Manuel Sanchez-Felix is Vice President of Drug Delivery Search & Evaluation, where he leads efforts to identify and assess transformative drug delivery technologies. With a strong foundation in pharmaceutical sciences and business development, he connects scientific innovation with strategic opportunity. Manuel previously held leadership roles at Novartis and Eli Lilly, contributing to global R&D and external innovation initiatives. He is passionate about advancing patient-centric solutions and building impactful collaborations across biotech and academia.

Scott is a versatile leader with a strong track record of delivering innovative product and market strategies in the life sciences and healthcare software sectors. With a solid understanding of clinical, technological, and business fundamentals, he's passionate about creating breakthrough solutions that meet the evolving needs of the industry.

He has extensive experience in the clinical development process, specialising in late-phase trials, post-market surveillance, and direct-to-patient initiatives. Scott is also highly knowledgeable in M2M (machine-to-machine) solutions for the life sciences, pharmaceutical, and healthcare markets. His results-driven approach blends sales and operational planning with agile methods for new product development.

Throughout his career, Scott has worked with organisations ranging from start-ups to global Fortune 100 companies, building expertise in sales, marketing, operations, and product strategy. He's passionate about aligning product development with strategic goals and spotting opportunities to drive meaningful results.

David Stadinski, MBA is global group head of equity capital markets at Piper Sandler and chairman of the firm’s capital commitment committee. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities, Stadinski was head of the healthcare capital markets business and established and led the firm’s alternative capital practice, consistently one of the leading book runners in the marketplace in those areas.

Mr Stadinski joined Piper Sandler in 2005 and has spent much of his career as a capital markets banker advising on and executing a variety of public and private financings across many industry sectors. Prior to joining Piper Sandler, he was with the equity capital markets and private equity groups of SG Cowen, ultimately serving as director and founding member of that firm’s PIPE and RD practice. He has more than 25 years of experience in the investment banking industry.

Me Stadinski earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and information systems from New York University – Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Delaware.

Nicole Keidel is a seasoned healthcare thought leader based in St. Louis, with over a decade of experience at Evernorth Health Services. Since joining the organization in 2014, Nicole has held a variety of strategic roles, evolving into a trusted leader known for her ability to drive innovation, build meaningful partnerships, and deliver measurable impact across the healthcare landscape. In 2020, Nicole transitioned into a sales-focused role focusing mainly on life sciences, where she has excelled in cultivating strategic relationships and expanding Evernorth’s reach in the patient recruitment landscape. Her deep understanding of the healthcare ecosystem, combined with her collaborative approach, has positioned her as a key advisor to clients navigating complex challenges in patient recruitment and other clinical trial challenges.

Nicole holds a Bachelor’s degree from Truman State University, where she developed a strong foundation in critical thinking and strategic communication. She is passionate about creating value through partnership, whether with clients, internal stakeholders, or industry collaborators. Her leadership style is grounded in transparency, empathy, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

Nicole’s career reflects a commitment to transforming healthcare through strategic insight, operational excellence, and a genuine dedication to improving lives.

Victor Mishin joined Solesis in 2022 as a Scientist. In this role, he focuses on the research and development for long-acting implantable drug-delivery solutions based on the Hydralese® polyglycerol ester platform. His work involves designing, developing, and testing innovative biodegradable polymeric drug delivery devices and coatings that advance patient care.

With a background in biomaterials and tissue engineering, Victor has experience in exploring novel polymeric materials for drug delivery and biomedical device applications. His graduate research focused on developing tunable hydrogel cardiovascular shunts for pediatric patients.

Victor earned both his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

Mansuo Shannon, PhD, is a visionary drug hunter and seasoned pharmaceutical executive with over 18 years of experience at Bayer, Eli Lilly, Roche/Chugai, and Merck. As Chief Scientific Officer at AskBio, Bayer’s wholly owned gene therapy and gene editing subsidiary, Mansuo is recognized for her expertise in advancing breakthrough therapies spanning small molecules, biologics, and cutting-edge genetic medicines.

Throughout her career, Mansuo has demonstrated a passion for tackling the most challenging disease indications, strategically targeting high-conviction biological pathways with optimal modalities. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving multiple programs into clinical development, most notably the Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for Zagotenemab in Alzheimer’s Disease. At AskBio, she leads the design and execution of a robust gene therapy and editing pipeline and champions the development of novel delivery platforms that power the next generation of transformative medicines.

Mansuo earned her PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at MIT under Nobel Laureate Dr. Susumu Tonegawa, grounding her executive leadership in rigorous science and visionary innovation.

Dr Paul Kluetz is a medical oncologist who has published over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and remains clinically active, caring for patients and supervising medical residents as a teaching attending at Georgetown University Hospital. As Chief Medical Officer at Paradigm Health, Dr Kluetz helps advance Paradigm Health’s technology platform focused on improving clinical trial access for all patients through innovative approaches to optimize trial screening, accrual, and efficient conduct. Prior to Paradigm Health, Dr Kluetz served as Deputy Director of the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During his tenure at FDA, Dr Kluetz founded and led several initiatives including the OCE’s patient-focused drug development program, real-world evidence program, and trial modernization efforts including pragmatic and decentralized trial designs.

Justas Lauzadis, PhD, is the Chief Research Officer at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS). With over 10 years of experience in clinical research and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology from Stony Brook University, he is dedicated to advancing oncology research.

Dr Susan Conroy is the Chief Executive Officer of Therakind Ltd, a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving drug delivery and patient acceptability through proprietary technology and optimised dosing regimens. Since its founding, she has led the company’s strategic direction and operations, overseeing the development and regulatory approval of multiple products across the US and EU regions.

With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, Susan has a strong track record in identifying, evaluating, and commercialising innovative therapeutic products. Prior to founding Therakind, she worked as an independent consultant supporting early-stage start-ups, with a focus on maximising scientific value, technology transfer, medical affairs, and the commercial exploitation of existing assets. She also served as an independent funding assessor for start-up programmes.

Earlier in her career, Susan held positions in both large and small pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol Myers Squibb, where she worked across clinical development, commercial strategy, and new therapeutic areas.

Susan holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from London University and conducted post-doctoral research in oncology at University College London. Her integration of scientific expertise and strategic business insight has been instrumental in driving Therakind’s development of patient-centric medicines.

Beyond Therakind, Susan is a Trustee of Anthony Nolan, a leading UK stem cell charity. She contributes her knowledge and experience as a member of the charity’s Audit & Finance and Governance & Risk Committees.

Ashley Hawson is Senior Vice President of Innovation and Operations at Cambridge Consultants, where she leads both the Healthcare business unit and the company’s North America operations. She heads a multidisciplinary team of over 100 engineers, scientists, and designers specializing in the creation of Class II and III medical devices distinguished by their technical novelty and transformative potential.

Ashley is recognized for driving innovation at the intersection of strategy, experimentation, and product development. She sponsors Cambridge Consultants’ internal R&D investments, fostering cutting-edge advances and generating intellectual property for licensing and spinouts. This portfolio spans fields as diverse as photonics, human–machine understanding, and fully regulated medical AI applications.

A graduate of Georgia Tech, Ashley began her career engineering human-integrated systems for hospital environments. She has since held leadership, operational, and academic roles at GE, Tufts University, and Cambridge Consultants. Known for her ability to cultivate top talent and guide clients toward breakthrough outcomes, she is committed to advancing technologies that meaningfully improve patient lives—while ensuring the complex machinery of a people-driven business runs seamlessly.

Liz Proos is the Vice President of Product Development at Daré Bioscience, a company focused on accelerating innovation in women’s health. In this role Liz is responsible for technical and strategic product development, leading a cross-functional R&D and product development team and key strategic external partners, including development of the proprietary DARE-IDDS (Intelligent Drug Delivery System) platform technology, which is designed to provide programmable, precise, long-term drug delivery from a subcutaneously implanted device. Liz joined Daré as part of the acquisition of Microchips Biotech in November 2019.

Throughout her career Liz has developed and advanced novel products for numerous applications and therapeutic areas through clinical development, including bone substitute materials, pulmonary therapies, injectable sustained release products, and implantable drug delivery devices.  During her 15-year tenure at Microchips Biotech, she advanced the legacy company to its First-In-Human clinical study with parathyroid hormone, a treatment for osteoporosis. Liz also has significant preclinical testing experience and has worked closely with clinical, regulatory affairs, and marketing as a technical expert to advance complex product development and incorporate the end user perspective.

Liz has also held leadership and technical positions at BD, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Epic Therapeutics (a wholly owned subsidiary of Baxter Healthcare), and Etex Corporation. She has more than 26 years of experience in drug delivery science and product development of combination products and medical devices. Liz graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Chemistry.