Executive Director and Broker Lead for JLL’s Maryland Region

Peter Briskman is the Executive Director and Broker Lead for JLL’s Maryland Region. His primary focus is on Tenant Advisory Services working with Life Science Occupants locally and nationally on complex real estate and leasing strategies for Headquarter transactions, relocations, build-to-suits, renewals, expansions, and consolidations. His applied expertise includes strategic real estate planning, municipal incentive negotiations, lease structuring/transactions, portfolio management, and capital markets investment sales.

He is the recipient of GWCAR’s Commercial Leasing Broker of the Year and has been recognized with GWCAR Office Leasing Transactions of the Year for multiple clients.

Donna J Edmonds, Founder and CEO BRAINBox Solutions

Donna has 35+ years of healthcare experience, beginning as critical care nurse, and migrating to operations and senior management as a hospital administrator, GM of a large physician group practice and then recruited to industry, in clinical leadership positions. 

She spent 8+ years with Baxter in Senior/VP (group) executive positions in business development, sales and marketing of clinical products aimed at improving care and reducing health care costs. She has served in Senior Executive Management roles for 10 diagnostic companies in her career and was in key leadership roles in two company exits.

She is a recognized leader in Cardiovascular Diagnostics, changing clinical practice in this space, as part of the discovery, development and commercial launch of a series of the key diagnostic products in the field.

She was a governor appointed member of the Va BioTech Research Park Authority for 9 years and a member of the Intellectual Property Board of Directors for Virginia Commonwealth University for 8 yrs.

She is a founder of Virginia Life Sciences Investments, Inc. and led the Series A investment in ImmunArray LTD, the original home of the broad portfolio of biomarkers for Neurological Disease Diagnosis and Monitoring spun out in late 2018 to BRAINBox Solutions, where she is a founding member and CEO.

Managing Partner, Venable

Chuck Morton, repeatedly ranked as one of the top M&A lawyers in the country,  Managing Partner of the Baltimore Office of Venable, Maryland’s largest law firm. He has a national practice, solving complex problems faced by lenders, investors, and entrepreneurs as they create, build, and buy or sell businesses. He routinely advises on mergers and acquisitions and financings, including every flavor of equity investment. He regularly acts on behalf of private equity groups.  His practice focuses on life sciences and technology companies.

 Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer & Board Member, miRecule, Inc.

President and Chief Operating Officer, Shady Grove Hospital

John A. Sackett joined the Adventist HealthCare family as President of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in April, 2013.

Mr. Sackett began his career in health care at Boulder Memorial Hospital as an administrative assistant in 1982. John served as Vice President for General Services from March, 1984 until being named President of Avista Adventist Hospital, formerly Boulder Memorial Hospital, in June of 1989. In 1996 when Avista Adventist Hospital became a member of Centura Health, John was named Senior Vice President for Mission and Ministry, in addition to his responsibilities as Administrator for Avista Adventist Hospital. John currently serves Centura as the Chief Executive Officer for Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville, Colorado.

John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Walla Walla College in 1980 and continued his education at Loma Linda University where he received a Masters in Health Administration in 1982. John is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, serves on several community boards and legislative councils. John served as a City Council member for the City of Louisville from 1986 to 1991 and the Louisville Chamber Board from 1993 to 1996. John has also served as the Chairman of the Walla Walla School of Business Advisory Board. John was born in 1956, married in 1984 and he and his wife Sue have two children, Gregory and Rena.

John is a frequent speaker and writer on the role of Adventist health care in carrying out the healing ministry of Christ and feels this ministry occurs in each and every act performed by each and every person within the hospital.

Executive Chairman & Founder, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Joel S. Marcus is the Executive Chairman and Founder of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in urban innovation clusters. Mr. Marcus co-founded Alexandria in 1994 as a garage startup with $19 million in Series A capital and, as CEO from March 1997 to April 2018, has led its growth into an S&P 500 company with an approximately $18 billion total market capitalization and significant market presence in leading AAA locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle Park. In, 1996, Mr. Marcus founded Alexandria Venture Investments, the company’s venture arm, which provides strategic capital to transformative life science and technology companies.

 Senior Director of Alliance Management at Amgen, Yaminah Leggett-Wells

Yaminah Leggett-Wells serves as the Senior Director of Alliance Management at Amgen, overseeing global partnerships spanning all stages of drug development. With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, her expertise includes strategic leadership, clinical operations, business development, and project and alliance management.

Founder, President & CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

Rich Bendis is the Founder, President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a public-private nonprofit based in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland/DC/Virginia), focused on accelerating the biohealth industry nationally and internationally. A recognized leader in the global innovation economy, Rich was also the founding President and CEO of Innovation America, a national partnership driving the growth of innovation across the U.S. His career spans roles as a successful entrepreneur, corporate executive, venture capitalist, angel investor, investment banker, and an expert in technology-based economic development.

Rich has served on numerous prestigious boards and advisory groups, including the White House U.S. Innovation Partnership Advisory Task Force, the National Association of State Venture Funds, and the Small Business Innovation Research Committee. He was also a founding Chairman of The Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and the Founder and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia. Internationally, he has provided global consulting services to over 16 countries and 22 states, several cities and regions, along with international organizations including the United Nations, NATO, UK Trade and Industry, European Commission, French Embassy, the German Marshall Fund, The Canadian Consulate, METI, AKEA, the International Science Parks and Innovation Expert Group and other global entities.

Previously, Mr. Bendis successfully leveraged a career in the private sector (with Quaker Oats, Polaroid, Texas Instruments, Marion Laboratories and Kimberly Services) and the venture capital industry (RAB Ventures). Mr. Bendis also successfully built an Inc. 500 healthcare software company, Continental Healthcare Systems, Inc., which he took public on NASDAQ and later sold to an international conglomerate. In addition, Mr. Bendis continues to be an active investor.

In Maryland, Rich sits on Governor Moore's Life Science Advisory Board and is Co-Chair of the AURP BioHealth Caucus. Known for his contributions to the innovation sector, he has been recognized as a Top 5 Speaker on innovation, one of Maryland’s most influential leaders, and the host of the BioTalk podcast. He was voted one of the Top 5 Speakers on innovation and creativity, voted 4th best Innovation Blogger, a most influential Marylander award and a Maryland innovator of the year award.

 Chief Executive Officer of Blackbird Laboratories, Matt Tremblay, PhD (PENDING)

Matt Tremblay, PhD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Blackbird Laboratories, a nonprofit technology development platform, and Managing Director of Blackbird BioVentures, an early stage biotech investment fund. Blackbird and Blackbird BioVentures aim to catalyze the creation of new medicines and enabling technologies in Baltimore.

Prior to joining Blackbird, Tremblay was Chief Operating Officer of Scripps Research and its drug discovery division, Calibr. He earned his PhD in Chemistry at Columbia University. Following postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Peter Schultz, PhD, at Scripps Research, he led a group at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation until helping to launch and run Calibr for 10 years

Sr. Director of Business Development, Business Innovation Group (BIG), Canon U.S.A. Inc.

Ronald C. Kurz is the Senior Director / GM at Canon Virginia, Inc. (CVI), the Canon manufacturing, engineering, recycling and technical support center for the Americas located in Newport News, Virginia.  Serving in a dual role, Ron is responsible for CVI’s Medical business including Sales, P&L, and Strategy. In addition, Ron is also responsible for the Business Development Division, including the development of strategic partnerships that leverage Canon Technology and Manufacturing Know-how. Prior to this position, he led the R&D division in the design and development of medical products for Canon BioMedical, Inc., which was a newly created Canon company.  Ron has worked for Canon Virginia for more than 23 years.

Prior to joining Canon, Ron served as a Mechanical Design Engineer for nVIEW Corp, responsible for video projector design and as a Product Design Engineer for GE Aircraft controls, responsible for mechanical design and thermal / vibration analysis of Flight and Engine controls.

Ron holds multiple patents and has previously served on the Old Dominion University’s College of Engineering and Technology Advisory Board. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Binghamton University.

 Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer of Children's National Hospital, Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., M.P.H

Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., M.P.H., is executive vice president, chief academic officer of Children's National Hospital and director of the Children's National Research Institute. He also serves as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and associate dean of Pediatric Academic Affairs at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is also a member of the Center for Translational Research, and he holds the Fight for Children Professorship in the Department of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Kuppermann is a pediatric emergency medicine physician, clinical epidemiologist and leader in emergency medical services for children. With more than 325 peer-reviewed research publications, Dr. Kuppermann has contributed significantly with publications in high-impact journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, BMJ and The Lancet. He has extensive experience in conducting multicenter studies.

In his leadership roles, Dr. Kuppermann oversees research, education and innovation for the Children’s National Research Institute, as well as academic and administrative leadership in the Department of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Before coming to Children’s National in 2024, he worked for 29 years at UC Davis Health and UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA., including almost 19 years as the Bo Tomas Brofeldt endowed chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. He was also a distinguished professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics and the associate dean for Global Health at UC Davis Health.

Dr. Kuppermann received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, his medical degree from UC San Francisco School of Medicine and his Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed a pediatrics residency and chief residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital.

Dr. Kuppermann has focused his career on clinical trials and clinical prediction rules using large cohorts of acutely ill and injured children. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his research and mentorship. He was a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in the U.K. and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2010. In 2022, he received the Maureen Andrew Mentor Award from the Society for Pediatric Research.

Principal - Deloitte Consulting, LLP

Juergen Klenk, Ph.D. is a Principal in Deloitte’s Federal Health Sector. He has a deep technical expertise combined with strong business acumen and a track record of over 20 years of experience in leadership, strategic planning, business development, consulting, project management, science and technology, analytics, and research. Dr. Klenk is highly experienced entrepreneur and thought leader who has demonstrated the ability to start up, grow, and successfully establish innovative businesses in Health Analytics. He has successfully led teams across a wide variety of health and science focused organizations including government health care organizations (e.g., HHS, NIH, FDA, CDC, CMS, and VA), academic medical centers, commercial health care providers, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and nonprofit organizations. He served as CEO and CTO of a bioinformatics startup company that pioneered AI technology for image and text analytics of biomedical data. For the past 15 years, his work has beeb focused on topics including precision medicine, health data strategy at the intersection of ML/AI, Cloud, and Cyber, clinical trials optimization, health outcomes research, and scientific research and innovation.

Dr. Klenk has authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals, holds multiple patents, and has been invited to present at multiple international conferences. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen (Germany), and a masters degree in mathematics and Physics from Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen (Germany), as well as a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

VP, Portfolio Management, Emergent BioSolutions

Jason brings nearly 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry leading clinical research and commercial teams developing and delivering program strategies across all phases of clinical development and marketed products.

His extensive infectious disease experience includes seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19. Given the public health focus of vaccines and infectious diseases, he has engaged effectively with stakeholders across government agencies, public health policy bodies, market access, and advocacy organizations.

Currently, Jason is VP, Strategy Operations at Emergent BioSolutions and is responsible for corporate business planning and reporting, enterprise governance, alliance management, and other efforts related to strategy execution. Prior to joining Emergent, Jason was Managing Director, Vaccine Policy at Avalere and collaborated with several vaccine manufacturers on key public health policies to expand vaccine access. Jason has also served as the Global Commercial Head, Vaccines and Infection at AstraZeneca. His responsibilities included building global commercial strategies and tactical plans that combine marketing, medical affairs, market access and pricing, public policy, and real-world evidence generation.

Jason’s broad experience also includes ECG Management Consultants where he was a consultant specializing in government and industry-funded R&D program administration within Academic Medical Centers and Schools of Medicine.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Augustana College and a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University. He lives in Washington, DC with this wife, Holly, and daughter, Jane, and their two golden retrievers.

CEO Emmes & PE Board Advisor

Peter is an accomplished drug developer and innovative senior pharmaceutical executive who is currently the CEO of Emmes as well as advising boards, private equity investors, and leaders across the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.  He has extensive global experience across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, vaccines, anti-infectives, cardiovascular and retinal gene therapy - from First in Human to Medical Affairs.

In his current role as CEO of Emmes, he is responsible for setting both the strategic direction and the day-to-day operations of the full service CRO operating in 30+ countries and across multiple disease areas including ophthalmology, vaccines, rare disease, cell & gene therapy, and neuroscience.  Emmes is collaborating with more than 210 sponsors, within the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, government, including over a dozen institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), academic organizations, and non‐profit foundations.

Until January 2023, Peter was the Head of Global Development at Janssen R&D where he was responsible for leading the Global Development organization (including statistics, clinical pharmacology, clinical operations, data operations, project and portfolio management, etc.) in support of delivering a broad ranging portfolio of 450+ studies across all therapeutic areas and all phases from PhI -IV. In this role he managed a 10,000+ globally distributed organization and a $2bn+ operating budget to support the design of innovative drug development programs and the implementation of innovative approaches to trial design and execution including trial virtualization, digital health, patient-centered research, and diversity in clinical trials.

Prior to joining Janssen in 2017, Peter was the Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Operations at Bristol Myers-Squibb where he had spent 14 years holding positions of increasing leadership scope in Medical Affairs, Regulatory Operations and R&D Operations.  He also served on the TransCelerate Biopharmaceutical Board of Directors.  Prior to joining BMS, Peter was a consultant with Accenture, focusing on post-merger integration of R&D organizations.  He is a graduate of Nottingham University in the UK and lives in Chester, NJ.

 Director – External R&D, Scientific Collaborations at GSK

Dr. Steven Roberts joined GSK Vaccines in May 2021, where he is responsible for initiating collaborations with U.S. research institutions to advance the development of new vaccines and platform technologies. In this role, he works across industry, academia, and federal research groups to identify cutting edge opportunities. Prior to joining GSK, Dr. Roberts was as a Venture Analyst Associate at Biohealth Innovation, where he led initiatives to strengthen and grow research within the Biohealth Capital Region.

 Head, JLABS @ Washington, DC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS

Rachel is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing all operational activities for JLABS @ Washington, DC. Her responsibilities include P&L management, external engagement, innovation sourcing, portfolio management, and operational excellence in collaboration with the team responsible for the site and the region. In addition to managing the business of JLABS, Rachel is responsible for the process of evaluating, selecting and accelerating a strong portfolio of innovators connected to JLABS @ Washington, DC, which supports companies across the broader region.

Prior to this role, Rachel served as the inaugural Director of the BARDA Alliance for Johnson & Johnson Innovation. As BARDA Alliance Director, she was responsible for managing BLUE KNIGHT™, a joint initiative between JLABS and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which aims to stimulate the innovation and incubation of science and technologies. Rachel led the strategic direction, alliance management, and oversight of all operational activities related to BLUE KNIGHT™, including managing the sourcing and selection of high potential companies for JLABS locations and developing global programming including the annual BLUE KNIGHT™ Symposium.

Before joining JLABS, Rachel was the Chief of Staff for the National Evaluation System for health Technology Coordinating Center (NESTcc)—an initiative of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC)—that was established with funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was recognized in September 2019 as one of the first collaborative communities with participation by the FDA. Prior to joining NESTcc, Rachel worked at PCORI, helping to launch the Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet), a national effort to engage patients and leverage electronic health data to improve the speed and efficiency of clinical research in the United States.

Rachel received her MBA from Georgetown University and MPH in global health policy from The George Washington University.

Executive Director of Life Sciences at J.P. Morgan

Brett Shealy is the Executive Director of Life Sciences at J.P. Morgan. He has extensive experience in corporate banking within the life sciences and healthcare sectors, having held various leadership roles at both J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo. At J.P. Morgan, Brett previously served as Executive Director and Relationship Executive in the Life Sciences & Healthcare division. Before that, he worked in corporate banking for Wells Fargo's Life Sciences division. Brett holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Strategic Management from Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business.

Vice President of Government Solutions at Kelly Services

Sarah Porter is the Vice President of Government Solutions at Kelly Services, leading sales and operations for Kelly Government Solutions (KGS). KGS is part of Kelly’s Science, Engineering, Technology, and Telecom division, specializing in outsourced solutions for the federal government in Science & Clinical, Healthcare, Technology, and Professional services. Sarah holds an MBA and is a certified Project Manager. With nearly 20 years of government industry experience, including her former role as a Program Manager at the National Institutes of Health, Sarah has a deep understanding of the complexities of the sector.

Group Vice President, Healthcare Banking, M&T Bank

Mr. Callaghan manages M&T’s Healthcare Banking Group, providing sales advisory, credit oversight and industry training to the team. Christopher joined M&T Bank in 1994. He has held several positions in the Corporate Banking and Institutional Investment Management Divisions at M&T, including 15 years in the Healthcare Banking Group. M&T’s Healthcare Banking Group is a Specialized Industry Group that provides Commercial Lending, Investment Banking, Treasury Management and other Financial Services to Health Systems, Hospitals, Skill Nursing Facilities and Senior Living Communities. Christopher received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont and a Master’s of Science in Finance from The Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Evergreen Healthcare Cooperative, the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and is active in several healthcare industry groups.

CEO, Phlow Corporation - Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor

Dr. Eric S. Edwards is currently the co-founder and CEO of Phlow Corporation, a leading impact-driven pharmaceutical company focused on securing the supply chain for critical essential medicines and their ingredients in America. Previously, Dr. Edwards was an independent executive healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device consultant to small and large multi-national corporations. Prior to consulting, Dr. Edwards was the co-founder of Kaléo, Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Richmond, VA developing novel medicines for the treatment of a variety or chronic and acute-care diseases. He is co-inventor of several currently marketed products, including AUVI-Q, an epinephrine Auto-injector for the treatment of allergic emergencies (anaphylaxis) as well as the Naloxone Auto-injector (Rapid Opioid Countermeasure System) currently being deployed by the DoD in case of an opioid-related attack on the homeland or abroad as a part of the warfighter’s medical arsenal.

Dr. Edwards has over 240 patents and has authored numerous publications in the allergy and opioid use disorder arena as well as on America’s essential medicine supply chain. Dr. Edwards has been active on several committees and boards, including being appointed by the Governor to the Board of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park Authority/ Activation Capital and serving as a mentor and Board member for Lighthouse Labs, a nationally-recognized, Top 25 Accelerator. He is also on the founding Board of the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI) working with world-class researchers to find a cure and develop treatments for food allergies. Dr. Edwards graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University’s guaranteed admission program. While at VCU/MCV, he received a B.S. in Biology, his Ph.D. in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, and M.D. degrees.

Founder, Pillar One Consulting / BHI EIR

Jarrod Borkat is a 15-year veteran in the biopharmaceutical industry. He joined MedImmune in 2010, and served as Senior Director/Head, Global External Partnerships & Collaborations. In this role he was responsible for establishing and overseeing global strategic collaborations with universities, non-profit organizations and government entities, across all the therapeutic areas relevant to MedImmune. His team led the creation of several multi-million dollar collaborations, including one with Johns Hopkins University and one with University of Maryland. Prior to this role, Jarrod led the Portfolio Strategy & Management function for MedImmune, helping the organization optimize its R&D portfolio. Before joining MedImmune, Jarrod worked at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for 11 years, rising through the ranks in the sales and commercial organization. During his time at BI, he spent two years in Germany, working at their corporate headquarters, leading the global commercial strategy for their CNS franchise. His last position prior to leaving BI was Director of U.S. Marketing, HIV. Jarrod has won multiple awards throughout his career, including being recognized as an industry “Top 25 Direct-to-Consumer Marketer of the Year” in 2007. He is also active in several industry organizations and has served on industry-related panels. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jarrod serves on the Kentlands Board of Trustees and the Kentlands Community Foundation Board. He also ran a marathon on all 7 continents with his father, making them the first father/son duo to have accomplished this challenging endeavor. Jarrod earned an M.B.A. from Kennesaw State University, with concentrations in finance and marketing, and earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Georgia.

 Chancellor - University System of Maryland

Jay A. Perman, MD, became the fifth chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) in January 2020. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Perman, a pediatric gastroenterologist, served as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) for nearly a decade. As UMB president, Dr. Perman strengthened that institution’s ties to the city of Baltimore, growing innovation-based economic development activities and spearheading programs to improve the health and well-being of UMB’s closest neighbors.

Dr. Perman’s UMB presidency was marked by excellence in education and research. Each of UMB’s professional schools—medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and social work—has been singled out for recognition in national and international publications, most notably in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools, U.S. News & World Report’s Global University Rankings, and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

As chancellor, Dr. Perman has committed to advancing higher education affordability for all students in Maryland. He also plans to build on USM’s reputation for educational innovation, particularly in research, economic development, and community engagement.

Dr. Perman received his Doctor of Medicine degree with Distinction in 1972 from Northwestern University. After his residency in pediatrics at Northwestern University Children’s Memorial Hospital, he completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School and at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston in 1977.

Senior Vice President, Global External Affairs - Secretary, USP Convention - Secretary, USP Board of Trustees

Anthony Lakavage is Senior Vice President, Global External Affairs and Secretary, USP Convention and Board of Trustees. In his role, Mr. Lakavage oversees Global Communications, U.S. and International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Global Stakeholder Engagement and the USP Quality Institute. He is the lead architect of the organization’s external engagement strategy and represents USP in a variety of forums involving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Congress, international regulatory authorities and ministries of health, professional and trade organizations, non-governmental organizations and the news media.Anthony Lakavage is Senior Vice President, Global External Affairs and Secretary, USP Convention and Board of Trustees. In his role, Mr. Lakavage oversees Global Communications, U.S. and International Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Global Stakeholder Engagement and the USP Quality Institute. He is the lead architect of the organization’s external engagement strategy and represents USP in a variety of forums involving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Congress, international regulatory authorities and ministries of health, professional and trade organizations, non-governmental organizations and the news media.

As secretary to the USP Convention, Mr. Lakavage works closely with the 450 member organizations comprising the USP Convention, which includes healthcare practitioner and patient organizations, industry associations, and governments. As Secretary to the Board, he supports the Board’s work on organization strategy, and financial and risk management. He is an officer of the USP Convention.As secretary to the USP Convention, Mr. Lakavage works closely with the 450 member organizations comprising the USP Convention, which includes healthcare practitioner and patient organizations, industry associations, and governments. As Secretary to the Board, he supports the Board’s work on organization strategy, and financial and risk management. He is an officer of the USP Convention.

Mr. Lakavage has worked in numerous segments of the life sciences industry including the pharmaceutical, vaccine, medical technology, and clinical laboratory sectors. His experience is geographically diverse and spans the U.S. federal and state level, Europe, global institutions and emerging markets.Mr. Lakavage has worked in numerous segments of the life sciences industry including the pharmaceutical, vaccine, medical technology, and clinical laboratory sectors. His experience is geographically diverse and spans the U.S. federal and state level, Europe, global institutions and emerging markets.

Mr. Lakavage brings more than twenty years of demonstrated leadership in public affairs; public policy and government relations; and global health advocacy to his role at USP. A biopharmaceutical industry veteran, Mr. Lakavage has held a variety of US and international public policy and government affairs leadership roles for GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences, Chiron Corporation and Applied Biosystems. Prior to joining USP, Mr. Lakavage worked in the medical technology sector serving as Worldwide Vice President, Public Affairs, at Becton Dickinson. Earlier in his career, he worked for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and Missouri Congressman Alan Wheat.Mr. Lakavage brings more than twenty years of demonstrated leadership in public affairs; public policy and government relations; and global health advocacy to his role at USP. A biopharmaceutical industry veteran, Mr. Lakavage has held a variety of US and international public policy and government affairs leadership roles for GlaxoSmithKline, Gilead Sciences, Chiron Corporation and Applied Biosystems. Prior to joining USP, Mr. Lakavage worked in the medical technology sector serving as Worldwide Vice President, Public Affairs, at Becton Dickinson. Earlier in his career, he worked for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and Missouri Congressman Alan Wheat.

Mr. Lakavage earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, in International Politics from Saint Joseph's University, and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the Temple University School of Law–where he served on the Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review staff. He is admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.Mr. Lakavage earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, in International Politics from Saint Joseph's University, and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the Temple University School of Law–where he served on the Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review staff. He is admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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Vice President for Health Sciences & Technology, Virginia Tech

Vice President of Clinical Development and Regulatory Processes at Lung Biotechnology PBC and Lung Bioengineering Inc (subsidiaries of United Therapeutics Corporation)

Aimee Smart is an accomplished senior executive with more than 20 years of success in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, Aimee enjoys leading deeply challenging projects where there is no clear path forward. She understands how to work with many people across various functions, operate under high pressure, and meet critical timelines to deliver results. And because everything she does in regulatory strategy, designing, and running clinical development programs is years in the making, her complex problem-solving ability includes considering the world of today while anticipating what might happen in the future.

In her current role of Vice President of Clinical Development and Regulatory Processes at LungBiotechnology PBC and Lung Bioengineering Inc (subsidiaries of United TherapeuticsCorporation), Aimee reports directly to the parent company CEO, driving clinical drug development and leading a multifunctional organization and a geographically dispersed team of ver 60 professionals, covering all aspects of development including; regulatory affairs, quality assurance, clinical development, product development, clinical supply, clinical operations, biostatistics and data management, and project management.

Aimee is part of the executive leadership team of United Therapeutics Corporation, representing her companies needs at the corporate level. She was responsible for Lung Biotechnology’sreorganization and setting its new strategic goals. And after leading the successful turnaround of the underperforming subsidiary to a respected, productive company, Aimee’s CEO asked he rto do it a second time and lead the Lung Bioengineering subsidiary.

During her more than 14-year tenure at Lung Biotechnology PBC, Aimee has served in increasingly senior clinical development, regulatory affairs and quality roles, including as Associate Vice President and Head of Office and Director, Global Regulatory Affairs. Her experience also includes regulatory affairs posts at VIRxSYS Corporation, Human GenomeSciences, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, and Cato Research.

As much as she enjoys solving complex problems and driving results, Aimee is most passionate about ensuring that what she is doing is connected back to a meaningful mission that directly impacts people’s lives in a positive way.

Aimee earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from North Carolina State University, where she was later honored with its Outstanding Young Alumni award. She completed her executive MBA from the University of Maryland in 2022 and was named one of the Best and brightest EMBA students by Poets & Quants magazine. In addition, Aimee holds certifications in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance from American University and in Regulatory Affairs for the U.S. and Europe from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society.

She maintains professional memberships in the Drug Information Association, RegulatoryAffairs Professional Society, Women in Bio, and International Coach Federation. She also serves as a Member for the NCSU College of Sciences Foundations Board.