Dr. Smrithi Padmakumar is an Associate Principal Scientist in the Sterile Product Development group at Merck. As an experienced scientist in pharmaceutical product development, she has contributed to the formulation and advancement of drug products across diverse modalities, including gene therapies, vaccines, biologics, and small molecules. At Merck, she plays a key role in the development of novel vaccine formulations aimed at addressing critical global public health challenges.

Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Padmakumar held a key role at Spark Therapeutics (Roche), where she led innovative efforts in the development of AAV-based gene therapies, contributing to pipeline programs. Dr. Padmakumar has developed novel AAV formulations with enhanced stability and established advanced biophysical characterization methods to deepen product understanding. As a Drug Product lead in the CMC space, she has played a pivotal role in advancing gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Her work has been highly collaborative, integrating efforts across drug substance, manufacturing, preclinical, clinical, and regulatory teams to ensure seamless translation from the lab to the clinic. She brings specialized expertise in the targeted delivery of gene therapies via routes such as CNS and ocular administration. Guided by scientific rigor and a strong translational focus, her work is dedicated to delivering impactful therapies that address critical unmet medical needs.

Dr. Padmakumar holds a PhD in Nanomedical Sciences from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, India, building on her foundational training as a biotech engineer and a postgraduate engineering degree in nanomedicine. Her doctoral research on intraperitoneal therapy for late-stage ovarian cancer using sustained drug-eluting nanotextile implants was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University, Boston. She went on to complete her postdoctoral research at Northeastern through a collaborative project with Harvard Medical School focusing on the development of long-acting formulations and innovative administration strategies for delivering oligonucleotide-based therapeutics to the brain for neurodegenerative disease therapies. Dr. Padmakumar has granted patents for her innovations and has published extensively in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Controlled Release, Biomaterials, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces etc.

Dr Yumiko Mizuno is the Head of Plasma-Derived Therapies Drug Product Development at Takeda, where she leads global teams in advancing innovative therapies through drug formulation, primary container, and drug-device combination product development across all phases of drug development. In addition to her functional leadership, Dr Mizuno also serves as project lead for an early-phase global development program, driving cross-functional strategy and execution. With over 15 years of R&D CMC expertise, she is recognized for her scientific depth, cross-functional leadership, and commitment to delivering transformative therapies to patients.

She has also led global R&D strategic initiatives, gaining hands-on experience in portfolio strategy and organizational transformation. Dr Mizuno holds a PhD, MS, and BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kyoto University and broadened her global perspective as a visiting scientist at Brown University.

Dr. Jeff Haley established and leads a team of scientists and engineers working on long-acting drug delivery. He is also responsible for groups focused on polymer development, technical service, and quality assurance. Dr. Haley received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas, a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry department at the University of Toronto. He started his industrial career developing new polymer products for the Lyondell Chemical Company before joining Celanese in 2011. Dr. Haley has held various positions at Celanese working on product development and technical service, and began focusing on drug delivery systems in 2018, ultimately founding the VitalDose® lab. He has coauthored over 20 scientific publications and is a coinventor on 11 granted US patents.

Maya Zlatanova is a healthtech entrepreneur and clinical research expert on a mission to bring research closer to patients. With 15 years of global experience spanning clinical research regulations, patient recruitment, and trial feasibility, Maya has witnessed firsthand how 45% of clinical trial amendments can be avoided simply by understanding patients better from the start.

She believes the industry's biggest breakthrough will come from combining AI-powered data intelligence with deep understanding of patient journeys - aligning trials with real-world treatment pathways before recruitment even begins. Maya's work focuses on connecting the dots between where patients naturally seek care and where clinical trials are conducted. Through her leadership in developing TrialHub, she's helped pharmaceutical companies design smarter protocols and avoid the trial design mistakes that lead to enrollment failures.

Her driving belief: Every delayed trial means patients waiting longer for life-changing treatments.

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Dr. Brad Minrovic, PhD, has been a Technical Account Manager since 2021 for Ashland’s injectable excipient portfolio, which includes Viatel bioresorbable polymers, such as PLGA, PLLA and PCL.  He focuses on customer support by supplying functional excipients and technical solutions to support the development of medical devices and long-acting injectable formulations.

Dr. Minrovic started his educational background in chemistry, obtaining a B.S. from Baldwin Wallace University (Cleveland, Ohio, USA).  He went on to graduate from University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana, USA) with a PhD in organic, medicinal chemistry.

He started his industry career at Oakwood Labs (Cleveland, OH, USA), spending several years formulating, analyzing, and aseptically producing microsphere formulations.  He managed several long-acting injectable projects, where formulations encapsulated various APIs into biodegradable polymers, including Ashland’s Viatel offerings.  Currently, he leverages these past experiences to technically support Ashland’s injectable customer base. 

Laura Acosta is the Vice President of Product Management for the eClinical Division at Anju Software, where she leads innovation in solutions that support global clinical research. With a strong foundation in software development and product management, Laura brings over two decades of experience in the life sciences software industry, including key roles at Oracle Health Sciences.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Boston University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Tufts University, combining deep technical expertise with a strategic product vision. Laura’s career has been defined by her ability to deliver impactful, user-centric solutions that address complex challenges in clinical trials and data management.

Laura is known for her commitment to excellence, continuous learning, and staying ahead of emerging industry trends. Her thoughtful leadership and passion for advancing clinical research through technology have earned her a reputation as a respected innovator in the field.

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn to learn more about her achievements and expertise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-acosta-b2412212/

Jen Heckman is the Head of Development Operations Program Leadership at Genmab, where she leads a team of people accountable for developing clinical operations strategies and leading clinical trials. With over 30 years of experience in biopharma, she has built and led cross-functional teams and departments focused on operational excellence, clinical trial innovation, and portfolio strategy. Jen has driven scalable process improvements and system implementations at organizations including Exelixis, Incyte, and AstraZeneca. She is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute for Women and has served as a leader in the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association mentoring program. Jen is passionate about transforming clinical development through smart, patient-centered, and technology-enabled approaches.

Angela Holmes is the CEO and Co-Founder of OmniScience, the company behind Vivo—the first agentic AI control tower for clinical trials. With a background in biomedical engineering from Georgia Tech and Johns Hopkins, Angela has spent her career at the intersection of AI and life sciences. She’s held leadership roles across startups and global consultancies, designing and launching AI-driven products to solve complex challenges in healthcare, energy, and finance. Under her leadership, OmniScience has transformed clinical operations by delivering real-time, explainable insights that reduce cost, accelerate timelines, and increase trial success.

Angela was named AI Entrepreneur of the Year by Women in AI North America and serves as an advisor to TMC Innovation, Georgia Tech, and Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. She has led OmniScience to top honors at the CNS Summit Innovation Showcase and Whale Tank, and to acceptance in prestigious programs including Google for Startups, NVIDIA Inception, and JLABS.

With over 25 years in the pharmaceutical and CRO industries, Diana Cucos leads Syneos Health's FSP 360 division, delivering tailored solutions to meet clients' evolving needs. Her leadership spans clinical operations, project management, and strategic planning, managing over 6,000 resources across 50+ countries. Recognized for her commitment to advancing clinical research, Diana was named one of PharmaVoice's 100 Most Inspiring People in 2021 and an HBA Luminary in 2017.

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