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This talk will cover the life science ecosystem, Flagship’s approach to collaborative innovation, and the transformative role of generative AI.
Michael is a VP Distinguished Analysts on Gartner’s Healthcare & Life Science CIO Industry team. He advises clients on digital business transformation and helps with decisions on technologies that support R&D and Manufacturing IT strategy. Michael helped coin and champion “digital lab of the future” and has extensive knowledge of laboratory informatics, business process, and IT trends. He advises executives on issues extending across the entire value chain – from early R&D all the way through QC and manufacturing.
Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Shanler supervised an R&D engineering staff at BD Biosciences where he was focused on new product development (NPD) and technology development and scientific activities. He drove new initiatives and assessed external technologies and acquisition candidates. He also has experience in developing strategic technology and product roadmaps, leading NPD programs, managing project teams, marshalling innovation efforts, and driving collaborations. While at Pfizer (formerly Genetics Institute), he gained practical experiences in informatics, data automation, and lab instrumentation for drug discovery. Michael has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and has had several patents issued in the scientific space. He has lived on four different continents and is married to a university professor with whom he has 3 children. Michael has a passion for travel, cooking, race cars and alpine skiing.
Gurinder Singh “Mickey” Atwal joined Flagship Pioneering in 2024 as Chief Data and AI Officer, Pioneering Intelligence, an initiative that harnesses the latest advances in artificial intelligence to accelerate innovation and enable value creation across the Flagship ecosystem. In his role, Mickey helps drive Flagship’s Data and AI strategy to support cutting-edge science, company creation, and an AI-forward culture.
Mickey brings more than 25 years of experience in AI/ML, theoretical physics, medical genomics and biotechnology development to his role, spanning academia and industry. He joined Flagship from Regeneron, where he served as Vice President, Head of Molecular Profiling and Data Science, leading and growing a team of data scientists and molecular biologists responsible for functional genomics and computation across all therapeutic areas. He was a strategic advisor on AI/ML across the organization, introducing and leading research on deep learning, generative AI, and data architecture solutions for R&D. Mickey was an Associate Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the Simons Center for Quantitative Biology and The Cancer Center, where he supervised computational biology research for graduate and postdoctoral scientists, and founded graduate course instruction in Quantitative Biology, Machine Learning and Python coding.
Mickey holds multiple patents and has contributed to numerous research publications on machine learning, condensed matter theory, computational biology and drug development. Mickey earned his MSci, BA in Natural Sciences (Physics) from the University of Cambridge and his Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University. He conducted postdoctoral research in machine learning and computational biology at Princeton University and The Institute for Advanced Study.
Don Rainville is a Principal Director with Accenture’s Scientific Informatics practice and serves as the Global Innovation Hub Lead for Accenture’s Digital Laboratories in the US, Ireland, and Singapore. As an industry thought leader, he helps organizations liberate capital through Digital Laboratory Transformation and then reinvest those savings into new innovations. Don has supported complex, global programs as a laboratory systems subject matter expert within Life Sciences, Mining, Consumer Goods, and Petrochemical.
This talk will cover enabling appropriate access to internal and external data sources throughout the pipeline, design principles to enhance collaboration, and the role of enabling technology. Case studies from Kendall Square and Vienna Labs will be highlighted.
Michael is a VP Distinguished Analysts on Gartner’s Healthcare & Life Science CIO Industry team. He advises clients on digital business transformation and helps with decisions on technologies that support R&D and Manufacturing IT strategy. Michael helped coin and champion “digital lab of the future” and has extensive knowledge of laboratory informatics, business process, and IT trends. He advises executives on issues extending across the entire value chain – from early R&D all the way through QC and manufacturing.
Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Shanler supervised an R&D engineering staff at BD Biosciences where he was focused on new product development (NPD) and technology development and scientific activities. He drove new initiatives and assessed external technologies and acquisition candidates. He also has experience in developing strategic technology and product roadmaps, leading NPD programs, managing project teams, marshalling innovation efforts, and driving collaborations. While at Pfizer (formerly Genetics Institute), he gained practical experiences in informatics, data automation, and lab instrumentation for drug discovery. Michael has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and has had several patents issued in the scientific space. He has lived on four different continents and is married to a university professor with whom he has 3 children. Michael has a passion for travel, cooking, race cars and alpine skiing.
Karen Billeci boasts over two decades of experience in the biotech industry, a tenure that has now extended into techbio. This vast experience has allowed her to participate in the evolutions of laboratory automation and to observe the ever-increasing scale at which we are driving understanding of biology and enabling drug discovery.
Currently, in her role as Vice President of the High Throughput Operation Platform at Recursion, Karen Billeci leads a team of experts specializing in generating high content cellular imaging (phenomics) and transcriptomics data at industry leading scale. Her team collaborates deeply across the organization with scientists, engineers, and technologists to leverage insights from the data to initiate and advance drug programs and streamline and automate drug discovery with the Recursion Operating System.
Ryan has led Information Technology (IT) and Digital for Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2019. Prior to becoming CIO, he served as Vice President, IT, for our customer channels and pharmaceutical services businesses. He also led IT for enterprise efforts in quality and regulatory. Within the customer channels business, Ryan helped expand digital capabilities and enhance the customer experience through scaled global IT systems. He also led the technology integration and development of the IT organization within our pharmaceutical services business following Thermo Fisher’s acquisition of Patheon. Ryan joined Thermo Fisher in 2014 through the acquisition of Life Technologies, where he served in several IT leadership roles for the previous 10 years, including leading commercial, eBusiness and digital IT teams. Before joining the company, he spent five years at GE leading business and IT teams. Ryan holds an MBA and a master’s degree in information systems from State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental studies from SUNY at Geneseo. Passionate about the intersection of IT, digital innovation and science, Ryan leads a global team supporting Thermo Fisher’s mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.
In the journey of digital transformation, many companies find themselves hindered by the fear of confronting their current realities. Join us as we delve into the mindset shifts that have propelled our digital transformation journey, offering practical strategies to overcome these struggles and leapfrog into the future.
Steven Winig is the Executive Director of Technology and User Services (TUS) at Novartis Biomedical Research. The TUS organization enables 5,300 researchers across multiple international campuses. Before joining Novartis, Steven held senior IT leadership roles at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served as a Principal at American Management Systems, Inc., and was a Director at Computer-Ed, Inc. He holds a BS in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University and lives by the mantra that relationships matter. Known as the resource of last resort, Steve is often called upon to tackle the most nuanced challenges. Interestingly, his college advisor stating that AI will be the future has proven to be prophetic, albeit a few decades early.
With a background in Biomedical Engineering, Aishwarya enjoys working in the intersection of Science, Data and Technology. Her passion is to accelerate Science, especially in the R&D space with a larger mission to help bring drugs and therapies faster to patients.
With over 10 years of experience in the Scientific Informatics field, her expertise spans across the R&D spectrum, in guiding Biopharma customers with Strategic initiatives. She has hands-on expertise helping design and implement a variety of Informatics solutions, building successful roadmap strategies, and running vendor evaluations. She enjoys working with her growing team as well as actively learning from the industry.
This presentation will explore key business value drivers that enable and accelerate the scientific data journey. It will focus on strategies for maximizing the quality and usage of data, ensuring it drives impactful decisions and innovation.
When we imagine AI transforming science, we often think of billion-dollar supercomputers designing novel molecules. However, the real revolution may lie in applying AI to fundamental laboratory tasks that have remained largely unchanged for centuries. Spin Wang’s talk explores how the innovative application of scientific AI to everyday laboratory operations – like capturing weights and measures – can unlock billions in value while enabling the foundation for next-generation scientific workflows.
• Learn where the most valuable AI applications may be found in the lab.
• Understand how to identify and execute high-impact automation opportunities.
• Discover why bridging scientific and data expertise is crucial for transforming labs across domains.
Siping “Spin” Wang is the Co-Founder and CTO of TetraScience, the Scientific Data and AI Cloud. TetraScience works with the world’s largest life sciences organizations to liberate, unify, and transform their raw scientific data into more-than-FAIR, AI-native data that comes to life in a rapidly growing suite of next-generation lab data management solutions, scientific use cases, and AI-based scientific outcomes. Spin helps oversee the company’s product and corporate strategy. He graduated from Cornell with a B.S. in applied physics and electrical engineering and an M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT
The presentation will explore the future of lab research, covering both wet work and laboratory infrastructure. Novo Nordisk’s extensive analysis is informing new lab designs aimed at changing the way research is conducted and driving innovation. While labs are currently human-centric, the focus is shifting toward integrating GenAI for data generation and fostering collaboration between humans and robots. Looking further ahead, the discussion will cover the exciting possibility of fully automated lab processes that remove humans from the loop entirely. The talk will review Novo Nordisk’s experimental and digital advancements, outlining the vision for the future and identifying current blockers to progress.
Todd Lybrook has been with Siemens for 13 years. He is in the Life Sciences vertical headquarters. He is the Solution Owner for Digital Labs, focusing on digitizing product research, process development, and tech transfer.
Mads leads the global team responsible for Digital Transformation of innovation flows for the Planetary Health BioSolutions division of Novonesis. Anchored across diverse industry units, his team drives innovation processes transformation, competency up leveling, and establishment of scalable learning loops spanning Novonesis’s innovation pipeline. Based on a philosophy of creating robust and user-friendly digital infrastructure components, his team delivers a foundation for data-based decision making and augmented business guidance. Mads is a vetted technology and people leader with over 20 years of R&D experience within industrial biotech and emerging industries. He holds a PhD in Biotechnology and a MS in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark.
Dr James Love is Vice President of Automation and Process Optimization in Novo Nordisk A/S. His team covers automation projects at all Novo Nordisk global sites where they focus on data generation for drug discovery and development across the value chain. Dr Love was educated at Oxford and Cambridge, and is trained as a protein X-ray crystallographer. After 15 years of work in the USA at various research centers and companies, he moved to Denmark to take up his current role. At present, his team is designing modern research facilities and robotic processes to conduct research in the AI augmented era.
Todd Lybrook has been with Siemens for 13 years. He is in the Life Sciences vertical headquarters. He is the Solution Owner for Digital Labs, focusing on digitizing product research, process development, and tech transfer.
Mads leads the global team responsible for Digital Transformation of innovation flows for the Planetary Health BioSolutions division of Novonesis. Anchored across diverse industry units, his team drives innovation processes transformation, competency up leveling, and establishment of scalable learning loops spanning Novonesis’s innovation pipeline. Based on a philosophy of creating robust and user-friendly digital infrastructure components, his team delivers a foundation for data-based decision making and augmented business guidance. Mads is a vetted technology and people leader with over 20 years of R&D experience within industrial biotech and emerging industries. He holds a PhD in Biotechnology and a MS in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark.
This talk is a macro view of how I think about the time cycle of the drug discovery process, where are the key latencies within that process, and how I think artificial intelligence augmenting human intelligence can address those latencies. Interwoven through that will be some examples of work we’ve done at BMS.
AI can be applied to solve one of the biggest challenges in drug discovery today: the failure of drug candidates in the clinic. We generate vast amounts of data that have key biological insights, but human analysis is overwhelmed, leading to delays and hindering progress. By applying AI to unravel disease mechanisms, we can analyze vast datasets to create an unbiased map of the underlying biology, empowering scientists to discover novel insights and accelerate R&D. This presentation will explore how AI can optimize the entire preclinical pipeline, from target identification to translational workflows that ensure clinical success, but also detail a practical implementation strategy for integrating these AI-driven approaches into existing research workflows and in the hands of scientists. We will share real examples and learning for successful adoption, demonstrating how to effectively translate AI innovation into tangible improvements in preclinical R&D, accelerating research, reducing costs, and ultimately leading to the development of more effective therapies.
Albert Wang is Executive Director of Research IT Emerging Methods & Technologies at Bristol Myers Squibb. In this role, he is responsible for accelerating biomedical research through the exploration and adoption of foundational machine learning approaches and related technologies. He has 20+ years of experience in designing and building information systems for accelerating all phases of drug research & development, from early target identification to biomarker discovery to post-launch medical research. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Masters degree in Bioinformatics from the University of Pennsylvania.
As SVP of Product and Science, Casandra has been instrumental in developing BenchSci’s product vision to accelerate preclinical drug discovery by empowering scientists in leading research laboratories with cutting-edge deep learning technology through BenchSci’s ASCEND platform.Casandra leads BenchSci’s Science and Product teams focused on helping research scientists perform due diligence and execute successful experiments to accelerate the pace of therapeutic discoveries in preclinical drug discovery. She works closely with executive leadership and scientists across top pharmaceutical companies to translate organizational research challenges into impactful solutions. In collaboration with technical, scientific and commercial teams, defines platform strategy through data, ML, and product initiatives.
This talk will explore how AI is transforming drug discovery, unlocking new possibilities in therapeutic development. I will highlight how creative risk-sharing partnerships are enabling cost-effective access to AI-driven innovations. Through a showcase of recent achievements and future potential, I will also demonstrate how these advancements are reshaping the future of medicine.
This talk will highlight how AI is transforming drug discovery, from target identification and rank ordering to AI-driven molecular design. We’ll explore how AI is advancing biomarker discovery and enabling precision medicine, paving the way for more personalized and effective therapies.
Alison Jones is a Senior Science Director at Charles River Laboratories, Cambridge, UK. She has almost 30 years’ experience in drug discovery working in small and medium sized biotechnology companies as well as in the CRO sector. As part of her current role, she drives the scientific strategy for small molecule discovery within Charles River, has strategic oversight of multiple integrated drug discovery projects, and is Scientific Portfolio Lead of Logica, an AI in drug discovery initiative. She is passionate about incorporating AI and automation into the drug discovery pathway as well as mentoring and training the next generation of drug discoverers. Alison is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and lectures to postgraduate students at University College, London.
Abhishek Pandey is the Global Lead and Principal Research Scientist II at AbbVie, specializing in Machine Learning for Drug Discovery. In his role, he leads a team of machine learning scientists focused on developing advanced Machine Learning methods for Target identification and prioritization, ADMET, De Novo design of molecule, Tox, and preclinical/clinical precision medicine. His team is responsible for developing state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms for Discovery, Developmental Sciences, and the AbbVie-Calico alliance departments of AbbVie. Prior to joining AbbVie, Abhishek was a founding member of the AI team at Tempus Labs Inc. Helping transform the company in the field of precision medicine and market value. Abhishek holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona and has previous experience as an Embedded systems software engineer at Toshiba in the mobile multimedia division.
Fabio Urbina is an AI/ML Solutions Architect at Zifo. He specialized in application of computational techniques and Machine Learning with small-molecule, molecular, and cell biological systems in the pharmaceutical world. After receiving his Ph.D. in Cell Biology, he moved into the world of small-molecule drug discovery where he built novel generative models and implemented AI tooling and pipelines. He currently works in Data Science Services at Zifo and helps design and execute Generative AI applications and data-readiness pipelines for AI/ML solutions.
This talk will outline a Phased Transformation Automation Approach, focusing on the gradual integration of automated systems to minimize disruption and enable continuous improvement. We’ll explore the Digitize First Strategy, where digitizing processes and data lays a strong foundation for future automation. The session will also highlight the importance of Maximizing Solution Potential, ensuring that existing technologies are fully leveraged to optimize efficiency and outcomes. Finally, we’ll discuss how Scalability with Digital Twin technologies can simulate and optimize lab workflows, driving efficiency and resource savings.
This presentation will showcase a “no click” solution developed for scientists in upstream process development, automating the flow of data from sample analysis to dashboard visualization. This approach eliminates manual data collection and management, enabling significant time savings. We will also explore how we are building connections from in-house data models to advanced analytical platforms, including hybrid modelling tools, to enhance data integration and support more sophisticated analysis.
This talk will cover the effects of a decentralized laboratory testing ecosystem, the implications for laboratory accreditation, and the measurable gains across the laboratory ecosystem.
Leah O’Brien is a wholehearted tech leader with passion, agility and 20 years experience in the Pharma industry. She was a Senior Director in R&D Tech at GlaxoSmithKline. As the Senior Product Director for Development Lab Systems, she had tech accountability for all GxP laboratory systems used across CMC development, as well as general lab instrument support across R&D. Leah lead a product-centric DevOps organisation, spanning development LIMS and ELN systems, CMC production data collection and analysis and Lab Engineering.
Mrs. Weber has 20+ years of experience in enterprise laboratory systems, complemented by project management, design, and deployment expertise. She has been instrumental in strengthening compliance, ensuring quality, and reducing costs within large-scale Quality Control and R&D Testing Laboratories. Peggy is a solution-system-driven professional with a vision and passion for driving innovative strategic software solutions. Areas include Manufacturing, Quality Control, and R&D laboratories. Led teams in implementing multi-million-dollar ELP solutions to advanced data management. An experienced leader in scientific software development and senior-level computational teamwork.
I have worked in upstream process development in the biopharmaceutical industry for the past seven years. During that time, I have had a particular focus on delivering value to scientists by saving them time capturing, cleaning, and visualizing their data. This started with small steps including templating our data structure and building applications to streamline creating routine visualizations. However, in the past few years, this has transformed into working on a transversal team building a complete end-to-end data pipeline enabling a “no click” workflow sending data from bioreactor to dashboard with ease. It has been such a pleasure to see this project come to fruition and I continue to look forward to the next ways we can simplify ways of working for scientists.
Tamara graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, from the University of Witwatersrand. After graduating, she spent some time working as a process metallurgist for a Mining Research and Technology business before moving into the LIMS industry. She has behind her more than 22+ years’ experience in the laboratory information technology and services industry, where she held positions in Services, Sales & Strategic Accounts Management. Tamara joined Clinisys in May 2023 and is now the Director, Global LIMS Sales.
Vasu Rangadass, Ph.D., is the Founder and Strategy Officer at L7 Informatics, Inc., a leader in life sciences workflow and data management.
Previously, Dr. Rangadass was the Chief Strategy Officer at NantHealth, following its acquisition of Net.Orange, the company he founded, to provide an enterprise-wide platform to simplify and optimize care delivery processes in health systems.
Before Net.Orange, Vasu was the first employee of i2 Technologies (currently Blue Yonder), which later grew to be a global company
Jenn Azar is CEO of Stellix, a company whose mission is to unite people, science, and technology and deliver transformative solutions for a more sustainable future. The Stellix Group of companies includes NECI, ZAETHER, KYNOTA, and Stellix Global Services. Together, these companies have a shared mission of partnering with customers in life sciences, energy, and industrial manufacturing to enable innovation, scaling, and speed to market. She previously served as NECI’s Executive Vice President of Systems and Software. During her time in the role, she grew her business unit into the largest and most profitable of the organization. Jenn is passionate about the future and advancing science to change lives for the better. Her vision is to leverage the power of digital and the promise of new science and Industry 5.0 to deliver business impact and a great experience for life sciences, energy, and manufacturing customers across the Stellix Group of companies.
Vasu Rangadass, Ph.D., is the Founder and Strategy Officer at L7 Informatics, Inc., a leader in life sciences workflow and data management.
Previously, Dr. Rangadass was the Chief Strategy Officer at NantHealth, following its acquisition of Net.Orange, the company he founded, to provide an enterprise-wide platform to simplify and optimize care delivery processes in health systems.
Before Net.Orange, Vasu was the first employee of i2 Technologies (currently Blue Yonder), which later grew to be a global company
Jenn Azar is CEO of Stellix, a company whose mission is to unite people, science, and technology and deliver transformative solutions for a more sustainable future. The Stellix Group of companies includes NECI, ZAETHER, KYNOTA, and Stellix Global Services. Together, these companies have a shared mission of partnering with customers in life sciences, energy, and industrial manufacturing to enable innovation, scaling, and speed to market. She previously served as NECI’s Executive Vice President of Systems and Software. During her time in the role, she grew her business unit into the largest and most profitable of the organization. Jenn is passionate about the future and advancing science to change lives for the better. Her vision is to leverage the power of digital and the promise of new science and Industry 5.0 to deliver business impact and a great experience for life sciences, energy, and manufacturing customers across the Stellix Group of companies.
Next-generation high throughput (HT) ELISA system will increase business productivity and flexibility by increasing efficiency, quality, and throughput via automation of traditional ELISA workflows. The HT ELISA platform is a customized automation solution designed to integrate digital information with enhanced liquid handling technology to perform complex, repetitive, and labour-intensive ELISA workflows. This dynamic approach for ELISA workflows will streamline the acquisition of product impurity data and enable HT experiments for early-to-late phase pipeline programs
Industry scientist with 7 years of experience in analytical chemistry. Extensive experience in developing analytical methods to characterize biological drug products. Roberto also specializes in automating analytical methods and developing workflows to improve business efficiencies.
Industry veteran with 27 years of experience in biotech and pharma. Extensive background in biology, clinical diagnostics, preclinical pharmacology, instrumentation, assay, and process development, data science, data management, bioinformatics, and laboratory automation. MS in Clinical Research from Drexel University College of Medicine, MSc in Clinical Pathology from University of Massachusetts Lowell, BS in Biology from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, BA in Technical Writing from Concordia College.
Over 25 years leading R&D teams producing innovative technologies and products: Waters Corp., J&W Scientific Technologies and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. An inventor with multiple patents to his name, who has enjoyed a stellar career leading R&D team, that have consistently produced breakthrough technologies and innovations.
Sriram Ananthanarayanan – Director Moderna’s Quality Organization, specializing in LIMS integrations and digital transformation within the QC domain. As Moderna accelerates AI adoption in Quality, he drives the digitization, automation, and intelligent data-driven QC operations, ensuring seamless innovation in compliance, efficiency, and AI-powered advancements.
Mohit Goel is a visionary technology leader transforming biopharma, life sciences, and laboratory automation through AI, robotics, and intelligent systems. With deep expertise in systems engineering, software architecture, and autonomous technologies, he is shaping the Lab of the Future, where AI-driven automation accelerates scientific discovery and biomanufacturing at scale.
As the Head of Systems Integration at Moderna, Mohit leads enterprise-wide technology innovation, building next-generation automation platforms that seamlessly integrate AI, robotics, and digital ecosystems to optimize laboratory and manufacturing operations worldwide.
A key driver of global biotech innovation, Mohit serves on the Executive Committee for multiple SLAS tracks, influencing automation, AI, and robotics adoption across life sciences. He is also a Senior Member of ISA and an active member of IEEE, IEEE RAS, IEEE EMBS, and ISPE, shaping the future of biotech at the intersection of AI and advanced automation. Passionate about bridging technology and science, Mohit is building the intelligent, connected, and scalable laboratory ecosystems that will define the next era of biotech innovation.
Industry scientist with 7 years of experience in analytical chemistry. Extensive experience in developing analytical methods to characterize biological drug products. Roberto also specializes in automating analytical methods and developing workflows to improve business efficiencies.
Industry veteran with 27 years of experience in biotech and pharma. Extensive background in biology, clinical diagnostics, preclinical pharmacology, instrumentation, assay, and process development, data science, data management, bioinformatics, and laboratory automation. MS in Clinical Research from Drexel University College of Medicine, MSc in Clinical Pathology from University of Massachusetts Lowell, BS in Biology from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, BA in Technical Writing from Concordia College.
Over 25 years leading R&D teams producing innovative technologies and products: Waters Corp., J&W Scientific Technologies and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. An inventor with multiple patents to his name, who has enjoyed a stellar career leading R&D team, that have consistently produced breakthrough technologies and innovations.
Sriram Ananthanarayanan – Director Moderna’s Quality Organization, specializing in LIMS integrations and digital transformation within the QC domain. As Moderna accelerates AI adoption in Quality, he drives the digitization, automation, and intelligent data-driven QC operations, ensuring seamless innovation in compliance, efficiency, and AI-powered advancements.
In this talk, Dr. Sharma will present how healthcare-specific Large Language Models (LLMs) significantly enhance drug discovery efforts. These models are revolutionizing drug discovery and development by streamlining critical processes and optimizing operational timelines. Trained on vast biomedical literature, clinical data, and multi-omics databases, LLMs accelerate early discovery by improving target identification, drug repurposing, and lead optimization. For example, LLMs can rapidly identify novel therapeutic targets or suggest repurposed drugs by analysing molecular pathways and historical trial outcomes—reducing months of manual research to days. Dr. Sharma will also explore how LLMs help design optimized chemical compounds and predict drug-protein interactions with greater precision, expediting lead optimization and candidate selection.
Unleash the potential of AI and synthetic biology with a modern lab framework designed for agility and innovation. This presentation examines the integration of advanced data processing, automation, and emerging technologies to redefine scientific discovery and clinical applications. It will also present a framework and reference architecture that will help you understand how composable architecture and future innovations will fit into the evolving and adaptive lab.
Data is the backbone of biotech innovation, but without the right strategy, its potential remains untapped. To stay competitive, organizations must capture, structure, and standardize data in a future-proof, AI-ready format. This session explores how to capture unstructured information and turn it into a powerful asset by leveraging tools like Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) to organize data and prepare it for AI to extract actionable insights. By building well-structured, reusable, interoperable datasets, companies can accelerate discovery, enhance decision-making, and create a truly data-driven R&D ecosystem. Join us to learn how to optimize your internal and external digital landscapes and unlock the full potential of AI-powered innovation.
Vishakha Sharma is a senior principal data scientist in Roche diagnostics information solutions. She leads advanced analytics initiatives such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to discover key insights improving the Navify product portfolio, leading to better and more efficient patient care.
Christopher Lundy is a transformative leader and strategist with over 20 years of expertise in enterprise architecture, cloud modernization, and AI-driven solutions across biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and retail sectors. Known for aligning IT strategies with business goals and modernization transformation, he has a proven track record of driving innovation, building high-performance teams, and executing complex, high-impact programs within budget and timelines. He led initiatives like the development of the digital architecture for a $500M ADC manufacturing plant, implemented an automated GxP process that dramatically reduced production timelines, and introduced, a virtual environment accelerating R&D processes. His work has modernized millions of square feet of research labs and pioneered a Large Language Model (LLM) that revolutionizes drug discovery.
Previously in retail and health sciences, he spearheaded cloud transformations and architected a real-time analytics platform processing millions of transactions daily. As the founder of FindInfinite Labs, he advances quantum theories, AI-driven simulations, and groundbreaking biomedical innovations. A certified MIT xPRO in AI, Chris is also a published author and frequent speaker at industry conferences, known for his expertise in quantum applications, enterprise architecture, and AI ethics. His impactful work continues to shape the future of technology and science.
Brendan is CEO of SciNote, a leading Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) provider. Since taking on the role in 2023, he has been focused on scaling the company’s impact in the scientific community by driving innovation in data management and expanding access to cutting-edge digital solutions for researchers worldwide.
Prior to SciNote Brendan built multiple businesses in enterprise SaaS and data science heavy software consultancy, raising over $20M in venture backing. He negotiated and managed a technology transfer out of a 2B+ healthcare system and ran a successful turnaround.
He regularly mentors entrepreneurs as they work to find product-market fit, fundraise, and navigate the ebbs and flows of people management through rapid growth.
Before getting into technology, he was a Paramedic and a Mental Health Technician for many years, participating in one of the first rollouts of EHR technology in the US.
Bioprocess Development groups face challenges with complex modalities, faster development cycles, and more experimental data from HT and PAT technologies. Historically, lab experimental data is dispersed in many different instrument software and unstructured files formats requiring substantial manual data manipulation efforts for experimental insights, decision making, process modeling and tech transfer. Here we will share our journey to build and deploy a fit-for-science digital ecosystem within our bioprocess development labs.
In this presentation, you will learn about: The key factors for success in digital transformation programs and common pitfalls to avoid. The Key characteristics of programs that enable success and Examples of iterative approaches for executing a digital transformation roadmap.
Dr. Bowley is the Associate Director, CMC Data & Digital Strategy in PDS&T-Biologics Development and Launch leading the organization’s Digital Transformation since October 2021. Diana joined AbbVie in 2012 in the R&D-Discovery Biologics group focused on antibody and multi-specific protein screening and engineering, leading multiple programs to the cell line development stage. In 2017 she joined Information Research and led a team of IT professionals who supported AbbVie’s Discovery Scientists in Biotherapeutics, Chemistry, Immunology and Neuroscience. She has a PhD in Molecular Biology from The Scripps Research Institute and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from The University of Northern Iowa.
Yuan is the Global Lead for Pfizer Biologics R&D informatics platforms. In this role, he oversees a team of skilled scientific software engineers who are dedicated to the development of end-to-end Biologics Discovery, Pharmacology, and Bioprocess Informatics Platform. He has over 20 years of experience in designing, architecting, building digital solutions in biopharma and life sciences.
Dave Dorsett brings over 30 years of experience in R&D informatics within the global pharmaceutical, chemical, and consumer goods industries. He has a proven track record of architecting, designing, and delivering both commercial and in-house informatics solutions across the entire R&D spectrum, from early research through late-stage development and manufacturing.
This talk will introduce an internal AI-powered chatbot designed to enhance data retrieval and laboratory analysis.
Rob will discuss the significant advancements in ELaiN, an AI-driven digital assistant designed to create experiment content and perform advanced scientific searches. He will highlight the remarkable progress that has been made and how ELaiN has evolved since Lab of the Future 2024.
John Chan is a technology executive, trained as a scientist and engineer, with over 25 years of industry experience in computational sciences and informatics. He has led computational teams, built informatics capabilities, and translated ideas into products for global biopharma and biotech start-ups. He is currently the head of the Shinrai Center for AI and Machine Learning at Takeda R&D. Prior to joining Takeda, John built a neuroscience AI company, Syllable Life Sciences, and as its CEO, led its acquisition by Neumora. Before Syllable, John held several contributor and management roles in computational biology, bioinformatics, and enterprise IT. This includes tenure as a visiting scientist at the Broad Institute, an Executive Director and Head of Informatics and Technology at Novartis, and the Head of computational biology at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he led the innovative team that fueled Millennium’s drug discovery partnerships. John earned a B.Sc. in population genetics from Marlboro College and a Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Vlysidis obtained his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, studying and modeling the stochasticity of biochemical reaction networks. With over 6 years of experience in the industry, he has made significant contributions to the fields of scientific software development and engineering. Currently serving as a team leader at AbbVie, Dr. Vlysidis’ primary focus is on supporting the biologics organization in capturing and analyzing experimental data. He possesses a deep understanding of protein properties and leverages innovative protein language models to further enhance research in this area. Prior to joining AbbVie, he worked at Intel, where his expertise was instrumental in supporting R&D research on semiconductors and cutting-edge technology. With a strong academic background and industry experience, Dr. Vlysidis is dedicated to driving advancements at the intersection of chemical engineering, software development, and AI/ML models.
Rob Brown is VP of Product and PreSales at Sapio Sciences. Prior to joining Sapio Sciences, he spent eight years at Dotmatics where he held various positions including Head of Global Presales and Head of Product Marketing & Product Management. Earlier in his career he was responsible for product marketing teams for cheminformatics and bioinformatics at Accelrys, SciTegic and MSI. Rob started his career as a postdoc and later research scientist in the Computer Aided Molecular Design department at Abbott Laboratories (now Abbvie). He received his PhD in Cheminformatics from the University of Sheffield, UK.
This presentation will explore the challenges and strategies for managing diverse laboratory equipment and systems in modern research environments. Even small companies can quickly accumulate thousands of instruments from hundreds of vendors, with minor differences in configurations making direct method transfers difficult. The focus will be on how capital hardware is inherently challenging to standardize, and why the emphasis should be on maximizing the impact of these investments. Attention will also be given to harmonizing essential, yet often overlooked consumables—such as sample tubes—across lab groups. Additionally, strategies for reducing the number of digital systems in the lab while enabling seamless data flow between these systems to improve efficiency and collaboration will be discussed.
This presentation will address the challenges of laboratory automation and the need for scalable digital workflows. Often, workflows are viewed in isolation, leading to numerous point-to-point solutions that create complex processes and increase maintenance overhead. Taking a holistic view of the data workflow allows for the simplification of processes, reducing redundant systems and avoiding one-off workflows. This approach not only streamlines current operations but also fosters agility for future advancements in laboratory automation.
As the Acquisition System Business Lead for Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences (BTxPS), I am responsible for leading the development, deployment, and compliance of digital acquisition systems throughout our laboratory and manufacturing spaces. Our goal is end-to-end digital integration of acquisition systems, so scientists can focus on science. I have 14+ years of industry experience, 13 years of which have been with Pfizer, and I have focused on digital systems for the last 6+ years.
Dr. Smithson is an accomplished leader, scientist, and program manager with extensive expertise in laboratory automation and high-throughput processes in the biomedical field. He currently serves as the Director of Laboratory Automation and Instrumentation in the Biological Therapeutics Pharmaceutical Science group at Pfizer, where he leads strategic initiatives to enhance laboratory efficiency and automation capabilities. Dr. Smithson’s career spans several prestigious organizations, including Seagen and Genentech, where he held key roles in laboratory automation and digital transformation. His work has significantly contributed to the development and implementation of innovative automation solutions, optimizing data flows, and enhancing laboratory productivity.
He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Smithson’s research has been widely published in top-tier journals, and he has presented his findings at numerous international conferences.
Donny has held several positions at MannKind Corporation, most recently serving as Associate Director of IT Lab Applications. Donny has expertise in enterprise laboratory systems and is instrumental in ensuring compliance and providing reliable support for all software applications for the QC and R&D laboratories. Donny manages the computer system validation (CSV) program and leads the IT-PMO. He has extensive experience in overseeing complex projects and driving organizational success.
Donny began his career as a dissolution chemist working for Watson Pharmaceuticals (currently known as Actavis) and, prior to joining MannKind Corporation, he has held increasingly responsible roles in R&D and project management, including managing implementations of chromatography data systems (CDS) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS) for global pharmaceutical customers.
Donny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Mathematics from Quinnipiac University.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of chromatography method development, the integration of modeling approaches has transformed liquid chromatography (LC) into a more efficient and resource-conscious discipline. This talk will elucidate the pivotal advantages of utilizing in silico tools, focusing on retention time (RT) modeling to expedite method screening and optimization, thereby reducing solvent consumption and instrument time. We will discuss the application of various modeling techniques, including physiochemical-based mechanistic modeling (such as solvent strength theory) and statistical modeling, ranging from traditional Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies to advanced machine learning techniques like graph neural networks that have shown exceptional predictive accuracy for a wide range of analytes. Through practical case studies from our research, we will illustrate the systematic application of these methodologies in pharmaceutical development, demonstrating how computational strategies can streamline workflows and improve separation efficiencies in complex analytical processes.
Burkhard Schaefer is the Managing Director of Splashlake. He has been an active member of the laboratory informatics community for over 25 years. He started his career working on instrument control and data standards at Los Alamos National Laboratory and later the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He co-founded BSSN Software, now part of MilliporeSigma.
Burkhard is known as the lead architect of the ASTM AnIML standard, SiLA Consortium board member, and SLAS Fellow. He earned his diploma of computer science from the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Germany and the University of New Mexico.
Live Lab sessions are interactive group discussions which tackle the bigger questions of the day in an open forum to brainstorm ideas and discuss the roadblocks to break-through innovation. They take the format of moderated standing discussions. The objective is to share views and experiences to stimulate new ways of thinking about common objectives.
Best Practice for the AI enabled Lab of the Future
What’s on the horizon?
Getting tools back to the consumers
Agentic AI and software vendor platforms
Lab in the loop / Human in the Loop / AI in the loop
Michael is a VP Distinguished Analysts on Gartner’s Healthcare & Life Science CIO Industry team. He advises clients on digital business transformation and helps with decisions on technologies that support R&D and Manufacturing IT strategy. Michael helped coin and champion “digital lab of the future” and has extensive knowledge of laboratory informatics, business process, and IT trends. He advises executives on issues extending across the entire value chain – from early R&D all the way through QC and manufacturing.
Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Shanler supervised an R&D engineering staff at BD Biosciences where he was focused on new product development (NPD) and technology development and scientific activities. He drove new initiatives and assessed external technologies and acquisition candidates. He also has experience in developing strategic technology and product roadmaps, leading NPD programs, managing project teams, marshalling innovation efforts, and driving collaborations. While at Pfizer (formerly Genetics Institute), he gained practical experiences in informatics, data automation, and lab instrumentation for drug discovery. Michael has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and has had several patents issued in the scientific space. He has lived on four different continents and is married to a university professor with whom he has 3 children. Michael has a passion for travel, cooking, race cars and alpine skiing.
Live Lab sessions are interactive group discussions which tackle the bigger questions of the day in an open forum to brainstorm ideas and discuss the roadblocks to break-through innovation. They take the format of moderated standing discussions. The objective is to share views and experiences to stimulate new ways of thinking about common objectives.
LIMS of The Future
Supporting the scientist in the Lab of the Future
The digitalisation journey – What’s the destination?
Cloud data drag and drop
New technologies and opportunities
Live Lab sessions are interactive group discussions which tackle the bigger questions of the day in an open forum to brainstorm ideas and discuss the roadblocks to break-through innovation. They take the format of moderated standing discussions. The objective is to share views and experiences to stimulate new ways of thinking about common objectives.
Building the Lab of the Future – Building the value case for investment projects
Leveraging future flowing internal investment
Attending to C-Suite initiatives
The value case and AI
Adam began his career in Scientific Informatics consulting implementing technology solutions for laboratory clients to optimize workflow, productivity, and use of data to drive key decisions. He has over two decades of experience working with a variety of lab and enterprise technologies across multiple industries including life sciences pharma and biotech, consumer packaged goods, chemicals, public health, forensics, and government research. He joined Accenture via acquisition in 2017 to bring scientific informatics fully into Accenture’s Digital Transformation agenda, thereby making Digital Lab Transformation a strategic imperative for clients’ C-suites. He currently leads Accenture’s Scientific Informatics practice in US, Canada, and Latin America with a mission to drastically improve the productivity and impact of laboratory science.
This talk will explore the key inefficiencies in biopharma and how enabling technologies like AI, automation, and cloud platforms can drive process improvements. We’ll also discuss the power of a bottom-up approach to change management, ensuring sustainable and impactful transformation across the organization.
This presentation will focus on : The challenges surrounding modern lab environments and how scientific discovery is increasingly driven by data, AI and automation, but labs spend nearly 50% of their time managing data instead of focusing on innovation. A vision for the lab of the future, focused on a dynamic learning system that transforms raw data into real-time insights, integrates AI-driven predictions, and bridges the gap between R&D and clinical outcomes. How to build intelligent labs that accelerate discovery, reduce inefficiencies and empower scientists to solve critical healthcare challenges through advanced data technologies and sustainable practices.
Traditional lab environments often present challenges, from managing complex workflows to ensuring the availability of critical resources. Embark on a day in the Life of a Scientist and explore how cutting-edge technology can revolutionize laboratory operations, empowering scientists to focus on what they do best: discovery
Gisele Tavares currently serves as the Head of R&D Business Operations at Takeda. In this role, she oversees business operations, the Takeda One Cambridge Campus project, Laboratory Operations in Massachusetts and Austria, and contract management. Gisele acts as the primary point of contact and engagement for functional leaders within Takeda R&D, as well as enterprise business partners including Legal, Takeda Business Services, Real Estate, Facilities, and Procurement.
Gisele began her career in the pharmaceutical industry as a scientist and has held leadership roles in the USA, France, and Switzerland, gaining valuable insights into the benefits of diversity and multicultural environments. Prior to joining Takeda, she held increasingly responsible positions at Hoffmann-La Roche and Novartis Pharma, transitioning from scientific research to clinical operations, procurement, alliance management, and business development.
Gisele holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Pharmacy and Biochemistry from the University of Parana, Brazil, and a PhD in Science from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil/Pasteur Institute, France, in Physical Chemistry. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute, Yale University, and Stanford University.
Brian Stidsen Vandahl, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President of Global Research Technologies at Novo Nordisk and heads the Greater Copenhagen Hub for Novo Nordisk Research & Early Development. He leads an organization innovating in the protein, peptide, and chemistry field by enabling drugability, fueling early pipeline development, and driving patient-centered drug innovation for optimal target product profiles and large-scale manufacturing feasibility.
Brian joined Novo Nordisk in 2006 as a research scientist and has previously held various roles of increasing responsibility at the company, including Director of Protein Structure and Interaction, Director of Injectable Formulation Research, and Corporate Vice President of Recombinant Technologies.
Before joining Novo Nordisk, Brian worked in malaria vaccine research at the National Serum Institute in Denmark (Statens Serum Institut). Prior to this, Brian was Assistant Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. He holds an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Ph.D. from Aarhus University.
In her capacity as GM, Tola’s business unit collaborates closely with scientists and researchers, offering comprehensive services and digital solutions throughout the scientific process. Her leadership involves building the Lab of the Future with a focus on enhancing scientific discovery and operational efficiency to drive groundbreaking discoveries in drug development. With two decades of experience in the medical device and life science industry, her expertise spans innovation development, strategic and operational execution, enterprise solutions implementation, and business development.
Kavitha Lokesh is the VP, Global Head of Life Sciences R&D and Commercial Industry Solutions & Products. She is a global business leader with a proven track record of delivering transformative, mission-critical products and solutions. With over 26 years of IT industry experience, Kavitha possesses a diverse skill set in sales, delivery, and product management. She has held multiple leadership roles at Cognizant across Life Sciences, AI and Analytics, and Insurance verticals.
As a P&L leader for a large portfolio in Life Sciences, Kavitha has successfully driven business growth, managed large-scale programs, and focused on operational excellence and talent development. She is adept at applying the lean startup methodology to turn ideas into innovative software products and advising clients on their digital transformation and data monetization initiatives. Known for advancing women’s careers, she earned the 2023 Healthcare Business Women’s Association Luminary Award.
Kavitha holds a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters
Marc is a Lead Product Manager for Process Development at IDBS. Prior to that role, he was a Director of Strategic Solutions, developing the enterprise-level IDBS Polar BioPharma Lifecycle Management solutions.
With over 15 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical sector implementing and leading digital solutions and strategies, Marc is an expert in laboratory and operational technology, laboratory informatics and system integration and leads a team of technological and domain experts committed to the development of Polar Solutions.
Before joining IDBS in 2021, he worked at Lonza Biologics and Angel Biotechnology, and holds a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Sunderland.
Lisa Shipley is a seasoned scientific and executive leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with a passion for advancing transformational therapies through the drug discovery/development pipeline. She is equally passionate about mentoring and developing talent to innovate and execute in the delivery of that pipeline. A creative and inspirational communicator with excellent interpersonal and business acumen skills, she builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. She is comfortable with ambiguity and has a history of leading change in dynamic economic and regulatory environments. She is currently the founder of Shipley Pharma Insights, LLC focusing on optimizing drug development to maximize portfolio value for emergent biotech/pharma/device companies.
Dr. Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. He took the company public and raised $1.6B in 2021. Ginkgo has built a 1000+ person, 300,000 sqft automated facility that is available as a service similar to cloud computing but for generating data for generating lab data. Customers use this facility for AI data generation, RNA drug discovery, enzyme engineering, AAV manufacturing optimization, agricultural biotechnology, and more. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering all from MIT.
This presentation will outline our transition from manual to automated data capture for biologics. It will highlight the deployment of AI-augmented hit selection, advanced analytics, and insights, demonstrating how these technologies are transforming biologics discovery. Additionally, I will discuss the foundation we’ve built—incorporating data governance, a collaborative network, and continuous improvement strategies—to ensure long-term success and adaptability in our AI-driven research process.
This presentation will provide an overview of the development process for a high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 assay, highlighting the use of automation technologies, including liquid handling robots and plate readers, to streamline workflow and enhance reproducibility. We will discuss how these systems are integrated into our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for seamless data tracking and management, as well as the methods used for efficient data analysis and interpretation.
Sharanya Iyer is a biomedical engineer with over a decade of experience in cell culture, assay development, and laboratory automation. Her journey into the research field began at IAVI in New York as an intern, where she learned cell culture and microscope-based imaging techniques while working with dendritic cells. Following this, she spent six years at Merck Research Laboratories as part of their centralized cell culture team, supporting cell line development and cell-based screening assays for early-stage drug discovery.
In 2018, Sharanya joined Moderna’s research platform, where she oversaw the Moderna Cell Bank ‘s operation and digitization. She later transitioned to the automation team, which was established to assist the research and early development departments in automating assays to meet the company’s growing demands. Currently, she serves as the assay lead, focusing on automating cell-based assays such as neutralization assays and intracellular staining for flow cytometry, supporting the advancement of the infectious disease and immunology pipeline.
Hi, I’m Cindy Nguyen, an Automation Engineer at Moderna. I specialize in configuring and scripting automation protocols for our fleet of HAMILTON instruments. Before joining Moderna, I worked at HAMILTON for two years as an application specialist, so I’ve been working closely with these machines for over five years now—they’ve practically become my best friends! Outside of work, I enjoy transforming my small apartment into a lush, dog-friendly jungle where my many dogs can frolic and explore.
Learn how Avantor is returning time to our customers through benchtop level accuracy of real-time asset location tracking, removing the need for labor intensive, manual searches.
Identify underutilized equipment allowing for resource consolidation and/or redistribution to optimize asset utilization with asset usage data.
Maximize the lifespan of assets and curb unnecessary maintenance spend by understanding the usage of all equipment, as well as proactively identify maintenance needs to prevent interruptions in science
Alex Joyner is the Digital Lab Product Manager at Avantor, supporting innovation and technology in Avantor’s Lab & Production Services and Biomanufacturing. Alex’s emphasis on process improvement is driven through automation and digitalization, with a heavy focus on data utilization to fuel forecasting, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Alex brings 10+ years of supply chain and technology experience to drive innovation and continual improvement at Avantor, with a strong focus on digitally connecting labs through IoT (Internet of Things).
Faith Lawlor is a seasoned laboratory professional with extensive experience in strategic planning and business management. Currently serving as a Campus Manager at Johnson & Johnson in Cambridge, she excels in overseeing vendor collaborations and implementing operational solutions. In her current role, Faith is responsible for strategizing around vendor collaboration pain points to enhance efficiency and support end-user productivity. She also focuses on identifying promising tools for future use (ex. Internet of Things), assessing costs against downtime effects, and presenting results to procurement leaders to achieve buy-in. Her analytical and strategic mindset has consistently delivered results in high-stakes environments, making her a valuable asset in the field of business and strategic planning.
Drew Lynch trained as a structural biologist/enzymologist with a focus on membrane protein crystallization and structural modeling of protein-protein interface binding hotspots. After receiving his Ph.D. he moved into the world of large molecule data management as a consultant and professional services team lead. He currently leads an engineering team for execution of application and tool development projects to realize the goals of the digital biologics team at Sanofi.
Sharanya Iyer is a biomedical engineer with over a decade of experience in cell culture, assay development, and laboratory automation. Her journey into the research field began at IAVI in New York as an intern, where she learned cell culture and microscope-based imaging techniques while working with dendritic cells. Following this, she spent six years at Merck Research Laboratories as part of their centralized cell culture team, supporting cell line development and cell-based screening assays for early-stage drug discovery.
In 2018, Sharanya joined Moderna’s research platform, where she oversaw the Moderna Cell Bank ‘s operation and digitization. She later transitioned to the automation team, which was established to assist the research and early development departments in automating assays to meet the company’s growing demands. Currently, she serves as the assay lead, focusing on automating cell-based assays such as neutralization assays and intracellular staining for flow cytometry, supporting the advancement of the infectious disease and immunology pipeline.
Hi, I’m Cindy Nguyen, an Automation Engineer at Moderna. I specialize in configuring and scripting automation protocols for our fleet of HAMILTON instruments. Before joining Moderna, I worked at HAMILTON for two years as an application specialist, so I’ve been working closely with these machines for over five years now—they’ve practically become my best friends! Outside of work, I enjoy transforming my small apartment into a lush, dog-friendly jungle where my many dogs can frolic and explore.
Alex Joyner is the Digital Lab Product Manager at Avantor, supporting innovation and technology in Avantor’s Lab & Production Services and Biomanufacturing. Alex’s emphasis on process improvement is driven through automation and digitalization, with a heavy focus on data utilization to fuel forecasting, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Alex brings 10+ years of supply chain and technology experience to drive innovation and continual improvement at Avantor, with a strong focus on digitally connecting labs through IoT (Internet of Things).
Faith Lawlor is a seasoned laboratory professional with extensive experience in strategic planning and business management. Currently serving as a Campus Manager at Johnson & Johnson in Cambridge, she excels in overseeing vendor collaborations and implementing operational solutions. In her current role, Faith is responsible for strategizing around vendor collaboration pain points to enhance efficiency and support end-user productivity. She also focuses on identifying promising tools for future use (ex. Internet of Things), assessing costs against downtime effects, and presenting results to procurement leaders to achieve buy-in. Her analytical and strategic mindset has consistently delivered results in high-stakes environments, making her a valuable asset in the field of business and strategic planning.
Leah O’Brien is a wholehearted tech leader with passion, agility and 20 years experience in the Pharma industry. She was a Senior Director in R&D Tech at GlaxoSmithKline. As the Senior Product Director for Development Lab Systems, she had tech accountability for all GxP laboratory systems used across CMC development, as well as general lab instrument support across R&D. Leah lead a product-centric DevOps organisation, spanning development LIMS and ELN systems, CMC production data collection and analysis and Lab Engineering.
Richard obtained his Ph.D. from McMaster University, Canada, where he focused on strategies for metabolite identification and metabolomics studies. From McMaster, he moved on as a Scientist, as part of the Drug Development group, at the Centre of Probe Development and Commercialization, focusing on radio-pharmaceutical imaging agents and radio-therapeutics for oncology. He has been with ACD/Labs for the past 9 years and during this time, has been responsible for inception and development of MetaSense—software to support metabolite identification. For the last 5 years he has been ushering new technology development, laying the foundations for the next generation of ACD/Labs software, as a member of the Innovation and Informatics Strategy team.
How increased centralization efforts can cause global efficiencies with local hidden opportunity costs
How we optimize local scientific productivity through process optimization & automation
How this drives engagement, efficiency and productivity
Thibaut is the Head of Portfolio Management & Operations of the Genomic Medicine Unit, a Research Platform at Sanofi. A scientist by training and at heart, Thibaut holds a PhD in Physics from his work on understanding the mechanics at the cell-cytoskeleton interface, performed at Institut Curie in Paris. After obtaining his MBA he joined the pharmaceutical industry in 2018 and, after some years spent within Consumer Healthcare, focuses on Biopharma R&D since 2023. He is passionate about human-centric Transformations, putting employees at the heart of organizational efficiency gains, through Change Management, Process Optimization and Enabling Technologies. Active mentorship and driving efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded within that approach.
Florian Wegener is the co-founder and CEO of ZAGENO, a life science marketplace designed to simplify providing research scientists with the tools they need to improve human health. Before co-founding ZAGENO, Florian was a practicing cardiologist at the Frankfurt University Hospital. After deciding to pivot his career from the operating room to the business world, Florian joined the Boston Consulting Group in 2007. He worked closely on international projects in the biopharmaceutical space, gaining exposure to the value chain for the life sciences marketplace. In 2013, Florian became the VP and Global Head of eCommerce for QIAGEN GmbH. At QIAGEN, Florian led a digital transformation in eCommerce strategy. Florian holds a medical degree from the Universities of Freiburg, Frankfurt, Toronto, and New York University and an MBA from the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. In 2018, Florian relocated his family from Munich to the life science hub of Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts, to accelerate the growth of ZAGENO’s U.S. operations.
This presentation will outline the strategy for centralizing and digitalizing biologics development to move beyond siloed approaches and address data inconsistencies. By adopting consistent ontologies, development data can be leveraged for deeper insights, driving more informed decisions. The talk will also touch upon the change management efforts necessary to ensure smooth integration and alignment across teams.
This presentation will introduce the Specialized Research in Chaotic Systems (SPaRCS) team, outlining its mission to develop groundbreaking technologies that drive the discovery and advancement of life-changing therapies.
The evolution of lab automation has achieved a remarkable level of sophistication, precision and applicability to a wide and growing range of processes. Yet, successfully automated steps of a value stream often exist as technology and data silos that create manual junctions and bottlenecks. The last mile to reach some level of autonomy in the lab is a complete, cohesive digital representation of the physical and conceptual versions of experimental or testing cycle that includes digital manifestations of goals, “knowledge” and decision making capabilities.
Dana Vanderwall, Senior Director, Digital Transformation, ProPharma Dana Vanderwall is an innovative leader in scientific solutions for drug discovery and digital transformation with over 25 years of experience in Pharmaceutical/Biopharma R&D. He has experience in biochemistry, structural biology, computational chemistry, cheminformatics, IT and data strategy, and product management for enterprise informatics software. Dana’s experience in industry collaborations and data standards includes Board Chair of Allotrope Foundation; a Fellow of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening and member Data Standards Committee; contributions to projects within the Pistoia Alliance; member of IUPAC Committee on Publications and Cheminformatics Data Standards and Chair of the IUPAC Subcommittee on HELM. Dana holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland College Park and is a member of the Business Architecture Guild and DAMA International
The talk will highlight the role Digital Transformation plays in achieving an Automated Lab of the Future vision , with the journey at Biotherapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim
Leah O’Brien is a wholehearted tech leader with passion, agility and 20 years experience in the Pharma industry. She was a Senior Director in R&D Tech at GlaxoSmithKline. As the Senior Product Director for Development Lab Systems, she had tech accountability for all GxP laboratory systems used across CMC development, as well as general lab instrument support across R&D. Leah lead a product-centric DevOps organisation, spanning development LIMS and ELN systems, CMC production data collection and analysis and Lab Engineering.
Kausheek is a global leader with 15+ years experience in Healthcare & Technology space– steering and leading teams, products & programs. He has diverse leadership experience across multiple domains in healthcare – data science, marketing & sales, legal & compliance, Head of IT and now his current role in R&D as Digital Transformation Director- Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. His passion and focus are to seamlessly adopt the latest advancements in technology and integrate digital solutions into the scientific R&D process, propelling Life Forward and transforming the future of science. His mantra is learn, unlearn and relearn with a positive attitude.
Moira Lynch is a Director of Innovation and Strategic Projects for Bioproduction at Thermo Fisher Scientific. In this role, Moira is responsible for accelerating the adoption of technologies aimed at supporting biomanufacturing customers, focusing on Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) and Digital Integration initiatives through internal and external collaborations. Moira also serves as an L2 representative for multiple BioPhorum Phorums and is an active sponsor for the In-line Monitoring and Real-time Release proof-of-concept workstreams. Previously, Moira led technical teams responsible for purification resin development, expanding the portfolio of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s signature POROSTM chromatography products. Moira has been with Thermo Fisher Scientific for 11 years and has over 20 years of industry experience evaluating, using and developing cutting edge technologies.
In business transitions such as Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), startup launches, or periods of expansion and contraction, establishing a unified vision is essential. This talk will explore the four key pillars of infrastructure—People, Space, Digital/IP, and Content—with a focus on why People are the most critical element. It will offer strategies to help individuals step back from immediate tasks, recognize their broader impact, and align their efforts with the company’s long-term goals.
Many sustainability initiatives fall flat due to lack of stakeholder engagement, conflicting priorities of scientists, and lack of organizational resources. This talk will explore the successful launch of two My Green Labs programs, it will cover the challenges faced and lessons learned for future roll-outs.
• Significant maintenance and downtime is the result of usage patterns inconsistent with equipment manufacturer recommendations
• See how flow cytometry usage data analytics led one customer to identify hundreds of thousands in extra maintenance, significant downtime, and potentially inconsistent scientific outcomes.
• Noninvasive monitoring and AI-driven insights provide a clear picture of equipment utilization, helping labs optimize performance without disrupting workflows.
Lisa Shipley is a seasoned scientific and executive leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with a passion for advancing transformational therapies through the drug discovery/development pipeline. She is equally passionate about mentoring and developing talent to innovate and execute in the delivery of that pipeline. A creative and inspirational communicator with excellent interpersonal and business acumen skills, she builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. She is comfortable with ambiguity and has a history of leading change in dynamic economic and regulatory environments. She is currently the founder of Shipley Pharma Insights, LLC focusing on optimizing drug development to maximize portfolio value for emergent biotech/pharma/device companies.
Partha Krishnan is the Sustainability and Biosafety Lead for Sanofi R&D North America Workplace Experience. As part of this role, his remit includes building a sustainability roadmap and strategy for R&D sites. Prior to this role, Partha has held positions of increasing responsibilities at UCLA, Yale and Harvard. He holds a PhD in Neurobiology from Texas A&M and spent almost a decade in labs trying to understand how the brain makes sense of the world. He believes that the Lab of the Future will be a safe and green space.
Ed Seguine is a pharma technology executive and investor with over two decades of experience in commercializing novel technologies and business models within the clinical, health care, and pharmaceutical sectors. His expertise encompasses venture capital, private equity, and strategic partnerships, with a proven track record in leading companies through critical inflection points including VC and M&A transactions, crisis turnarounds, and capital-constrained growth. Ed’s leadership is marked by a resourceful and humble approach, with a knack for building novel platforms and optimizing business processes.
In this talk, we’ll discuss how, in a traditional QC laboratory, business processes intersect a patchwork of systems. Through the connected lab, a business user is empowered to leverage digital technologies that transform data into intelligence, utilizing smart devices, connected applications, and predictive analysis
Venkatesan Kannan (Venkat) is the Lab Automation Services Lead at Cognizant’s Lab Practice. With over 2 decades of experience in the pharmaceutical Lab informatics systems and Lab Practice’s collective capabilities, Venkat takes pride in collaborating with clients to develop and deliver end-to-end lab solutions that achieve business objectives and create a future-ready lab environment.
This talk will cover how Novartis managed to incorporate security best practices into their research environment while balancing user needs and minimizing disruptions to research.
Digital transformation is not just a technological shift but a fundamental change in how organizations operate and innovate. At GSK, we embarked on an ambitious journey to raise digital fluency within our CMC operations, recognizing that a successful transformation hinges on effective change management strategies and a people-centric approach.
As GenAI moves past the peak of inflated expectations, life science companies must make strategic AI investments within the DMTA cycle. This talk will explore AI architectures and key considerations for enhancing DMTA, focusing on how to enable a flexible AI environment that evolves alongside data to drive more effective and efficient R&D.
Nick Brown is Director, Global Portfolio Leader for Certara.AI; the life sciences-specialized GPT platform. Nick has over 10 years of experience driving AI adoption and customer success across life sciences, federal government and other industries. Prior to Certara, Nick lead marketing at Vyasa (now Certara.AI) assisting in the launch and go-to-market strategy for the Layar data platform.
Hi, my name is Sandy Chang, and I am a Digital Transformation Associate Director at GSK. I lead Digital, Data, and Analytics change management programs across CMC for both Rx and Vx, with a strong focus on user-centered change journey. My primary motivation is to align people and purpose to amplify innovation and enhance delivery. With over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, I specialize in continuous improvement projects, lab automation integration, and digital system change management. I am also an APMG International certified Change Management Foundation and Practitioner.
The CMC Process Development is facing multiple challenges from the increasing number of projects, need for agility, cost reductions, data integrity & accelerated development timelines. Data generated during drug development is only partially leveraged to further improve our processes or use it for predictive modelling. Building on a multi-year CMC Digital Transformation program, we embarked on digitizing End-to-End workflows across multiple modalities, platforms & lab families. We focused on three key areas: Operating Model, Value delivery & Scaling. Mohan will share the progress and challenges in each of these areas.
Mohan Boggara is currently the business lead (Product manager) for E2E Digitalization of Lab workflows at Sanofi as part of Global CMC Digital Transformation. He also leads a group of cross-functional leaders with the vision to bring GenAI for CMC. Prior to that he spent several years in Amgen Process Development where he led several data science and analytics projects in support of biologics drug product development, supply chain risk analyses, clinical & commercial manufacturing support. In addition, he served as digital lead for Product Lifecycle Management to enable digital thread and digital tech transfer spanning Drug Substance, Drug Product and Final Drug Product. Mohan has a PhD in Chemical Engineering with his doctoral work focused on the design and characterization of drug delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles. His postdoctoral work includes computational design and characterization of polyvalent protein/peptide drugs and thermodynamic modelling of petroleum mixtures under reservoir conditions.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and statistics, I spent 10 years working as a Statistical Program Leader for various CROs, collaborating with different pharmaceutical companies. In 2006, I joined Sanofi as a Statistical Program Leader, contributing to multiple therapeutic areas and preparing dossiers for submission to health authorities.
In 2013, I transitioned to Sanofi’s Digital R&D organization, initially serving as the Product Owner of the Clinical Analytical platform. Later, I became the Product Line Leader for Clinical Analytics.
In 2021, I took on the role of iCMC Digital Transformation Leader, focusing on the End To End digital transformation of Sanofi CMC Labs to enhance lab productivity and accelerate development processes through data-driven products, leveraging AI, machine learning, and modeling agents.
Saurabh is a recognized leader with deep expertise in leveraging AI, advanced analytics, and digital transformation to accelerate R&D innovation at life sciences organizations. As the Founder and Managing Director of IndusQ, he advises biopharma companies on AI strategy, data strategy, and advanced analytics to help them harness next-generation technologies and embed them in their workflows to drive efficiencies in drug development.
Prior to founding IndusQ, Saurabh served as Executive Director of Strategy, Operations & Analytics for Global Development at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he spearheaded the development of an advanced analytics platform that provided real-time insights across Takeda’s clinical development portfolio. He has built high-performing global teams, led AI-driven initiatives, and drove large transformations to accelerate the execution of clinical trials, reduce costs and improve quality. Prior to Takeda, Saurabh held leadership positions at Pfizer and PwC, advising R&D leaders on organizational design, operational excellence, and tech-enabled innovation to improve productivity. His background spans biopharma R&D, technology startups, private equity, and management consulting.
Saurabh holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was actively involved in MIT Hacking Medicine, designing, mentoring, and judging healthcare hackathons. He also has degrees in chemical and biochemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi).
Mohan Boggara is currently the business lead (Product manager) for E2E Digitalization of Lab workflows at Sanofi as part of Global CMC Digital Transformation. He also leads a group of cross-functional leaders with the vision to bring GenAI for CMC. Prior to that he spent several years in Amgen Process Development where he led several data science and analytics projects in support of biologics drug product development, supply chain risk analyses, clinical & commercial manufacturing support. In addition, he served as digital lead for Product Lifecycle Management to enable digital thread and digital tech transfer spanning Drug Substance, Drug Product and Final Drug Product. Mohan has a PhD in Chemical Engineering with his doctoral work focused on the design and characterization of drug delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles. His postdoctoral work includes computational design and characterization of polyvalent protein/peptide drugs and thermodynamic modelling of petroleum mixtures under reservoir conditions.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science and statistics, I spent 10 years working as a Statistical Program Leader for various CROs, collaborating with different pharmaceutical companies. In 2006, I joined Sanofi as a Statistical Program Leader, contributing to multiple therapeutic areas and preparing dossiers for submission to health authorities.
In 2013, I transitioned to Sanofi’s Digital R&D organization, initially serving as the Product Owner of the Clinical Analytical platform. Later, I became the Product Line Leader for Clinical Analytics.
In 2021, I took on the role of iCMC Digital Transformation Leader, focusing on the End To End digital transformation of Sanofi CMC Labs to enhance lab productivity and accelerate development processes through data-driven products, leveraging AI, machine learning, and modeling agents.
Andrew Ferry is the Director of Client Solutions at Varya Virtual, a leading technology innovator dedicated to software synergy and integration for STEM-focused industries. With over 15 years of extensive experience in data science and analytics, Andrew has established an exceptional track record in building and nurturing strategic business relationships, driving customer success, and maximizing client outcomes.
At Varya Virtual, Andrew spearheads initiatives centered around the company’s flagship software solution, Iota. This groundbreaking platform transforms how researchers engage with and manage data, enabling seamless recording and sharing of insights, observations, and findings. Andrew’s deep expertise in analytics and data-driven strategies has empowered pharmaceutical clients to significantly enhance research productivity and foster collaborative innovation.
Recognized for his strategic acumen and client-centric approach, Andrew continually demonstrates his commitment to advancing technological solutions that meet the rigorous demands of pharmaceutical research and development
Anshul leads ZS’s global supply chain and manufacturing practice. For over 15 years, he has advised senior leadership teams at both Fortune 500 and emerging companies on topics such as business capability building, transformation and enabling analytics to drive commercial success.
Anshul has a unique blend of supply chain and manufacturing domain knowledge and transformative solution-building expertise. He helps organizations drive customer satisfaction and revenue, optimize supply chain resource allocation, streamline processes and drive innovation to maximize business value. Anshul’s expertise includes supply chain digitalization, predictive and self-learning supply chain solutions, integrated business planning, re-imagining and defining supply chain for complex therapies such as cell and gene.
Steven Winig is the Executive Director of Technology and User Services (TUS) at Novartis Biomedical Research. The TUS organization enables 5,300 researchers across multiple international campuses. Before joining Novartis, Steven held senior IT leadership roles at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served as a Principal at American Management Systems, Inc., and was a Director at Computer-Ed, Inc. He holds a BS in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University and lives by the mantra that relationships matter. Known as the resource of last resort, Steve is often called upon to tackle the most nuanced challenges. Interestingly, his college advisor stating that AI will be the future has proven to be prophetic, albeit a few decades early.
