Speakers
2025 Speakers
State of the Industry
Subin Baral
Partner, Global Deals Leader – Life Sciences Transactions
EY
Ketan Patel, MBA, MD
Managing Partner
F-Prime Capital
Teresa Whalen
CEO
CytoAgents
Moderated by:
Stephen Simpson
Partner
EY
Fireside Chat with Dr. Michelle Tarver
Michelle Tarver
Director – Center for Devices and Radiological Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Frank Leonard
President
Novocure
Chris Molineaux
President & CEO
Life Sciences PA
RNA Over the Horizon
Gilles Besin, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Orbital Therapeutics
Reyad Elbarbary, PhD
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Orthopedics
Penn State University College of Medicine
Duccio Medini, PhD
Chief Science & Technology Officer
BioForge
Moderated by:
Rebecca Guzman
Partner
Duane Morris
Breakfast in the C Suite
Rachael Bushey
Life Sciences Partner & Co-Chair, Philadelphia Office
Goodwin
Dennis Purcell
Stealth Mode: When, Why, How Long?
Jay Batchu
Associate/EIR
Xontogeny
Antony Koblish
Chief Executive Officer
TELA Bio
David Radspinner, PhD
President & CEO
VintaBio
Moderated by:
George Sarianos
Managing Partner
CFGI
Deal Structures – the Professionalization of Tech Transfer
Erik Lium, PhD
Chief Commercial Officer
Mount Sinai Innovation Partners
Robert McGrath, PhD
Executive Director of Business Development
Yale Ventures
Marc Sedam, MBA
Vice President, Technology Opportunities & Ventures
NYU Langone Health & New York University
John Swartley, MBA, PhD
Chief Innovation Officer
University of Pennsylvania
Moderated by:
Dhanesh Shah
Director, Translational Sciences
UPMC Enterprises
Patient Spotlight
Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Human Genetics and Metabolism
CHOP & University of Pennsylvania
Nicole and KJ Muldoon
Mom & Patient
Kiran Musunuru
Cardiologist
University of Pennsylvania
Moderated by:
Andrew Antczak
Partner
Morgan Lewis
Be Found - How Strategics and Investors are Using AI to Fill their Portfolios
Rob Hartman, PhD
Vice President, Translational Sciences
UPMC Enterprises
Kristine Ilaria
Vice President, Corporate Development
Smith + Nephew
Michael Plater, PhD
Senior Director, Business Development & Licensing
CSL Behring
Jeannie Rojas
Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development
GSK
Moderated by:
Beck Crisino, MBA
Associate Director – External Innovation, DPDS
Johnson & Johnson
Reverse Pitch Presenters
Jonathan Andrews
Director, Business Development
B. Braun Medical
Rich Baxter
Senior Vice President, Investment Operations
Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Mike Flock, PhD
Director, Industry Partnerships
University of Pittsburgh, Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Michael Gunderson
Director, Corporate Development
Teleflex
Rob Hartman, PhD
Vice President, Translational Sciences
UPMC Enterprises
Jesse Hwang, PhD
Associate Director, Search & Evaluation (East North America)
Johnson & Johnson
Brian Imszennik
Director, Venture Investments
JJDC
Alyssa Johnson
Director, Business Development & Analytics
Harmony Biosciences
Melissa Kelly, PhD
Deputy Managing Director
Penn Center for Innovation
Ketan Mehta
Senior Director, Search & Evaluation (Internal Medicine), Worldwide Business Development
Pfizer
Michael Plater, PhD
Senior Director, Business Development & Licensing
CSL Behring
Katie Reuther, MBA, PhD
Executive Director
Penn Health-Tech
Sue Rhoades
Assistant Vice Provost, Applied Innovation
Drexel University
Tim Ringeisen
Global Application Director
dsm-firmenich
Jeannie Rojas
Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development
GSK
John Sanders
Director, Enabling Technologies Search and Evaluation, Business Development & Licensing
Merck
Tom Wilton
Senior Vice President, Innovation and Ventures
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
All Star Panelists
Jay Batchu
Associate/EIR
Xontogeny
Rich Baxter
Senior Vice President, Investment Operations
Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Chris Burns
Principal
BBC Pharma Advisory
Rachael Bushey
Life Sciences Partner & Co-Chair, Philadelphia Office
Goodwin
Sue Dillon
Co-Founder & Board Chair
Aro Biotherapeutics
Gerri Henwood
President & CEO
Malvern Consulting Group
Lori Krim Gough
Partner
Epidarex
Maureen Mulvihill
President, CEO & Co-Founder
Actuated Medical
Caroll Neubauer
Executive Advisor
Water Street Healthcare Partners
David Rappaport
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy and Integration
OraSure Technologies
Jeannie Rojas
Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development
GSK
Paul Spencer
President, Biomedical Division
dsm-firmenich
Steve Tullman
Executive Chairman & CEO
NexEos Bio
Thank you to our 2025 event sponsors
Interested in sponsoring Life Sciences Future? Please contact Gabi Forgione (gforgione@lifesciencespa.org) for sponsorship inquiries.
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Life Sciences Pennsylvania was founded in 1989 by a biotech scientist at Penn State University. Today it has grown to represent the entire life sciences industry – biotechnology and diagnostic companies, medical device companies, pharmaceutical companies, investment organizations, research institutions, and myriad service industries that support the life sciences in Pennsylvania.