Advisory Board

 

Amy Baker Mandragouras is a partner at Foley Hoag LLP.  For more than 30 years, she provides strategic counseling to life sciences companies in developing and implementing intellectual property strategies and building strong global patent portfolios to protect and facilitate commercialization of biopharmaceuticals. She has extensive IP due diligence experience and regularly advises on the patent and intellectual property aspects of biotechnology and pharmaceutical collaborations, acquisitions, licensing deals, financing transactions and securities offerings. Amy has experience in a wide range of life sciences subjects with a particular focus on biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and immunology. She earned her JD from Northeastern University School of Law and a B.S. in chemistry from Bates College.  Throughout her career, Amy has championed gender diversity in patent law through proactive hiring, training, and mentoring of women.

  

Isabella Cardona Barber is a Process Engineer II at Be Biopharma, a biotech pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to improve the lives of patients living with Hemophilia B and other serious conditions. She has been at Be Bio since graduating from her BS/MS in Chemical Engineering/Engineering Management from Northeastern University. She also serves as an advisor for Beyond Celiac Investments, a venture philanthropy fund that invests in promising treatments and research to accelerate the development of treatments and a cure for celiac disease. As a patient of celiac disease herself, she is deeply interested in supporting patient-centric drug development. Isabella is part of the Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred Program and will attend HBS for her MBA in 2026. She is looking forward to pairing her technical and management backgrounds with her patient perspective to make an impact in celiac and beyond. She plays an active role in helping other aspiring biotech leaders pursue their own dream careers, including her volunteer efforts with organizations like WEST and Nucleate.

  

Kelly Barrett, PhD is a Business Development Manager at Panome Bio, a contract research organization specializing in mass spectrometry–based metabolomics and proteomics integrated with advanced computational analysis. In her role, she partners with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic researchers to translate complex biological questions into actionable insights, helping teams connect molecular data to meaningful biological understanding. Kelly brings nearly two decades of experience supporting the life sciences community across industry sectors. Prior to joining Panome Bio, she served as Director of Discovery Business Development at Sai Life Sciences, collaborating with pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic partners to advance drug discovery programs. She previously spent over 14 years at MilliporeSigma, progressing from Technical Support Specialist to Field Application Scientist and ultimately to Biomarker and Immunoassay Sales Specialist. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her leadership, strategic thinking, and commitment to building meaningful, long-term partnerships, and was selected to serve on the company’s Research Advisory Board. Kelly earned her PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Illinois Chicago and holds a BS in Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A Chicago native who has called the Boston area home for nearly 20 years, she is deeply passionate about the scientific community, mentorship, and connection. She believes in creating spaces where women can grow, lead, and support one another, and is honored to contribute to WEST’s mission.

  

Elisabeth Boucher is Associate Director of Analytical Development at Tessera Therapeutics, a company pioneering genome engineering through its Gene Writing™ and delivery platforms. Since joining Tessera in July 2021, she has established the Analytical Operations function, which supports assay development, routine analytics, GMP readiness, characterization, and stability testing. Elisabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Simmons College in Boston and brings over 16 years of industry experience to her role. Her career began at MassBiologics, where she focused on antibody engineering and characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for infectious diseases, including Hepatitis C, Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Lyme Disease. She then moved to bluebird bio, working in late-stage lentiviral vector Process Development and Characterization. There, she supported the characterization of the LVV manufacturing process and developed and qualified supporting assays for the Beta thalassemia program. Before joining Tessera, Elisabeth worked at Sartorius Stedim Biotech, where she helped establish a GMP testing facility and led a team of qualified analysts supporting clients from assay characterization through validation and BLA submission. Elisabeth combines her scientific expertise with advocacy for women in STEM as a founding member and co-chair of Tessera's Women's Employee Resource Group (WIT), which creates an inclusive community supporting women within the company. Outside of work, Elisabeth enjoys fitness activities including Pilates, spin class, and strength training, as well as reading, traveling, and spending time with her two cats.

  

Gillian Browne is a business development leader at New England Biolabs, where she identifies, evaluates, and executes strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and collaborations that advance NEB’s growth and strategic priorities, with a focus on RNA platforms and adjacencies. Gillian began her career in science, earning her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology with a focus on transcriptional regulation and epigenetics, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in cancer research at two leading U.S. academic medical centers. She later transitioned into the life sciences industry, building a career at the intersection of science, commercial strategy, organizational leadership, and business operations. Her experience spans customer-facing scientific roles, market development, global commercial enablement, education and capability building, and executive operations across organizations of different sizes and stages. Prior to joining NEB, she served as Chief of Staff to the VP of Business and Commercial Excellence at MilliporeSigma, supporting strategy, operations, and communications for a global organization of approximately 450 employees. She also holds an Executive MBA with a focus on corporate strategy and leadership. Since 2017, she has been an active participant and leader in women’s leadership communities, and she brings that experience to her role on the WEST Advisory Board. She believes meaningful professional growth happens through learning from the diverse perspectives of those around us, and sees her involvement with WEST as a reflection of that: a place to learn and grow alongside others, and to help others do the same.

  

Daniela Cipolletta, PhD heads the Immunology team at Seismic Therapeutic, a clinical-stage biotech reshaping how immunology therapies are discovered through machine learning. With drug development experience across both large pharma and small biotech, she has a track record of advancing novel therapies into the clinic. With nearly 15 years leading programs in autoimmunity, inflammation, and immuno-oncology—from target discovery through clinical translation—she joined Seismic as its fifth employee and first immunologist, built the Immunology function from the ground up, and advanced two internal assets to IND-enabling studies and one to Phase 1. Daniela previously held biology and translational leadership roles at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, where she advanced A2AR inhibitor and TIGIT antagonist programs toward the clinic while establishing a targeted protein degradation (TPD)–based platform for target identification in autoimmunity and immuno-oncology. She also held previous research roles at Amgen and Tempero (a GSK company). She trained at Harvard Medical School and the European School of Molecular Medicine. Daniela is a strong advocate for women in science and inclusive workplaces; she mentors STEM students and early- and mid-career scientists and sees WEST as an ideal place to give back what other women in science have given her.



  

Tatiana Demidova-Rice is a Senior Director of Business Development at X-Chem, innovative small molecule discovery company. Previously, Tatiana worked as a Director of Business Development at Evotec, a global drug discovery and development company and as a Contracts and Collaborations Manager at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, Tatiana was building and managing relationships between academic investigators and industry partners as a Project Manager at Boston Children's Technology Development Fund and as a Business Development Manager at Harvard’s Office of Technology Development. Earlier in her career, Tatiana was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Tufts University and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School conducting research in the fields on wound healing, angiogenesis and oncology. Tatiana earned her PhD from Tufts University and her undergraduate degree in biology from Yaroslavl State University in Russia.

  

Bella Diehl is an associate attorney at Bay State IP LLC, a boutique intellectual property law firm in Boston. Prior to joining Bay State IP, she was an associate at Foley & Lardner LLP. Her practice focuses on patent prosecution and counseling across a range of technologies, including medical devices, financial services software, and emerging artificial intelligence systems. During law school, Bella interned with the Office of General Counsel at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she further gained experience in health care regulatory and compliance matters. In addition to her legal practice, she is committed to her volunteer work and is a co-founder of Room 4 Love, a nonprofit organization that provides bedroom makeovers for children who have been diagnosed with cancer. Bella received her B.S. in biomedical engineering from Bucknell University and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She is passionate about supporting and mentoring women pursuing careers at the intersection of technology and law and is excited to contribute to the mission of WEST.

  

Dr. Aditi Dubey is a Senior Scientist at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. She earned her PhD from Rutgers University in 2016 in Cell and Developmental Biology and undergraduate degree from Drexel University. In her current role, Dr. Dubey leads target discovery and validation efforts to grow Alnylam's pipeline of innovative therapies. She has over 15 years of experience in molecular and cell biology, developmental biology, and most recently, target validation in drug discovery. She has published widely and won numerous accolades, including the prestigious NIH National Research Service Award. She has also mentored aspiring scientists and contributed to several academic and industry collaborations. As an advisory board member of WEST, her goal is to promote mentorship and leadership for women in STEM to enable their success.




 

Ilana Gotlib is the Senior Director of Strategy and Business at Stryker, where she leads key initiatives including strategic planning, and business development activity. Her expertise spans strategic growth, multimillion-dollar partnership management, and complex stakeholder negotiations, gained through her previous roles at Philips Health Systems and Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Synthes division.  Ilana began her career as a litigation attorney specializing in medical malpractice and product liability cases, providing her with a unique perspective at the intersection of law and healthcare. She holds an MBA from Boston University, a JD from Temple University, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is passionate about mentorship, in particular working with startups, and works with entrepreneurs looking for funding or strategic partnerships. In her spare time, she is cooking, traveling, or planning her next family adventure.





Raquel Araujo Herrero is a global leader in business growth and strategy with extensive experience guiding organizations and international projects across technology, telecommunications, financial services, and healthcare. Her background combines strategic vision with the ability to drive business development and lead operational transformations in multicultural and highly competitive environments. Throughout her career, she has achieved milestones such as expanding operations into new markets, doubling revenue in complex environments, leading post-acquisition integrations, and repositioning organizations as strategic partners within their industries. These achievements reflect her ability to scale businesses sustainably, strengthen market positioning, and optimize profitability. Raquel is recognized for her talent in building high-performing teams and leading business transformation processes—from optimizing structures and operations to modernizing sales and operating models and developing leadership and executive talent. Her approach combines innovation, efficiency, and collaboration, delivering tangible results in global and dynamic contexts. Today, as the founder of Levare, Raquel helps startups, scaleups, and international companies design and implement growth and scalability strategies. Her purpose is to guide clients in defining the right path to sustainable growth, strengthening their market presence, and achieving long-term impact.




Etta Jacobs is the Founder and Principal of Power in the Middle, an executive coaching and training organization that specifically focuses on empowering mid-level managers and their teams. Prior to becoming an executive coach, Etta gained her corporate expertise as an award-winning design executive at two Fortune 500 companies, where she coached cohorts of managers and directed teams of creative professionals on innovative, multi-media projects. She shepherded her teams through continuous technological transitions and multiple corporate reorganizations—helping them thrive through increasingly aggressive deadlines, uncertainty, and industry-wide disruption. Etta draws upon this 20+ years of corporate experience when coaching. Her passion is helping her clients reach their highest potential—by guiding them to look at events through different lenses, question their assumptions, find creative and unexpected solutions to their career challenges, and to build a career that is aligned with their strengths, talents, and values. Etta holds a Master of Organizational Psychology and is a Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF). Etta earned her MA and her Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from William James College. She has a BFA from Syracuse University. Etta is a past President of the WEST Board of Directors.

 

Ashley Jefferson is the Director of Early Talent and Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging at Beam Therapeutics, where he leads the company’s strategy to build a strong, diverse, and future-ready workforce. With more than thirteen years of experience in human resources, Ashley oversees Beam’s intern, co-op, and fellowship programs and partners across the organization to cultivate an inclusive culture where people from all backgrounds can thrive. His work spans early career development, organizational culture, strategic partnerships, and programs that broaden access to careers in the life sciences. Before joining Beam, Ashley worked at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he managed early talent programs including the intern, co-op, MBA, fellowship, and extern programs and collaborated closely with diversity-focused organizations to expand Vertex’s engagement with underrepresented communities. Across his career, he has championed equitable access to scientific and corporate career pathways, serving as a connector between industry, academia, and community-based workforce initiatives. Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science from Boston College and is committed to mentoring emerging professionals and advancing initiatives that strengthen representation and belonging across the biotechnology ecosystem.



 




Nanguneri Nirmala is co-Founder and CEO of Vindhya Data Science since May 2021. Nirmala has had a career in the pharma industry at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research for over 20 years. She has held several leadership roles at Novartis in structural biology and computational biology, where she was involved in data analysis and data engineering projects. Nirmala holds a Master's degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India and a PhD in Chemistry from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. At West, she is very engaged in its mission to help advance the careers of women in STEM.

  

Yasha Peterson is a supply chain leader at Alkermes, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for central nervous system disorders. In her role, she leads end-to-end clinical supply chain operations across a global neuroscience portfolio. With more than 16 years of experience across global pharmaceutical and biotech environments, Yasha has built deep expertise in clinical supply operations, supplier governance, GMP/regulatory compliance, and supply chain resilience. Her career spans Roche, Parexel, Takeda, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, giving her a cross-functional perspective on how supply chain excellence drives patient access and program success. She holds an MS in Bioengineering, an Executive MBA, and professional certifications including CSCP and PMP. Yasha believes in sharing her experience to help women grow and thrive in science. She is a member of the Women-Inspired Network ERG at Alkermes and helps shape the company’s inclusion and belonging initiatives through a cross-functional steering committee. As a WEST Advisory Board Member and Ambassador, she is focused on building bridges between industry, professional communities, and emerging women leaders in STEM.

 

  

 

 

Brendan St. Amant is General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Seismic Therapeutic, aclinical-stage biotechnology company making a major shift in how immunology therapies are discovered and developed, enabled by machine learning. Prior to joining Seismic, Brendan was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Synlogic, Inc., a publicly-traded synthetic biology company. Previously, he was Vice President, Legal, and member of the leadership team at Ohana Biosciences and was senior counsel at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Brendan was a partner at the law firm of Donnelly, Conroy & Gelhaar, LLP, in Boston where he focused on complex commercial controversies and government enforcement. Earlier in his legal career, Brendan served as a clerk for the Hon. Alvin W. Thompson, Chief, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and was an associate at the law firm of Goodwin Procter. Brendan is co-chair of the MassBio General Counsel Roundtable, a member of the Board of Advisors of Life Science Cares, and has served on several practice-related bar committees and on the executive committee of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education corporation. He received his BA from Cornell University, JD from Harvard Law School, and his MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.




Naomi Vishnupad, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the life sciences. She currently is the founder of NV Life Sciences, an independent consulting business focused on program leadership and helping companies advance their therapeutic programs through the pipeline. Prior to starting NV Life Sciences, she was a co-founder and the CSO at Romeg Therapeutics, a specialty pharma company, where she was responsible for executing the company’s pipeline programs. At Romeg Therapeutics, she executed the vision for the company and managed key milestones for establishing a successful pharmaceutical startup. Naomi was also a former executive at Imaginative Research Associates, a private company focused on dermatology, where she successfully developed novel pharmaceutical and consumer products for the market. Prior to her entrepreneur business experience she worked extensively in pharma and biotech in multiple therapeutic areas focusing on research and other drug development activities. Naomi is the inventor on several patents resulting in over fifteen marketed products in dermatology and inflammation, and has a doctorate in immunology from Drexel University School of Medicine. She is passionate about mentoring and encouraging young people to pursue STEM careers. She is a member of the board of directors of the North Shore Technology Council. Naomi is a recreational distance runner and fitness enthusiast, who enjoys Pilates, cycling, and strength training.