September 16 - Kyle O'Connell, Ph.D., Samantha Chill, Ph.D., Whitney Do, Ph.D.
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Title: “Introduction to Forward Deployed Engineering and Technical Consulting”
Kyle O’Connell, Ph.D., Anthropic Alliance Technical Lead
Kyle is a Scientific Engineering leader with 13+ years across AI/ML engineering, data science, and production GenAI, currently a Forward Deployed Engineer and Anthropic Alliance Technical Lead at Deloitte, where he helped stand up the FDE motion and lead embedded pods delivering Claude-powered agentic systems for strategic federal and public sector clients. Kyle leads cross-functional teams of up to 13 and sets technical direction from executive discovery through production, while staying hands-on across design, review, and debugging. He will combine C-suite trusted-advisor credibility with deep hands-on Claude expertise: API, tool use, extended thinking, Claude Code, multi-agent orchestration, and LLM evaluation.
Samantha Chill, Ph.D., Manager AI & Data Engineering
Samantha is a data scientist and computational leader with 10+ years across bioinformatics, AI/ML engineering, and public sector analytics, currently a Manager of AI & Engineering at Deloitte, where she leads cross-functional teams delivering AI best practice recommendations, lab of the future perspectives and machine learning solutions for federal clients. Samantha drives end-to-end technical delivery across concurrent engagements, from stakeholder discovery and architecture design through production deployment, while remaining hands-on as a technical SME across data science, genomics, and agentic AI workstreams. She bridges deep scientific credibility, rooted in a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and a decade of NIH research, with applied AI engineering expertise to develop fully agentic AI applications on cloud-native data platforms like AWS and Databricks.
Whitney Do, Ph.D., Bioinformatics Senior Consultant
Topics to be covered:
- Forward deployed engineering model
- Our experience and thoughts on technical consulting at a large firm in the public health space!
September 23 - Rohan Kulkarni, Ph.D.
Chief of Staff, Development Organization, Enveda
Title: "Beyond the Bench: From Government Research to Biopharma via a CRO; Lessons, Opportunities, and Practical Strategies"
Dr. Rohan Kulkarni is a biopharmaceutical development executive and nonclinical safety leader with more than 15 years of experience across biotechnology, pharmaceutical, contract research, and regulatory settings. Currently, as Chief of Staff for the Development Organization at Enveda, he helps guide the transition of drug candidates from discovery into clinical development. His career has included leadership roles at Barinthus Biotherapeutics, EMD Serono (Merck KGaA), and BioReliance (MIlliporeSigma), following an ORISE postdoctoral fellowship at the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research. Rohan brings deep expertise in toxicology, pharmacology, regulatory strategy, and cross-functional drug development. He is passionate about mentoring scientists and sharing practical insights on navigating career transitions from research fellowships to leadership roles in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Topics to be covered:
Lessons from my career journey: from government research to a CRO and ultimately to the biopharmaceutical industry
The range of science-based careers available across CROs and biopharma, including R&D, translational science, clinical research, and medical affairs
Practical strategies for building industry-relevant skills and preparing for a successful career transition
How to identify roles aligned with your scientific expertise, transferable skills, and long-term interests
The value of networking, informational interviews, and remaining open to less visible or unexpected career opportunities
September 30 – Patricia A. Escobar, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Integrative Toxicology and Safety Assessment Group, Merck Co. & Inc., West Point, PA
Title: “Career Journey from Academia to Industry”
Dr. Patricia A. Escobar is a distinguished genetic toxicologist with over 30 years of professional experience. She earned her M.S. in Genetic Toxicology and a B.S. in Microbiology from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, and her Ph.D. in Molecular Toxicology from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Escobar currently serves as Executive Director of the Integrative Toxicology and Safety Assessment group at Merck & Co., Inc.,. In this role, she leads the Genetic Toxicology and the Mutagenic Impurities groups, driving global initiatives in genetic toxicology testing and mutagenic impurities risk assessment. Her work supports drug discovery and ensures robust genotoxicity testing and mutagenic impurities risk assessment across drug development and manufacturing. Her scientific passion lies in developing new strategies and methodologies to understand mechanisms of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Earlier in her career, Dr. Escobar held key roles at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, where she led the U.S. Predictive Toxicology group, and at BioReliance, where she served as a Genetic Toxicology Study Director.
Dr. Escobar has held leadership positions in the Environmental Mutagenic and Genomics Society (EMGS), Genetic Toxicology Association, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) Global, and chairs the HESI eSTAR Error-Corrected Sequencing Committee working to advance predictive carcinogenicity testing. Dr Escobar’s international contributions include active participation in the International Working Groups on Genetic Toxicology (IWGT) and the OECD Genetic Toxicology Expert Working Group. She has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is a member of the editorial board for Mutation Research (Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis). Outside of her professional life, she is deeply passionate about mentoring and developing the next generation of scientists.
October 7 – Delphine Lissa, Ph.D.
Director Scientist, Early Oncology Clinical Science, AstraZeneca
Title: “Beyond the Lab: Insights into Clinical Development in Pharma”
Dr. Delphine Lissa is a Director Scientist within Early Oncology Clinical Science at AstraZeneca in Cambridge, UK. In her role, she provides medical and scientific support for the development and implementation of early-phase oncology trials, including study design, preparation of key study documents, review of clinical data, and interpretation of study results.
Before joining AstraZeneca in 2020, Delphine was a post-doctoral fellow at the NCI in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis. Her research encompassed the high-throughput screening of compounds targeting an isoform of p53, and the identification of DNA methylation biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer. Delphine earned a PharmD and a PhD in Drug Discovery from Paris-Sud University.
Topics to be covered:
- Career Path in Clinical Development
- Transferable Skills from Academia to Pharma
- Challenges and Opportunities in Transitioning to Pharma
October 14 – David Zahavi, Ph.D. & Brad Davidson, Ph.D.
Title: “Inside AACR: Non-profit Careers in Science and Regulatory Policy”
David Zahavi, Ph.D., Associate Director, Science and Health Policy, Office of Science Policy and Government Affairs, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Dr. David Zahavi is the Associate Director for Health and Science Policy at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). In this role, he works with researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates to lead science and health policy initiatives that advance cancer research and improve patient outcomes. Prior to joining AACR, Dr. Zahavi served as a Health Science Policy Analyst at the NIH where he led integration of digital health and bioethics in biomedical and clinical research. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the NCI, Dr. Zahavi began his science policy career as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the NCI, where he led initiatives at the intersection of cancer science and digital health. He holds a Ph.D. in Tumor Biology from Georgetown University, specializing in immunotherapy, and earned an M.S. in Physiology from Georgetown University and a B.S. from the University of Maryland.
Brad Davidson, Ph.D., Senior Regulatory Science Policy Analyst, Office of Science Policy and Government Affairs, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Dr. Brad Davidson is a Senior Regulatory Science and Policy Analyst at the American Association for Cancer Research. In this role, he coordinates policy-facing committees of cancer researchers and organizes workshops, conferences, manuscripts, and other initiatives that bring together key parties across industry, regulatory bodies, academia, and patient advocacy to facilitate advances in cancer science and policy. Before joining AACR, he earned his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, where he studied circulating tumor DNA biology. While pursuing this degree, he worked at various rare disease non-profit organizations where he endeavored to increase the visibility and accessibility of ongoing research to patients and clinicians alike.
Topics to be covered:
- The role and mission of science-based non-profits and membership organizations
- The wide breadth of science policy work
- How to get a job in science policy and transferable skills
October 21 - Jayakumar R. Nair, Ph.D.
Title: “A User’s Guide to navigating the government job site USAJobs.gov”
Jayakumar R. Nair, Ph.D., Women's Malignancies Branch, NCI/NIH
Dr. Jayakumar R. Nair is a cancer biologist with more than two decades of research experience spanning tumor biology, cancer immunology, molecular therapeutics, and mechanisms of drug resistance. His current research focuses on identifying novel therapeutic strategies for ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancers, with an emphasis on DNA damage response pathways, antibody-drug conjugates, and targeted therapies to overcome treatment resistance.
Dr. Nair has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including Nature Communications, Science Translational Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Cancer Research, Oncogene, and Leukemia. He has led and contributed to numerous translational research collaborations with academic investigators and biotechnology partners, mentored clinical fellows and trainees, and serves as an associate editor and guest editor for several oncology and immunology journals. His research has been recognized through multiple national awards and has contributed to the development of novel clinical trials for gynecologic cancers.
Topics to be covered:
The presentation will combine slides and live demonstrations to cover the following topics:
- Creating an account on USAJOBS. This will be a brief presentation with a live demonstration showing how to create a USAJOBS account.
- Populating your profile on USAJOBS. This section will cover:
1. How to create a resume using the Resume Builder and the information that should be included.
2. How to upload the required supporting documents. - Navigating the job search functions on USAJOBS. This section will cover:
1. Using filters to find specific job opportunities.
2. Understanding different hiring paths.
3. Identifying the essential components of a job announcement. - Tailoring your resume to a job announcement. This section will cover the key elements of a job announcement to consider when tailoring your resume.
- Application submission process and follow-up.
- Essential attachments and resources for applicants.
October 28 - Rosemarie Truman
Title: “Alternative Careers for PhDs – In Particular Consulting”
Rosemarie Truman, Founder and CEO, Center for Advancing Innovation
Rosemarie Truman is an entrepreneur, growth strategist, distinguished corporate executive, angel investor, and prolific startup catalyst. Currently, Rosemarie is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that has been coined “Tinder for Startups” and “Shark Tank on Steroids.” CAI’s mission is to identify breakthrough inventions and maximize their commercial potential.
Topics to be covered: TBA
November 4 - Andrew Sinkoe, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO at Sesh Incorporated, San Diego
Title: “From Postdoc to CEO”
Dr. Sinkoe began his postdoctoral fellowship at the NCI in April 2018 as a bioinformatician in a clinical cell therapy lab. During his fellowship, he and his team developed a liquid biopsy biomarker diagnostic test, which led to a patent application filed by the NCI. After completing his fellowship in April 2024, he co-founded Sesh Incorporated, which is commercializing the diagnostic test. As CEO, Dr. Sinkoe leads business strategy and oversees technology validation. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from Florida State University.
Topics to be covered:
- Developing a technology at NCI and licensing IP from NCI
- Raising capital
- Technology validation process