ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities

Dr. Scott O'Neill (PhD, FAA, FAAAS) is Founder of the World Mosquito Program ( https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/work/about-us/team/scott-oneill ) and Professor at Monash University ( https://lens.monash.edu/@scott-oneill ), where he leads a large international research collaboration (formerly known as Eliminate Dengue), which is focused on developing the Wolbachia bacteria as a novel method to block the transmission of dengue fever and other mosquito-transmitted viral diseases, such as Zika and chikungunya. This global, not-for-profit program is currently conducting field trials of the Wolbachia method in multiple countries, in areas where these diseases are endemic, working closely with communities, local health organizations and governments to implement its self-sustaining method through controlled releases. Dr. O’Neill has spent his academic career at the University of Illinois, Yale University, the University of Queensland and Monash, where he was previously the dean of the Faculty of Science. Dr. O’Neill is internationally recognized for his contributions to the field of insect symbiosis and the way the intimate bacterial associations of invertebrates are ubiquitous and can generate major effects on the reproductive physiology, developmental biology and ecology of the insects they infect. His work has made major contributions to understanding how insect symbionts exert their effects and the consequences for infected hosts.

Dr. Joshua Tewksbury, Ph.D. is the Ira Rubinoff Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ( STRI https://www.si.edu/about/bios/joshua-tewksbury ), part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. He oversees more than 400 employees, with an annual budget of $35 million. Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, with field sites around the world, STRI furthers the understanding and public awareness of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare. In addition to its resident scientists and support staff, STRI’s facilities are used annually by some 1,400 visiting scientists, pre- and postdoctoral fellows and interns from around the world. Dr. Tewksbury is an ecologist with more than two decades of research in conservation and biodiversity, as well as nearly a decade of executive leadership experience at international research institutes. Prior to his role at the STRI, Dr. Tewksbury was serving as Executive Director at Future Earth, a global research program dedicated to sustainability and global change, where he led a network of tens of thousands of scientists and managed a wide range of conservation research projects, staff, programs and partnerships. In this role at Future Earth, Dr. Tewksbury oversaw dozens of interdisciplinary research projects, from assessing threats to biodiversity to understanding the relationship between human and environmental health. He has also founded initiatives like the Earth Leadership Program, which supported skills development for academic researchers working to address sustainability challenges. Previously, he was the founding director of the Luc Hoffman Institute, a global research center within World Wildlife Fund International focused on conservation science. Dr. Tewksbury is also co-founder and executive editor of Anthropocene magazine, a publication that highlights sustainability solutions. He holds faculty positions at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado State and George Mason University’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy. He also has an appointment as senior scholar with Colorado State University’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. Over the course of his research career, Dr. Tewksbury has published more than 85 scientific papers on topics in conservation, climate change and natural history, including the relationships and diversity of tropical plants, animals and fungi. He holds a bachelor’s degree in field biology from Prescott College and a doctorate from the University of Montana in organismal biology and ecology.

Dr. Subha Madhavan, Ph.D. is Vice President & Head of AI/ML, Quantitative & Digital Sciences, Global Biometrics & Data Management, at Pfizer ( https://www.pfizer.com/ ), where she works at the interface of science, technology, and business, helping to shape various aspects of their biopharma focus from small molecule design, to precision medicine, to global access in the future. Dr. Madhavan’s responsibilities over her career have included initiating, designing, and executing several large national and international clinical research programs, including Cancer Moonshot, The Cancer Genome Atlas, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, and Human Cell Atlas, and she has put together an impressive portfolio of experience in oncology R&D, precision medicine, digital health, data science & analytics, bioinformatics, product development, clinical informatics, and health IT. Before joining Pfizer, Dr. Madhavan was AstraZeneca's Head of Data Science, Oncology R&D where she led cross-functional teams in early oncology, clinical development, R&D strategy, precision medicine, and competitive intelligence in bringing life-changing therapies to patients. Previously Dr. Madhavan was the Director of the Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics (ICBI) at the Georgetown University Medical Center, Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, and chief Data Scientist for the Georgetown University Medical Center with responsibility for all data-related research initiatives. Dr. Madhavan has a Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biological Sciences from the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences through a highly ranked Indo-US Collaborative program. She received post-doctoral training in computational biology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Bill Taranto is President of both the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund ( MGHIF - https://www.merckghifund.com/ ), and Merck Global Health Private Equity (GHIPE). He is the founder of MGHIF and is responsible for leading the global health capability for Merck. The Merck Global Health Innovation Fund was established in late 2010 as a strategic response to the challenges surrounding Merck’s core business of discovering, developing and marketing innovative drugs and vaccines. Mr. Taranto has more than three decades of experience in the healthcare industry. MGHIF is a $500 Million evergreen fund focused on identifying opportunities that are adjacent to Merck’s core business of pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Under his leadership, MGHIF has invested more than $1 Billion in 70 companies, with more than $7 Billion in exits. The unit’s recent deals include participation in the pre-seed round for blockchain-based genomics company IndyGeneUS AI and roles as lead investor on both the $3m venture round for TransVoyant, a developer of digital supply chain services, and the €20m series A round for cancer therapeutics firm Turbine. Other notable investments include PathAI, M2GEN,Navigating Cancer, Syapse, Strata, Precise DX, Trinetx, and Cleardata. Recent unicorn exits include Livongo Health, Preventice Solutions, Ciox and Absci. Prior to joining Merck, Mr. Taranto spent 18 years at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in various roles. As VP of healthcare strategy and venture at J&J, he was responsible for evaluating and creating new healthcare business models through venture capital and acquisitions. Prior to joining J&J, Mr. Taranto spent eight years in investment banking.

Dr. Michael Roberts, Ph.D. is Chief Science Officer of the International Space Station National Laboratory ( https://www.issnationallab.org/ ), and Vice President at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space ( CASIS - https://www.issnationallab.org/about/center-for-the-advancement-of-science-in-space-leadership/ ), which as manager of the ISS National Laboratory in partnership with NASA, is responsible to the nation for enabling access to the International Space Station for research, technology development, STEM education, and commercial innovation in space as a public service to foster a scalable and sustainable low Earth orbit economy. Before joining CASIS in 2013, Dr. Roberts worked as a microbial ecologist, principal investigator, and research group lead in the NASA Advanced Life Support program at the Kennedy Space Center. Prior to arriving at NASA-KSC in 1999, Dr. Roberts completed an undergraduate degree in biology at Maryville College, a doctorate in microbiology at Wesleyan University and post-doctoral research at the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University and the RIKEN Institute in Wako-shi, Japan.

Dr. Ross Uhrich, DMD, MBA, is Program Manager, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health ( ARPA-H - https://arpa-h.gov/people/ross-uhrich/ ), which is focused on advancing high-potential, high-impact biomedical and health research that cannot be readily accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity, accelerating better health outcomes targeting society's most challenging health problems. Under the ARPA-H portfolio, Dr. Uhrich is responsible for the recently launched Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis ( NITRO - https://arpa-h.gov/engage/programs/nitro/ ) program which seeks to develop new ways of helping the human body repair its own joints, with the goal of revolutionizing treatment for osteoarthritis — a common and often very painful condition where bones and cartilage break down. Dr. Uhrich joined ARPA-H in March 2023 from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, where he worked as a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and assistant professor of surgery. In addition to these roles, he spent 12 years with the U.S. Navy, finishing his tenure as a Lieutenant Commander. Throughout his career, Dr. Uhrich has cared for thousands of members of the U.S. Armed Forces at various healthcare facilities, including the USS Gerald R. Ford , Naval Health Clinic Quantico, and WRNMMC, and served as an oral and maxillofacial surgery consultant to Congress. He also treated patients at Charleston Area Medical Center, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and Suburban Hospital. Dr. Uhrich holds a doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Virginia, and completed his surgical residency at WRNMMC. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University.

Sanford Browne is President of Research & Innovation (R&I) at L’Oréal's North American Zone ( https://www.loreal.com/en/usa/news/group/loreal-appoints-sanford-browne-as-president-of-research-and-innovation/ ), where he also serves as a member of the L’Oréal USA’s Management Committee, as well as a member of the Global R&I Management Committee. Previous to this role Mr. Browne served as Senior Vice President of R&I for L’Oréal’s Asia-Pacific Zone, where he helped build a complete R&I division across the Zone, including the research Hubs of China and Japan, along with Seoul, Bangalore and Singapore, and in addition to R&I, being a great advocate for cultural diversity, Mr. Browne made a strong contribution to developing local researchers throughout L’Oréal’s Asia-Pacific zone. Mr. Browne joined L’Oréal in 2013 as Vice President of R&I in China, where he was the major architect of research and strategic partnerships that drove the innovation needed to meet the specific consumer expectations of the market, growing business across all divisions. Prior to joining L’Oréal, Mr. Browne served in various research and leadership roles at Unilever and P&G, and joined the personal care industry right out of University of Waterloo where he studied Biochemistry and Microbiology.

Dr. Thomas Metz, Ph.D. ( https://www.pnnl.gov/people/thomas-o-metz ) is Senior Scientist, Laboratory Fellow and Principal Investigator, in the Integrative Omics group, within the Biological Sciences Division, of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where his research focuses on development and applications of high throughput metabolomics and lipidomics methods, in conjunction with proteomics, to answer various biological questions. Currently, Dr. Metz is the director of the Pacific Northwest Advanced Compound Identification Core within the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Program, co-PI of the Proteomics Laboratory for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young consortium, Lead of the PNNL m/q Initiative, and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University. With a BS in Biology, Frostburg State University, a BS in Chemistry, San Jose State University, and a PhD in Chemistry, University of South Carolina, Dr. Metz's work has resulted in more than 180 publications to date. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. They are focused on advancing the frontiers of knowledge, taking on some of the world’s greatest science and technology challenges. Distinctive strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology, and data science are central to their scientific discovery mission and their research lays a foundation for innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses. PNNL collaborates with academia in fundamental research and with industry to transition technologies to market.

Jermonica Boardley is President and CEO of SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC ( https://sivadppe.com/ ), a minority-owned company dedicated to addressing the unique needs of underserved and unserved communities in the United States and globally, which most recently announced the launch of HarmGuard FX ( https://www.harmstopper.com/ ), a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic. Ms. Boardley is a graduate of Delaware State University, brings over 20 years of diverse corporate leadership experience to her role as President and CEO and her expertise spans Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Communications, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). Joseph Scrocco, is President & CEO, Diagnostic Solutions Group ( https://www.diagnosticsolutionsgroup.com/ ), the developer of HarmGuardFX, and their company has developed custom diagnostic solutions for over 25 years ranging from complex mass screening for blood banks to individual point-of-care testing with a focus on large-scale, global diagnostic needs, including antibody, molecular, and antigen tests in traditional and non-traditional settings. Their clients include Johnson & Johnson; Pfizer; Novo Nordisk; Abbott Labs; Ortho Clinical Diagnostics; the Red Cross; the governments of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Liberia, Jamaica, India, Mali; numerous Broadway companies; plus, hundreds of hospitals, urgent care centers, and long-term care facilities. Mr. Scrocco has a MS in Neurophysiology from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and an MA in Information Systems from New York University.

Dr. Pierre A. Fischer is a Technology Leader who serves as Product Line Lead - Data Storage Technologies at Roche ( https://www.roche.com/ ), where among his various responsibilities are leading their Open Source Database strategy, to increase productivity, reduce costs, and ultimately help the various teams Roche, improve drug discovery, development, clinical trial selection, helping to get the right drugs to the right patients faster, all in a highly sustainable manner. Dr. Fischer has a Ph.D. in Experimental Particle Physics, from Louis Pasteur University, France, and then spent time at CERN in their cooperant program, a civil service program of the French State Department, allowing Graduate Students to serve their country by working for various companies or research organizations. He also undertook post-doctoral work at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Dr. Fischer then spent over a decade in the software development business at KLA-Tencor, the semi-conductor giant, before moving to Roche in 2013 spending time in IT Architecture, Engineering & Operations Portfolio as well as Data Lifecycle Management and Elastic Compute.

Liz Scott is Co-Executive Director, of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer ( ALSF - https://www.alexslemonade.org/ ), an organization which emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of her daughter, Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, at the age of four, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for other children with cancer, herself already bravely fighting neuroblastoma, which she was diagnosed with at age one. Over her lifetime, Alex would raise over $1 million before she passed away in 2004 at the age of 8. Since then, Liz and her husband Jay have worked alongside thousands of supporters across the country to carry on Alex's legacy of hope. To date, ALSF has raised more than $250 Million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 1,000 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. Alex’s story has inspired lemonade stands in all 50 states across America and in more than 10 countries across the world, including places as far away as Japan, Brazil and Australia. The book "Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand", written by Alex’s parents about her journey, can be found on all major book sellers.

Dr. Khalid Salaita, Ph.D. ( https://www.salaitalab.com/salaita ) is a Professor of Chemistry at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), program faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, program member of Cancer Cell Biology at Winship Cancer Institute, and most recently is the recent winner Future Insight Prize given by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany ( https://www.emdgroup.com/en/research/open-innovation/futureinsightprize_streaming.html ) for his cutting edge work in the area of mechanobiology. Dr. Salaita earned his B.S. in Chemistry, from Old Dominion University, his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and then started his own lab at Emory University, investigating the interface between living systems and engineered nanoscale materials. To achieve this goal, his group has pioneered the development of tools like molecular force sensors, DNA mechano-technology, smart therapeutics, and nanoscale mechanical actuators to help manipulate living cells. In recognition of his work, Dr. Salaita has received a number of awards, most notably: the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar award, the National Science Foundation Early CAREER award, and the Kavli Fellowship. Dr. Salaita is currently a member of the Enabling Bioanalytical and Imaging Technologies (EBIT) study Section and an Associate Editor of Smart Materials. His program has been supported by NSF, NIH, and DARPA. The Future Insight Prize was set up Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to stimulate innovative solutions to solve some of humanities greatest problems and to realize the dreams for a better tomorrow in the areas of health, nutrition and energy.

Dr. Behnaam Aazhang, Ph.D. ( https://aaz.rice.edu/ ) is the J.S. Abercrombie Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director, Rice Neuroengineering Initiative ( NEI - https://neuroengineering.rice.edu/ ), Rice University, where he has broad research interests including signal and data processing, information theory, dynamical systems, and their applications to neuro-engineering, with focus areas in (i) understanding neuronal circuits connectivity and the impact of learning on connectivity, (ii) developing minimally invasive and non-invasive real-time closed-loop stimulation of neuronal systems to mitigate disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson, depression, obesity, and mild traumatic brain injury, (iii) developing a patient-specific multisite wireless monitoring and pacing system with temporal and spatial precision to restore the healthy function of a diseased heart, and (iv) developing algorithms to detect, predict, and prevent security breaches in cloud computing and storage systems. Dr. Aazhang received his B.S. (with highest honors), M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1981, 1983, and 1986, respectively. From 1981 to 1985, he was a Research Assistant in the Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois. In August 1985, he joined the faculty of Rice University. From 2006 till 2014, he held an Academy of Finland Distinguished Visiting Professorship appointment (FiDiPro) at the University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Dr. Aazhang is a Fellow of IEEE and AAAS, and a distinguished lecturer of IEEE Communication Society. Dr. Aazhang received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the University of Oulu, Finland (the highest honor that the university can bestow) in 2017 and IEEE ComSoc CTTC Outstanding Service Award “For innovative leadership that elevated the success of the Communication Theory Workshop” in 2016. He is a recipient of 2004 IEEE Communication Society’s Stephen O. Rice best paper award for a paper with A. Sendonaris and E. Erkip. In addition, Sendonaris, Erkip, and Aazhang received IEEE Communication Society’s 2013 Advances in Communication Award for the same paper. He has been listed in the Thomson-ISI Highly Cited Researchers and has been keynote and plenary speaker of several conferences.

Dr. Robert Floyd, Ph.D. is Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization ( CTBTO - https://www.ctbto.org/ ), the organization tasked with building up the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a multilateral treaty opened for signature in 1996 by which states agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. Prior to joining CTBTO, Dr. Floyd was the Director General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO), where he was responsible for Australia’s implementation of and compliance with various international treaties and conventions including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the Chemical Weapons Convention. During his time as Director General of ASNO, Dr. Floyd also chaired the advisory group to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on safeguards implementation (SAGSI), co-chaired the Preparatory Committee for the review of the amended CPPNM, co-chaired one of the working groups of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, was the lead official for Australia in the Nuclear Security Summit process, and chaired the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network. Prior to his appointment with ASNO, Dr. Floyd served for more than seven years in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet where he held a number of senior executive positions providing advice to the Prime Minister on policy issues covering counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, emergency management, and homeland and border security. Dr. Floyd was awarded a commemorative medal on the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence in recognition of the strong and enduring partnership between the CTBTO and Kazakhstan on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, peace, and security. Dr. Floyd also received the Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) award for 2021 in recognition of his outstanding leadership role as Director General of the ASNO. With a Ph.D. in population ecology, Dr. Floyd spent the first 20 years of his career as a research scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). As a long-time believer in the cause of gender equality and the empowerment of women, Dr. Floyd is an International Gender Champion (IGC) and joined the IGC network in 2021.

Dr. Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D., is President & Chief Science Officer of the Longevity Escape Velocity (LEV) Foundation ( https://www.levf.org/ ), an organization focused on proactively identifying and addressing the most challenging obstacles on the path to the widespread availability of genuinely effective treatments to prevent and reverse human age-related disease. Dr. de Grey is internationally recognized as a visionary biomedical gerontologist who devised the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence: a comprehensive set of methods to rejuvenate the human body, thereby preventing age-related ill health and mortality. He has co-founded multiple non-profit organizations – including Methuselah Foundation, SENS Research Foundation, and now LEV Foundation – to specifically enable and accelerate its development and clinical translation. Dr. de Grey received his BA in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and 2000, respectively. He is the author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging (1999), Ending Aging (2007), and a large number of academic papers. Dr. de Grey is a Fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Aging Association, and sits on the advisory boards of numerous scientific journals and research organizations. He is a prolific speaker who regularly presents at conferences and events world-wide.

Dr. Brad Ringeisen, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the Innovative Genomics Institute ( https://innovativegenomics.org/people/brad-ringeisen/ ), an organization founded by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna, on the University of California, Berkeley campus, whose mission is to bridge revolutionary gene editing tool development to affordable and accessible solutions in human health and climate. Dr. Ringeisen is a physical chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Wake Forest University, a pioneer in the field of live cell printing, and an experienced administrator of scientific research and product development. Before joining the IGI, Dr. Ringeisen was Director of the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA, where he managed a division working at the cutting edges of biology, physical sciences and engineering. Programs in his office included research in genome editing, epigenetics, neurotechnology, food security and biomanufacturing, as well as diagnostics and therapeutics development. Prior to DARPA, Dr. Ringeisen ran his own research group at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as the head of the Bioenergy and Biofabrication Section where he oversaw diverse research programs including the development and application of laser-assisted printing approaches to biology, development of organs-on-a-chip, microbial energy harvesting and extracellular electron transfer as well as microbial discovery and microbiome characterization. Dr. Ringeisen now uses his amazing expertise to guide IGI’s scientific and development strategy, but his duties also include promoting entrepreneurship, working with biotech investors and companies to ensure commercial translation of technologies, donor outreach and development, scientific project development and team building, communication with campus leadership, personnel management and mentoring, program management, and reporting and engagement with both Governance and Scientific Advisory Boards.

Dr. Angeli Möller, Ph.D, is Head of the Data and Integrations Generating Insights Group (DIGI) at Roche ( https://www.roche.com/ ), which is a fascinating group focused on bringing together data & technology from Roche diagnostics and pharma divisions to enable innovation for patients. Previously, Dr. Möller served as Head of Pharma Informatics International at Roche focused specifically on driving the employment of AI technologies to help get the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. Prior to joining Roche, Dr. Möller led the artificial intelligence workstream and was responsible for the research digital investment strategy at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Before Bayer, she worked as a data scientist for translational medicine at Thomson Reuters and researcher at Cancer Research UK and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine. As a proponent of pre-competitive collaboration, Dr. Möller co-founded the Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH), where she is Vice Chair and is also a member of the scientific advisory board of Multiomic Health. She also serves as a Member of The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which supports research in astronomy, physics and space science, and operates world-class research facilities for the UK. Dr. Möller has her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Molecular Biology from University of Aberdeen, her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology with an oncology focus, from The University of Edinburgh, and did post-doc work in the neuroproteomics of neurodegeneration at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine.

David Zuniga is Senior Director of In-Space Solutions at Axiom Space ( https://www.axiomspace.com/ ), a space infrastructure developer headquartered in Houston, Texas, which plans human spaceflight for government-funded and commercial astronauts, engaging in in-space research, in-space manufacturing, and space exploration. The company aims to own and operate the world's first commercial space station, and Mr. Zuniga helps to develop strategy and growth around Axiom’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) economy, also playing a critical role in business and technical integration of Axiom’s in-space manufacturing and research capabilities for Axiom Station architecture. Mr. Zuniga has over 20 years of experience through engineering and business development in human spaceflight and the department of defense, developing system architectures and technology for deep space systems via the Constellation, Orion, and Gateway programs. He was a Certified Principal Engineer for Orion’s Air Revitalization System, and subsystem manager for NASA’s Gateway program for the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) where he developed requirements and certification criteria for future architectures. Mr. Zuniga also has helped to evolve strategy around growth for LEO commercialization through the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) where he created a pipeline and managed a portfolio for aerospace technology development projects on the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISS NL). He has also served in numerous committees around human spaceflight safety and commercialization, has been an invited speaker to brief NASA HQ on strategy for the ISS NL, and was the recipient of the top prize at NASA’s Ignite the Night competition through NASA iTech when serving as the managing director for the Danish Aerospace Company’s North American Division. Mr. Zuniga earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and holds a graduate certification in Space Resources from Colorado School of Mines where he studied space policy, economics, and space resource utilization.

Dr. Brandon Berry, Ph.D. ( https://halo.dlmp.uw.edu/people/brandon-berry/ ) is a postdoctoral researcher in the Kaeberlein Laboratory at University of Washington where his research focuses on how aging and metabolism are linked. Dr. Berry is interested in how mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, contribute to and modulate functional decline that occurs during aging, and he is involved in using novel tools, like optogenetics, to precisely control mitochondria and metabolism with light. Through these types of experiments, he can more precisely determine if mitochondrial dysfunction is a cause or a consequence of metabolic aging and may reveal new ways to understand and impact health. Dr. Berry has BS in Biochemistry from SUNY Geneseo, and an MS and PhD in Physiology from University of Rochester.

Dr. David Carmouche, MD is Senior Vice President of Omnichannel Care at Walmart, where he leads the fleet of Walmart Health centers, Walmart Health Virtual Care, Walmart’s work to address Social Determinants of Health, and all new omnichannel healthcare offerings ( https://www.walmarthealth.com/ ). He joined Walmart in 2021, bringing a unique combination of provider, payer, and integrated delivery network experience - serving as a physician, an executive for an insurance company, and as a leader in a regional health system. Dr. Carmouche joined Walmart from Ochsner Health, the largest nonprofit academic healthcare system in the Gulf South, where he served as EVP, Value-based Care and Network Operations; President, Ochsner Health Network; and Executive Director, Ochsner Accountable Care Network. Prior to joining Ochsner Health, Dr. Carmouche was Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of External Operations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, where he introduced the company’s first value-based care contracts. As the first lipidologist in Louisiana and a Fellow of the National Lipid Association, he practiced preventative cardiology in Baton Rouge through 2012, where he built a large, multidisciplinary internal medicine and preventive cardiology practice as Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Baton Rouge Clinic. He also championed an Epic electronic medical record (EMR) single instance implementation across three entities. Dr. Carmouche attended Tulane University where he studied biology, and LSU Medical School in New Orleans. Board-certified in Internal Medicine, he completed his residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he later served as Chief Resident. He serves as President of the Board of the Consortium for Southeastern Healthcare Quality, and he serves on the advisory board at Stellar Health. He is a board observer and advisor for a New Orleans-based startup, Ready, and he serves nationally as a board member for the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations.

Dr. Michael Ott, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Development Officer of The Clorox Company ( https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/corporate-governance/executive-team/michael-ott/ ). In this role, which he assumed in June 2022, Dr. Ott leads global research and development, and is responsible for product development and innovation, from concept to commercialization, and oversees the company’s stewardship activities and technical capability areas. Dr. Ott has spent his entire professional career at Clorox, supporting nearly every part of the business. Prior to his current assignment, he was Vice President of Research and Development – Specialty, helping reset the business through the creation of innovation platforms such as Fresh Step Outstretch cat litter, Glad with Clorox trash bags and Hidden Valley Special Sauce. During this time, he also served as the company’s interim Chief Sustainability Officer, working with the businesses to achieve the company’s packaging and emissions goals. Previously, Dr. Ott was Vice President of Research and Development for the Cleaning, International and CloroxPro divisions. For more than a decade, he led initiatives resulting in significant expansion of the company’s Home Care and Professional businesses. Starting as a bench scientist in 1996, Dr. Ott moved to the Product Supply Organization’s Global Strategic Sourcing team before returning to research and development to help launch the company’s Open Innovation capability. Dr. Ott serves as chair and chief volunteer officer of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland, California, and coaches Pop Warner youth football in West Oakland. Dr. Ott holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Villanova University.

Dr. Elica Kyoseva, Ph.D. is the Quantum for Bio Program Director, at Wellcome Leap ( https://wellcomeleap.org/our-team/elicakyoseva/ ), a $40M +$10M program focused on identifying, developing, and demonstrating biology and healthcare applications that will benefit from the quantum computers expected to emerge in the next 3-5 years. Wellcome Leap was established with $300 million in initial funding from the Wellcome Trust, the UK charitable foundation, to accelerate discovery and innovation for the benefit of human health, focusing on build bold, unconventional programs and fund them at scale—specifically programs that target global human health challenges, with the goal of achieving breakthrough scientific and technological solutions. Dr. Kyoseva completed her Ph.D. in Quantum Optics and Information, at Sofia University in Bulgaria, and then moved to the Center for Quantum Technologies in Singapore as a postdoc. Three years later, she established her own research group in Quantum Engineering at the Singapore University of Tech & Design and subsequently spent a year at MIT (Cambridge, USA) as a Research Fellow in the Nuclear Science and Engineering Department doing research on quantum control and engineering. In 2016, Dr. Kyoseva was awarded a Marie Curie fellowship for research excellence by the European Commission with which she relocated to Tel Aviv, Israel and continued her research in robust control methods for Quantum Computing at Tel Aviv University. Since the beginning of 2020 she served as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Advisor at a venture capital firm and was instrumental for their investments in quantum computing startups. In September 2020, she took a senior role with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop applications of quantum algorithms to the drug discovery process working on the cutting edge of applied quantum computing technologies to improve the lives of both humans and animals. Additionally to her scientific career, Dr. Kyoseva is very passionate about ending gender inequality in the STEM fields and served as a STEM Ambassador to the UN Women Singapore Committee for 2 years. Currently, she is the Managing Director for Israel of the global non-profit organization Girls in Tech and on the Advisory Board of She Quantum and works towards encouraging more girls and women to pursue a career in Quantum Computing.

Dr. Leroy Hood, MD, Ph.D. ( https://isbscience.org/bio/leroy-hood/ ) is Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer and Professor, at the Institute of Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle, as well as CEO of Phenome Health ( https://phenomehealth.org/ ), a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering value through health innovation focused on his P4 model of health (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized and Participatory) where a patient’s unique individuality is acknowledged, respected, and leveraged for the benefit of everyone. Dr. Hood, who is a world-renowned scientist and recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2011, co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in 2000 and served as its first President from 2000-2017. In 2016, ISB affiliated with Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) and Dr. Hood became PSJH’s Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer. Dr. Hood is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. Of the more than 6,000 scientists worldwide who belong to one or more of these academies, Dr. Hood is one of only 20 people elected to all three. Dr. Hood received his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his PhD in biochemistry from Caltech. Dr. Hood was a faculty member at Caltech from 1967-1992, serving for 10 years as the Chair of Biology. During this period, he and his colleagues developed four sequencer and synthesizer instruments that paved the way for the Human Genome Project’s successful mapping and understanding of the human genome. He and his students also deciphered many of the complex mechanisms of antibody diversification. In 1992, Dr. Hood founded and chaired the Department of Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Washington, the first academic department devoted to cross-disciplinary biology. Dr. Hood has co-founded 17 biotech companies including Amgen, Applied Biosystems, Rosetta and Arivale. His many national and international awards include the Lasker Prize, the Kyoto Prize, and the National Medal of Science. Dr. Hood's new book "The Age of Scientific Wellness: Why the Future of Medicine Is Personalized, Predictive, Data-Rich, and in Your Hands" is available on all major book sellers.

EPISODE DISCLAIMER - At any time during this episode when anyone says Merck, in any context, it shall always be referring to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Dr. Emre Ozcan, Ph.D. is VP, Global Head of Digital Health, at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany ( https://www.emdgroup.com/en ), where he brings 15+ years experience in biopharma, med-tech and healthcare consulting with experience across strategy, research, marketing, and operations in several therapeutic areas. In his current role, he holds the accountability for the design and end-to-end delivery of digital health solutions to support Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany franchise strategies and shape the architecture of the offering "around the drug" including devices and diagnostics. Prior to joining Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Dr. Ozcan was a Junior Partner at Boston Consulting Group. He holds a BA degree from Yale University; and MPhil and PhD from Oxford University. Walid Mehanna is Group Data Officer And Senior Vice President, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, where he has responsibility for driving Data & Analytics strategy, implementation, architecture, governance, and culture across all its businesses. Previously, Mr. Mehanna served as Mercedes-Benz Car’s first Chief Data Officer and prior to joining Mercedes Benz, he spent over a decade at Horváth, serving as a Consultant, Senior Project Manager and later as Principal of Business Intelligence & Big Data. With more than twenty-five years of technology experience and twenty years in consulting and major corporations, he enjoys working at the intersection of business and technology in all domains.

Helmuth Martin Reisner, is Director, Defense Resolve Department, Ministry Of Defense, Republic Of Estonia ( https://www.kaitseministeerium.ee/en ), where he leads this department at the ministry focused specifically and dedicated to monitoring and improving the defense resolve of both reservists, as well as the general population. With a Master of Arts (Honors), in Politics, from University of Glasgow, as well as undergraduate studies in Political Science from Stockholm University and University of Copenhagen, Mr. Reisner has had a diverse range of experiences. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Reisner served as both Deputy Coordinator of Foreign and Security Policy at Estonian Permanent Representation to the EU, and Chief of Staff / Policy Adviser to the Minister of Entrepreneurship and IT, with a focus on digitization and cybersecurity policy. Prior to his current role at the Ministry Of Defense, Republic Of Estonia, Mr. Reisner served NATO and EU Defense Policy Consultant, European Defense Policy Adviser, International Communications Adviser, in addition to being a squad leader in military service. Mr. Reisner also serves as a content adviser for the Tallinn Digital Summit (an annual event hosted by the Estonian Prime Minister that gathers together leaders of like-minded and digitally-advanced countries, international organizations, and the private sector to address the most pressing issues on our road toward a connected digital future) focusing on data and AI, cybersecurity, emerging technologies and digital public goods.