Joan Abrams, PhD, is currently in her seventh year as a Biotechnology Instructor at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Equipped with a state-of-the-art lab, she trains students in safe lab practices, skills development, workforce training, internships and research opportunities. Previously, Joan worked in protein formulation and stability within the Protein Sciences group at Genetics Institute (now Pfizer) and left to pursue doctoral studies in Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Tufts University. After completing her PhD, she worked in the Protein Sciences at Millennium Pharmaceuticals (now Takeda) before transitioning to teaching. .

Fern Barkalow, PhD, is Senior Oncology Analyst for Citeline, a provider of comprehensive and customized clinical trials information to pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations and consultancies. Previously, she led an interdisciplinary team of scientists, programmers and marketing professionals in the development of a database of molecular interactions important in disease pathogenesis while at the Proteome division of Incyte and managed the publication of clinical trial results at Millennium. She has also worked as a staff scientist at TEI Biosciences, a tissue engineering firm, as the cell biologist on a team developing a collagen based vascular graft, lined with stem cells obtained from patients.  Fern previously did research in the areas of cell adhesion, vascular biology and inflammation. She received a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and did postdoctoral work at Princeton University and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Mrudula Donepudi, PhD, is a Publications Manager in the Medical Affairs Department at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. She is supporting the preparations for the planned launch of telaprevir, a first-in-class direct-acting antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Dr. Donepudi started her career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry as a Medical Communications Scientist in the Clinical Research Department at Acusphere, Inc. following postdoctoral training in the fields of Src kinase and epidermal growth factor receptor trafficking and signaling. She received her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Zurich, Switzlerand.

Sarah Gates, JD, is a Partner at Lando & Anastasi, LLP, where she works with clients to identify, protect and leverage their intellectual property rights, obtain patent protection and build their patent portfolios. Sarah has extensive experience across a broad range of electrical and materials engineering technologies and works with clients in a wide variety of, industries, including telecommunications, optics, software development, solar cell systems, microwave and RF devices, systems and antennas, nuclear magnetic resonance devices, and semiconductor materials, devices and manufacturing. Prior to coming to L&A, Sarah worked as a technology specialist at Wolf Greenfield, LLP, and worked as an engineer for a fire and security company in South Africa.  She received her JD from Suffolk University Law School, graduating magna cum laude, with a focus on Intellectual Property Law and Civil Litigation. She received a Masters degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Michelle Greaney is the Director of Business Development & Marketing for Vanderweil P&IDC, LLC. She is responsible for generating new opportunities in key market sectors, including life sciences, manufacturing, utility, infrastructure, commercial and institutional segments.  Michelle has served at mid to senior levels in a variety of companies in her career of over 20 years, where she has gained a wide range of knowledge and skills from legal to real estate property management to architectural/engineering/construction (A/E/C) environments.  Michelle is also very active in a number of professional societies including ISPE, IFMA Boston's R&D Group, WEST and serves on the Board of Directors for AFE.

Andrea Gwosdow, PhD, is President at Gwosdow Associates, a science and medical communications company that provides medical and science writing, works with schools on science education, interprets science for non-scientists and provides professional development. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Scientist in the Endocrine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Dr. Gwosdow has expertise in animal, cellular and molecular biology; and data collection and analysis of laboratory samples. She has developed and managed an award-winning business/school partnership, and has published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Physiology, Advances in Physiology Education, Science Scope, and Endocrinology. Her previous appointments include Research Scientist, Shriners Burns Institute; Visiting Assistant Fellow, John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory and Yale University; Director of the MGH/Timilty Middle School Partnership; and Instructor at MGH's Institute of Health Professions. She received MS and PhD degrees in Physiology and Endocrinology from University of Florida, and a BS in Biology from Antioch College.

Christine Jost, PhD, is Associate Director of the Technology Ventures Office at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where her main focus is licensing new technologies to biotech companies, formation of start-up companies and identifying sources of gap funding for early stage research. She previously worked as a technology transfer associate at the Massachusetts Biomedical Research Institute, and helped to develop and run an intellectual property and licensing office at Tufts University School of Medicine. She also has worked in the research division at Creative Biomolecules, Inc., in Hopkinton, MA.  Christine received her doctoral degree at Harvard Medical School in the program of microbiology and molecular genetics.

Sara Latanision, PhD, is an Account Manager for EMD Millipore. She is responsible for technical sales into academic, pharmaceutical, and biotech laboratories that span a broad range of innovative and cutting edge life science research products. Product portfolios include cell biology, stem cell biology, protein research, epigenetics, biomarkers, genomics, immunoassays & multiplexing, metabolic disease & metabolism, neuroscience, and cell signaling. This position includes developing strategies to grow market share of EMD Millipore products and introducing new products and technologies to the life science industry. Sara previously worked in sales and technical support roles at Eppendorf and Bio-Rad Laboratories. She also served as Research Assistants at Biogen and MIT. Sara received her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from Boston University and her BS in Biology from Lehigh University.

Irena Melnikova, PhD, is a Director of Scouting and Partnering with Prospective and Strategic Initiatives Department at sanofi-aventis. Prior to joining sanofi, Irena was a Principal in the Life Science team of TVM Capital, a global venture capital firm. At TVM, she was involved in deal origination and new investment opportunity evaluation and actively participated in the management of TVM Capital investments in the United States. Prior to TVM Capital, she launched and produced “Future in Focus,” a series of syndicated reports for Leerink Swann and was a member of the biopharma investment banking team where she supported due diligence and opportunity assessment activities that resulted in public and private financings, as well as M&A transactions. Irena has also worked as a Research Manager at Life Science Insights, a subsidiary of IDC , and as a project leader at TransForm Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), where she was responsible for running several programs, including Engineered Tissue Constructs, funded by DARPA, and Amyloidoses. She holds a PhD in Molecular Medicine/Molecular Biology from the University of Texas and an MS with Honors in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Sciences from Russian University of Chemical Technology. Irena has published over 20 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and is a regular contributor to the “Analyst Couch” section of Nature Reviews in Drug Discovery magazine. She is a co-inventor on a filed patent for methods for identifying conditions affecting a cell state.

Aline Nadeau  is Associate Director, Validation at Genzyme

Patti Seymour, MBA, CSCP, is Senior Consultant at BioProcess Technology Consultants, Inc.  She has over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. Her expertise spans the development and commercialization spectrum, including biologics and small molecule development and manufacturing, supply chain strategy and management and operations leadership. She was formerly Sr. Director, Global Investigational Supply Operations at Millennium. She previously held positions at Covance, Collaborative BioAlliance, ImmunoGen, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Sloan Kettering. Patti received her B.S. from Villanova University and her M.B.A. from Boston University and is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (APICS).

Mary-Kay Swan is Vice President of Operations at RR Auction, an on-line autograph auction house.  She has over 30 years experience in semiconductor science and engineering and more recently with on-line Market Research.  As Director of Operations and Technology Services with Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials she was responsible for a range of lithographic support services including FAB Operations, Metrology, Analytical Services, Applications Engineering and Test Development.  More recently as Vice President of Client Services with Global Market Insite she developed processes and out-source service alternatives to support global client needs for one of the pioneers in on-line MR.  She received a BS degree in Imaging Science from R.I.T.

Amy Williams, PhD, is an Oncology Medical Science Liaison (MSL) for Novartis Pharmaceuticals.  MSLs facilitate clinical and pre-clinical research collaborations between the company and external investigators.  Amy has been an MSL for almost 4 years (2 years at Novartis and 2 years at Lilly).  Prior to becoming an MSL, Amy was a scientist at Millennium Pharmaceuticals where she worked in the Oncology Drug Discovery department helping to screen and characterize early phase drug candidates.  Before that, Amy spent 13 years working in academia.  All of those years were spent at Brigham and Women’s Hospital doing basic cardiovascular research in a lab in the Pathology Department.  Amy has a PhD in Pathology from Boston University School of Medicine and a BS in Biochemistry from UNH.