September 10 - Fatima Ali-Rahmani, Ph.D.
External Research Lead, Medical Affairs Consultant, Taiho Oncology
Title: Regulatory and Medical Affairs Careers” Dr. Ali-Rahmani is a Consultant for Taiho oncology, working as an external research lead in medical affairs team for oncology. She worked as a Scientific Partner at Roche as a Medical Affairs Leader for Scrvi aka Md breast cancer diagnostics. Previously, she served as a Senior Scientific Reviewer at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the Food and Drug Administration. Her role involved evaluating the safety and efficacy of in vitro molecular assays for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Prior to her role at the FDA, she was a Research Fellow at the NCI.
Topics to be covered:
- Her career journey
- Address opportunities for candidates, including those with visas
September 17 – Mojdeh Bahar, J.D., M.A., CLP
Managing Director, IEEE
Title: The Career Promise: What Are We Really Telling Students?
Mojdeh Bahar is the Managing Director for Technical Activities at IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization. She joined IEEE after 24 years in federal service, most recently as Associate Director for Innovation and Industry Services at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where she led key programs including Manufacturing USA, the Baldrige Program, and implementation of the CHIPS Act.
Her career spans leadership roles at USDA, NIH, and USPTO, with expertise in technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation policy. She has worked across diverse sectors—biotech, agtech, AI, and quantum—and has spoken globally on IP, tech transfer, and public-private partnerships.
A registered patent attorney, certified mediator, and Registered Technology Transfer Professional, Mojdeh holds a JD from the University of Maryland, an MA from NYU, and a BS in Chemistry and French from Dickinson College. She is a three-time recipient of Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award and a Circle of Excellence Inductee.
Topics to be covered:
- Careers as a Patent Agent and Patent Attorney
- Working as a Technology Transfer Professional
- Pathways in Science Policy Advising
September 24 – Mark Kaplan, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Translational Oncology, Bristol Myers Squibb
Title: Being a Scientist in the Biopharma Industry
Dr. Mark Kaplan is the Lymphoma Disease Head within Translational Medicine at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in Summit, NJ. Mark’s primary roles are to oversee biomarker analyses on BMS’ late-stage clinical trials, devise strategies to understand high-risk lymphoma and how BMS assets can address them and liaise with translational laboratory scientists. Mark first started in industry in 2001 at a range of small, medium and large biopharma companies, including Pfizer and Roche, first as a discovery scientist and subsequently as a translational scientist, before joining BMS in August 2020 (an interesting time to start!). Mark received his PhD in Biophysics from UCSF and was a Leukemia and Lymphoma postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin, Madison - coincidently presaging his current area of research. Mark is a scientific omnivore, but you will grab his attention with minimal residual disease.
Topics to be covered:
- Decision to pursue a career in industry
- My career journey
- The good and the not-so-good about careers in industry
- Advice for younger scientists interested in industry
October 1 – TBD
October 8 – Jonathan Shaffer, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Genomics and Research Development, Qiagen
Title: “How to Leverage Your Scientific Skills to Thrive in Biotech R&D”
Jonathan (Jon) is a molecular biologist by training and is currently Senior Director, Head of UNGS R&D at QIAGEN. Jonathan joined QIAGEN in 2009 and has since worked with various qPCR and NGS technology development groups. Jonathan earned his PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2008. Jonathan also received his MBA from the University of Würzburg in 2018, where his research focused on project management methodologies.
Topics Covered:
- What positions are available in Biotech R&D? Are there more options than just “wet lab” positions?
- What skills translate and are required for Biotech R&D?
- How do I catch my “big break” in Biotech R&D?
- Does networking matter?
- How do I merge “classic science” with “future science”?
October 15 – Prasun Misra, Ph.D.
Founding Partner, WISE Capitals, Founder & CEO American Association for Precision Medicine (AAPM), Co-Founder, Chairman, Agility Pharma, Precision BioPharma Inc. , Belmont, CA
Title: “From NIH to Genentech and Beyond: Navigating Careers in Pharma, Biotech, and the Startup Frontier”
Dr. Prasun Mishra is a biotech and pharmaceutical leader with 25 years’ experience spanning research, clinical development, and commercialization. He has contributed to major oncology and immuno-oncology advances at Genentech and Roche, helping bring several blockbuster therapies from bench to bedside.
Founder and CEO of Agility Pharmaceuticals and Co-Founder of Precision BioPharma, he also serves as Founding President of the American Association for Precision Medicine. As a Founding Partner at M7 Accelerator, he has guided over 25 healthcare and life sciences companies from startup to IPO.
A former researcher at UCSF, the National Cancer Institute, Rutgers, and Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Dr. Mishra combines deep scientific expertise with entrepreneurial vision. He is a sought-after advisor, mentor, and speaker dedicated to advancing personalized, predictive, and accessible medicine.
October 22 – Raed Samara, Ph.D.
Director, Precision Medicine, Global Oncology Marketing, Merck
Title: “Insights into global marketing function and hiring process in biotech and pharma”
Raed Samara is currently Director of Global Precision Medicine Marketing at Merck. In this role, he is responsible for the global launches of companion diagnostics for new Oncology drugs. Prior to this role, Raed held a number of positions with increasing responsibilities within the global product management function at QIAGEN, serving the clinical testing and translational research markets. He started his private sector journey at QIAGEN as a scientist in the R&D Project Management department. Academically, Raed did his postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), conducting research in the field of cancer immunology with emphasis on identifying strategies to boost the efficacy of cancer vaccines. Raed earned his PhD degree in Cancer Biology from Georgetown University.
Topics to be covered:
- Career progression from postdoc to today
- What is Global Marketing in biotech and pharma
- Day-to-day responsibilities in Product Management and marketing
- Culture and career options in industry
- The hiring process: real life examples
October 29 – Kelly Warfield, Ph.D.
President of Research and Development, Sabin Vaccine Institute
Title: How do I get there from here?
In this role, she works with the executive team and Board of Trustees to drive Sabin’s strategic vision, grow the R&D team and programs, and oversee advancement of candidate vaccines, including those targeting Marburg and Sudan ebolaviruses.
Kelly is a seasoned scientific leader with deep expertise in vaccine development and a strong record of building diverse R&D portfolios across government, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical companies. She is also experienced in managing public-private partnerships and navigating novel regulatory pathways such as the Animal Rule and accelerated approval processes.
Previously, as senior vice president at Emergent BioSolutions, she led a global team of 300 scientists, overseeing discovery through life cycle management programs with annual budgets exceeding $100 million. Before that, she co-founded Integrated Biotherapeutics, Inc., directing the development of vaccines and antivirals for Ebola and Marburg viruses.
She began her career as a student intern at the National Cancer Institute, earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and virology from Baylor College of Medicine, and completed postdoctoral training at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, where she worked in BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs on filovirus countermeasures.
Kelly has authored more than 100 publications and book chapters, holds over 15 patents, and serves on non-profit and start-up boards. She currently advises Learning Undefeated, which provides STEM opportunities to underserved communities.
Topics to be covered:
- Alternate career paths for scientists
- Preparations for a non-academic career path
- Organization and Time Management
- Communication and Relationship Building
- Navigating Career Progression
November 5 – Shana Hardy Thomas, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Global Regulatory Affairs, Kite Pharma
Dr. Shana Hardy Thomas is a cell and gene therapy regulatory expert and strategist in oncology and the Associate Director of Global Regulatory Affairs at Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company. In her role, she provides regulatory intelligence, strategy, and leadership to cross-functional development teams to support biotech drug development and clinical research. Her current focus includes the global late-stage clinical filing of Anitocabtagene autoleucel (Anti-BCMA CAR T cell product), a groundbreaking therapy co-developed with Arcellx. Additionally, she oversees the development, filing, and maintenance of Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for early-stage clinical trials, generally first in human programs worldwide, ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies including the FDA.
Before joining Kite Pharma, Dr. Thomas served as a Pharmacology/Toxicology Regulatory Review Scientist at the FDA. In this role, she reviewed the safety and efficacy of cell and gene therapies. Notably, she was a primary reviewer for the Biologics License Application (BLA) of ABECMA, the first CAR T cell therapy approved for multiple myeloma. Her work at the FDA was marked by her specialization in engineered cell-based gene therapies and genome editing technologies for oncological diseases, earning her several awards for her comprehensive reviews and regulatory insights on complex products.
Before her FDA tenure, Dr. Thomas was a National Academies of Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at NIST, where she focused on developing measurement standards for genome editing technologies like CRISPR. She holds a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Purdue University, specializing in cancer biology, and earned her BS and MS in biology from Tuskegee University.
Topics to be covered:
- What’s regulatory affairs?
- Health authority reviewer vs pharma/ biotech industry reg affairs
- Classic Pharma vs Biotech / Big Pharma vs Start-up?
- What skills are valuable for success in this role? (Why are more and more PhDs being selected for this role?)
- Salary expectations
- Applying/ Career progression