricity within R&D in pharma. Before this, she worked in the hospital setting as a research coordinator, managing clinical trials in numerous therapeutic areas which include: neurology, neurosurgery, cardio-thoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, hepatology and infectious diseases. She is passionate about advocating for the patient and site voices in clinical trial drug development and looks forward to contributing to the fast-growing landscape of patient centricity within drug developing to co-create studies with patients.

Matt Reaney has spent much of his life in and around the healthcare system. He is a son, spouse and parent of remarkably resilient people who live with chronic diseases that involve significant self-management, and he is passionate about helping them use their voices to inform healthcare decisions. It was with this in mind that he embarked on his first role in Patient-Centered care and Patient-focused research more than 20 years ago. He has held positions in pharmaceutical companies, universities, charities, consultancies and hospitals since – sometimes simultaneously – advocating for the patient voice to be heard in intervention design and testing, and in clinical care decision-making.

In his role at IQVIA, Matt sets scientific direction for the Patient Centered Solutions team and oversees a variety of qualitative and quantitative research projects and patient-focused communication activities. Alongside this role, Matt maintains a variety of other positions including Expert in Residence at the University of Oxford, Scientific Advisory Council member at Breakthrough T1D, Co-chair of the Study Endpoints Committee at the DIA and Guest Lecturer at the Royal Holloway University of London. He is a Chartered and Practitioner Health Psychologist and a Chartered Scientist. He has a PhD and MSc in Health Psychology and a BSc in Psychology and has been awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Society of Medicine, a Fellowship by the Royal Society of Public Health, and an Associate Fellowship by the British Psychological Society.

Jeanne Regnante, at the helm of Patient3i, LLC, ( Patient Insights Inspire Innovation) is dedicated to advancing healthcare strategies that drive meaningful initiatives in patient engagement, community outreach, and inclusive research practices. Her work spans critical therapeutic areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare diseases, with a steadfast focus on health equity. Jeanne is proud of her 30+ year career at Merck & Co, Inc. where she was head of global patient engagement and Chief of Staff to the company’s Chief Medical Officer. Patient3i’s team partners with community-based organizations and stakeholders to create programs that resonate with underserved communities , empowering them to take charge of their healthcare journeys. By integrating patient experiences and perspectives into measurable outcomes, Patient3i strives to achieve health equity where people live and receive care. Jeanne has worked with esteemed organizations such as the Tigerlily Foundation, LUNGevity Foundation, and the National Minority Quality Forum, Premier Allied Sciences and several start-up and industry leaders. Her primary focus has always been engaging medically underserved and vulnerable communities, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs addressed through authentic trusted partnerships with community organizations, health systems, cancer centers, and professional groups. “ It’s not health equity unless the patient says so”

Leveraging extensive industry expertise in corporate health and strategy, Jeanne ensures that all communities are represented in healthcare decision-making processes. This approach is informed by patient organizations, community-based groups, and professional associations, and it extends beyond advocacy to encompass strategic partnerships and the promotion of health literacy where she contributes on the Board of Directors at Health Literacy Media, St. Louis Mo. Driven by the belief that patient-focused approaches are essential for creating sustainable healthcare systems and advancing equity, Jeanne actively contributes to peer-reviewed publications, blogs, and public events. These efforts highlight the importance of communicating what works based on representation and patient involvement throughout research and the care continuum. To realize lasting impact, Jeanne advocates for collaboration, mentoring, lifting community-based organizations up and shared learning across public and private sectors, underscoring the power of united action in achieving equitable healthcare for all.

Maria Restrepo is the Diversity in Clinical Trials Program Director at Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, where she leads the company’s efforts to ensure diverse patient representation in clinical trials. Dr Restrepo has over 10 years of experience in the MedTech industry, and she joined Medtronic in 2016 as a leader in the Corporate Clinical Operations team, where she oversaw the strategy and governance of the global organization. Dr Restrepo has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Universidad EIA in Colombia, and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr Restrepo has a strong passion for health equity and is committed to removing barriers to achieve this.

Sharon Rivera-Sanchez is the Founder and Chief Executive Director of Trials of Color & Saving Pennies 4 A Cure, both are non-profits 501-C3 organizations founded in 2018, and Trials of Color in 2022. The mission is to educate, advocate, and empower cancer patients with a primary focus on Diversity in Clinical trials, awareness, and prevention.

Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, in 2015, Rivera-Sanchez was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer. She has participated in five medical clinical trials. She successfully completed two, withdrew from two, and she is currently involved in one.

Unfortunately, in 2021 Sharon became a caregiver for her brother who passed away from colon cancer. She is currently a voice for the voiceless, she speaks about colon cancer awareness and screening in the black community. She is also a 2022 Project Lead graduate. Rivera-Sanchez has lobbied US Congressmen and collaborated with local advocates in order to achieve health equity for the African American community.

She also serves on many Boards, just to name a few: National Cancer Institute (NCI) Massey Cancer Center (NCORP) Massey Cancer Center -DEI Advisory Committee University of Pennsylvania- The Radcomp Study University of Pennsylvania -Clinical trial Ambassador) GRASP- Member American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) -Member CPAT - Member

Melinda Rottas, MBA is the Head of Optimization, Analytics & Recruitment Solutions (OARS), a team that aims to transform clinical trials at Pfizer, establish a new standard for clinical trial experience and deliver analytics and insights for optimized R&D performance. OARS is a talented global team delivering core capabilities spanning clinical trial country & site feasibility; protocol insights & optimization; recruitment & retention strategies; clinical trial investigative site partnerships, site intelligence & site experience; clinical trial participant diversity, experience & patient engagement and decision-making analytics & benchmarking. Ms Rottas has over 23 years of experience at Pfizer, starting her career as a Medicinal Chemist in Drug Discovery, followed by additional roles in research including Business Operations and Portfolio Reporting & Forecasting prior to moving to the clinical development space. Ms Rottas holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut as well as an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Hollie Schmidt is the Vice President of Scientific Operations at Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis. She cochairs the Research Committee of iConquerMS, a virtual participatory research network for MS established to perform and support patient-centered research in MS. In this role she works to promote patient engagement throughout the research process and to develop research collaborations on topics of interest to people with MS. She founded and leads the MS Minority Research Engagement Partnership Network, a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at promoting racial and ethnic diversity in MS research studies, and is the co-leader of the iConquerMS RIDE (Research Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) Council.

Hollie has an MS in Management, as well as a BS and MS in Materials Science and Engineering, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She serves on the Institutional Review Board of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is a board member for the International FOP Association, and is Secretary for the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition. Before joining Accelerated Cure Project, Hollie’s endeavors included co-founding two software companies where she gained an appreciation of the imperative to center new product designs on the needs and preferences of the end user. She brings an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of discovery, collaboration and inclusivity to solving problems and achieving breakthroughs in partnership with the MS community.

Rick brings 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience and leads Jumo Health's Sales, Customer Success, and Marketing teams. Before joining Jumo Health in 2018, Rick led the new business growth efforts for health care agency, Greater Than One.  He has also served in several leadership positions with WebMD/Medscape, and spent nearly a decade in sales leadership at Epocrates contributing to the Company's successful IPO and subsequent acquisition by Athenahealth.

Dr Rohini Sen is a dedicated advocate for patient experience data (PED) with over a decade of expertise in patientcentered outcomes research, especially within oncology and rare diseases. As the Director of Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Oncology HEOR at AbbVie, she spearheads cross-functional collaboration to weave patient insights into the oncology drug development fabric. Rohini’s commitment to prioritizing patients was recently recognized with the prestigious AbbVie CAN Impact Award, celebrating her success in integrating PED early in oncology trials. She has an impressive track record of creating innovative clinical outcome assessments (COAs) that enhance patient engagement and facilitate productive FDA and EMA regulatory interactions.

As an active participant and presenter at renowned conferences such as DIA, ISOQOL and ISPOR, Rohini champions the pivotal role of PED in drug development. Her professional journey includes influential roles at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she served as Associate Director of Global Evidence and Outcomes for Rare Diseases and Neuroscience. She holds a PhD in Psychometrics and an M.S. in Statistics from the University of Connecticut, alongside a BS in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. Her research interests span sensor-based digital endpoints, psychometrics, observational research, real-world evidence and instrument design.

Rohini’s unwavering dedication focuses on advancing the generation of PED in alignment with evolving industry standards and trends.

Rucha Shah has been living with a rare disorder. Her commitment lays in advocating for accessible healthcare and improving health outcomes for the broader patient community, especially the next generation of patients. Currently, Ms Shah leads a patient advocacy group for patients and caregivers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania. She also collaborates with various national organizations and pharmaceutical companies on bringing forth initiatives which make meaningful connections within the disease community, improve the quality of life for patients and to increase awareness within the larger community.

Ms Shah attained her Master of Science degree in Clinical Research Organization and Management from the Drexel University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. She further completed certificate coursework in Advancing Health Equity from ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group and Research Advocacy Network as well as certificate coursework in Artificial Intelligence in Pharma and Biotech from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professionally, Ms Shah works as a clinical research project manager within the oncology space. She strives to apply the "lessons learned" from her patient advocacy experiences to her professional work by building the trials to be more patient centric and accessible.

Recent Works: Woolford T, Andemariam B, Blaylark R, Colasanti R, Shah N, Jonassaint C, Trimnell C, Sheth S, Davis J, Gallagher E, Zaidi AU, John H, Shah R. Setting Industry Standards for Patient Engagement, Partnership and Care: The Patient Vision Project. Poster and Oral presentation at NORD. October 16, 2023. Washington DC, USA.

Lisa Shea, MPH, RD, is the Director Global Patient Advocacy & Engagement in Immunology at Johnson & Johnson. In her role, Lisa is responsible for building and enhancing strategic alliances with key national and international stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups and provider organizations to support patient needs and J&J’s global advocacy objectives. She is passionate about amplifying the patient voice externally to help shape healthcare decision-making and elevate unmet needs in rare and prevalent diseases.

Prior to her current role, Ms Shea led a team responsible for connecting Medical and Scientific Affairs colleagues across 5 therapeutic areas with patients and caregivers directly to listen and act on their insights to enable a patient-inclusive approach to research. Prior to joining J&J, Ms Shea led the external engagement strategy around the use of comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research as a Health Policy Liaison at GlaxoSmithKline, ensuring policy positions were grounded in scientific evidence.

Prior to her work in industry, Ms Shea worked for a non-profit designing and implementing a school-based training program using community-based participatory research techniques and evidence-based resources. She is a trained Registered Dietitian who continues to instill a passion for health, wellness and patient-centered research and innovation every day. Ms Shea received a Master of Public Health degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia and completed her dietetic studies at James Madison University in Virginia.

Su Smith is Head of Patient Strategy at Origins, the patient focused specialist agency. Origins transforms our client’s strategies and results through connecting them with the power of the patient. Our patient focused work delivers significant incremental value across medical, clinical development and regulatory approval and market access around the globe. We enable our clients to truly put the patient at the heart of everything they do and realize greater success as a result. Ms Smith works closely with our clients and patient experts to design programmes that create value and leverage the power of the patient. Ms Smith is known for her passion, strategic counsel and problem-solving prowess.

Dan Stephens, Ph.D., is a Global Regulatory Fellow at Boston Scientific. He has twenty-five years of experience in product development and commercialization of medical devices. As a part of the Boston Scientific Global Advocacy Team, Dr Stephens is focused on Patient Science, Real-World Evidence, and Clinical Trial policies and strategies. Dr Stephens is the co-chair of the Science of Patient Input program with the Medical Device Innovation Consortium. He serves as the industry representative on two of FDA’s Patient Engagement Advisory Committees; Patient Preference Elicitation and Patient Engagement.

Emma Sutcliffe is one of the most cited and published experts in the field of patient engagement and patient sciences. Her most recent industry role was as the Global Patient Officer at Ipsen where she managed a patient champion network of 150 colleagues and partnerships with 260 patient organisations for three therapeutic franchises. In 2024, Emma founded ISPEP -- the International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals -- which became the biggest organisation to align and elevate patient engagement practices in the sector. Emma holds several board trustee positions with rare disease patient organisations; her scientific pedigree is as a Medical Biochemist and she recently added to her clinical skill set by qualifying as a psychotherapist and counsellor.

Anthony K. Taylor, DHSc, MSPharm, is an experienced leader, executive, former clinical research scientist and U.S. Army medic with comprehensive industry knowledge and a proven record for delivering results within large, mid-size, and small pharmaceutical organizations. Dr Taylor is Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certified and has a solid background in leading global clinical programs and teams. He has been in the pharma industry for almost 20 years and has held positions of increasing responsibility. When he is not leading large cross-functional initiatives, Dr Taylor enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis in the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA). He is recently married, has two children, and lives in the Chicago-area with his family.

Kristin Tolbert is a seasoned marketing executive with a strong background in cross-cultural marketing. She currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Health Equity Strategy at Jumo Health, where she leads initiatives to support DAP readiness and support expanding both awareness of and engagement with clinical research among under-represented groups.

Ms Tolbert's expertise spans strategic planning, consumer insights, and creative development, with a particular emphasis on culturally relevant marketing strategies. Her leadership in these areas has been instrumental in driving inclusive marketing efforts that resonate with diverse audiences for both consumer and healthcare brands. Prior to marketing, she was a cultural-studies instructor at the university level and still enjoys authoring thought leadership in her more recent area of expertise.

Rhoyge Traylor is a seasoned Advocacy Relations professional with extensive expertise in leveraging superior relationship-building skills to expand access to life-changing healthcare products. In his current role as Senior Director of Global Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, he focuses on fostering meaningful partnerships with patient advocacy organizations and ensuring the patient perspective is deeply embedded in the company’s initiatives. Rhoyge brings over 12 years of experience working directly with advocacy groups, aligning their needs with organizational goals to deliver patient-centered results.

Before joining Edwards Lifesciences, Rhoyge held leadership positions at Amgen and Pfizer. At Amgen, he served as Global Advocacy Relations Director for Cardiovascular & Neuroscience, where he led U.S. advocacy efforts for the first-in-class migraine therapy, Aimovig. He played a pivotal role in integrating advocacy considerations into commercial and medical strategies and streamlined operations through a local-to-global advocacy model.

During his tenure at Pfizer, Rhoyge was instrumental in championing legislation to broaden patient access in collaboration with physician and advocacy organizations. He skillfully aligned legislative goals with commercial objectives, leveraging his relationship-building expertise to create impactful media strategies targeting diverse audiences. His contributions ensured public policy initiatives resonated with both state and national advocates, resulting in significant advancements in patient access and awareness.

Rhoyge’s persistent, thoughtful approach to public policy and advocacy development has positioned him as a key influencer in driving meaningful, patient-centered healthcare solutions.

Brian Weiss is the founder and CEO of Carebox (https://careboxhealth.com). The Carebox Connect platform connects patients and physicians seeking treatment options with clinical trials and is used by leading pharma companies, academic medical centers, and over 40 patient/physician groups. Brian is passionate about empowering patients as the best way to accelerate new treatments and more broadly advance healthcare. Prior to founding Carebox in 2014, he consulted for HL7 on healthcare data standards and led large software development/product organizations in publicly traded CRM and healthcare software vendors. Brian holds a master’s degree in software engineering from Columbia University in New York.

Meredith Wilson currently serves as a leader at Syneos Health, where she launched the Advocacy & Patient Affairs (APA) Team in 2022, introducing an innovative model to foster collaboration between the healthcare industry and advocacy communities. Her work focuses on integrating diverse patient perspectives into business objectives through community-partnered advocacy, engagement, and insights strategies. In 2024, she co-founded the Patient Powered Medicine Center of Excellence, uniting Syneos Health Clinical, Consulting, and Communications leaders to develop solutions that prioritize representative patient voices in healthcare initiatives. Additionally, Ms Wilson co-leads the Rare Disease Consortium, driving global collaboration to amplify the rare disease community's voice in clinical trials and commercial endeavors.

With a background in advocacy, patient engagement, health equity and healthcare communications, her expertise spans therapeutic areas such as rare disease, gene therapy, mental health, respiratory, neurology, and oncology. She has held leadership roles in both advocacy and industry, making her a key partner in aligning advocacy objectives to advance care and organizational growth. Ms Wilson's career reflects her commitment to innovation and inclusivity in healthcare.

As Business Lead for DEI and Patient Experience in Clinical Trials, AnneMarie Winkler has a commitment for Patient Focused Drug Development and integration of the Patient Voice across R&D. Prior to joining Genmab she was Development Unit Lead for Patient Engagement, Equity & Transparency at Biogen, after leading a team as Manager Clinical Operations at Syneos Health, in Merck Research Labs. As Indication Lead for Global Trial Optimization at Syneos Health, Merck; she led End-to-End Feasibility and Recruitment in Tumor Agnostic Basket studies, Novel Biomarkers and Rare Diseases.

During time as Clinical Research Manager and IRB Administrator at Portsmouth Regional Hospital she served on New Hampshire’s Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration: Emerging Issues Work Group, Public Policy Education Committee. It was as Head of Human Rights Protections, and as a Patient Advocate at North Suffolk Mental Health, that she found her true passion is championing the Patient Voice.

Karen Wood has nearly 20 years of experience enhancing the patient experience at NYU Langone Medical Center, where she has worked to support individuals throughout their healthcare journeys.

Her passion for patient advocacy is deeply personal—she was a caregiver to her father, who battled multiple chronic illnesses, and her uncle, who fought against multiple myeloma and colon cancer.

Beyond her professional work, Ms Wood is a dedicated community advocate, assisting patients in navigating everyday challenges such as transportation barriers, insurance complexities, and medication denials. Her commitment to empowering patients drives her efforts to improve access to care and support those facing the most difficult moments of their health journey.

Anthony Yanni, MD, is responsible for leading the development and execution of the company’s global patient centricity strategy across all functions of the organization. With a vision to better and more genuinely understand the patient journey in the real-world setting, along with the continued development of a patient-centered corporate culture worldwide, one area in which he is focused is on creating sustainable processes to address key areas that matter to patients and applying their unique insights to the entire product lifecycle – from early research to development and, ultimately, to utilization.

Previously, Dr Yanni held multiple roles at Sanofi most recently serving as Head of Patient Insights, Solutions and Outcomes where he led a global team to create a first-in-industry process to integrate the patient and clinician perspective into research portfolio decision-making.

Earlier in his career, Dr Yanni spent nearly 15 years in clinical practice serving as a primary care physician, Chief of Internal Medicine and Chief Medical Officer for a health system in the Northeastern United States.

Dr Yanni was selected as one of 2021’s 100 Most Inspiring People in the life-sciences industry by PharmaVoice Magazine and most recently was recognized with the Reuters Pharma Europe Patient Champion Award for having “real impact on patients, carers and international health systems”.

Mike Zincone is the US Senior Director of Patient Advocacy on Pfizer’s Global Patient Advocacy team. He has 25 years of diverse bio-pharma experience (all at Pfizer) with demonstrated success and credibility in working with patient advocacy organizations and leading teams.

During his tenure with Pfizer he has worked across multiple roles in positions of increased accountability. Some highlights worth noting include:

1) A diversity of jobs which allowed him to work across multiple disease areas that include Diabetes, CVD, Neurology, Women’s Health, Pain, Long Term Care, Oncology, Anti-infectives and Rare Disease

2) 10+ years of directly leading teams at Pfizer across both sales and advocacy based positions

3) 15 years of patient advocacy experience in Oncology, Rare Disease and Public Policy

4) Served on multiple leadership and advisory positions in Pfizer and the advocacy community around topics such as long term care, patient navigation, survivorship, biomarker testing, shared decision making, health literacy, developing patient advocacy functions and patient centered clinical development.

Mr Zincone believes that all successful partnerships are built upon maximizing the collective expertise of relevant stakeholders. From this foundation the sky is the limit on what can be accomplished on behalf of patients. He is a graduate of Rutgers Cook College with a degree in Environmental Business & Science.

Anna Zorawski is the Vice President of Clinical Solutions. She brings more than 18 years of clinical research experience, and is driven by a passion for elevating the patient journey in clinical trials. With a degree in human biology and specialized training in Clinical Trials Management, she is committed to client satisfaction and prioritizes finding innovative solutions to enhance the trial process and improve patient outcomes.