2025 Plenary Keynote Programs

Join colleagues from around the world for the Discovery on Target Plenary Keynote Programs. Our plenary keynote presentations will bridge both halves of the event. It's the only time our entire DOT community of drug discovery professionals assembles together to learn about big-picture perspectives, innovative technologies, and thought-provoking trends from luminaries in the field. Later in the day we'll hear about the latest trends in drug discovery from our Plenary Venture Capital Panel. This will be followed by a Collaborations Discussion where we talk about various topics that impact life sciences and how we can address it together to make a difference.

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Gregory L. Verdine, PhDPLENARY KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Gregory L. Verdine, PhD, President & CEO, LifeMine Therapeutics
The field of drug discovery stands at a watershed moment of scientific, medical, and commercial opportunity. Realization of this opportunity will require radical innovations that fundamentally expand the functional capabilities of therapeutic interventions and management of the attendant risks. This talk will focus on the discovery, development, and deployment of radically new therapeutic modalities, inspired by nature, that thrust the field forward in non-obvious, impactful, and exciting new directions.

Gregory L. Verdine is Erving Professor of Chemistry and Harvard College Professor, emeritus, at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School; Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeMine Therapeutics (with co-founders Rick Klausner and WeiQing Zhou); Co-founder (with Hal Barron) and Executive Chairman of VidaVinci; and Venture Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Verdine is an award-winning university educator, pioneering life scientist and innovator, new modality drug discovery entrepreneur, venture capitalist and successful zero-to-one biotech company-builder. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science; he has received a Presidential Investigator Award, the Nobel Laureate Signature Award, the AARC Award for Excellence in Chemistry in Cancer Research and an honorary PhD degree from Clarkson University and MS degree from Harvard University. Verdine received Bachelor of Science and doctoral degrees in chemistry from St. Joseph’s University and Columbia University, respectively.

 

 

VENTURE CAPITALIST INSIGHTS

Daniel A. Erlanson, PhD4:15 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Venture Capitalist Insights into Trends in Drug Discovery
PANEL MODERATOR: Daniel A. Erlanson, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer, Frontier Medicines Corporation


PANELISTS:
Olga Danilchanka, PhDOlga Danilchanka, PhD, Principal, MRL Ventures Fund

Jamie Kasuboski, PhDJamie Kasuboski, PhD, Partner, Luma Group

Chris De Savi, PhDChris De Savi, PhD, CSO Partner, Curie Bio

Devin Quinlan, PhDDevin Quinlan, PhD, Principal, Investment, MPM BioImpact Inc.

Brendan KellyBrendan Kelly, PhD, Principal, Lightstone Ventures

SpeakerBlair Willette, PhD, Associate, KdT Ventures


Topics to be discussed:

  • Key drivers of innovation in drug discovery
  • Overcoming hurdles in translating discoveries from the lab to the clinic
  • Impact of AI/machine learning, emerging drug modalities, pursuit of challenging drug targets
  • Navigating the current regulatory and funding environment
  • Perspectives on upcoming challenges and opportunities in drug development

COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION

5:15 pm Connecting the DOTs to Spark Change!
Join us for an hour of inspiring, informal discussions on how to forge connections and create impactful ecosystems that will help you think, act, and thrive. We have invited pharma, biotech, and academic leaders to share their stories and experiences and to discuss key learnings. There will be time for open discussion and networking. This session will not be recorded for on-demand viewing.

Topics for discussion will include, but certainly not be limited to:

Saudat Fadeyi, PhDHow to Create Opportunities for Scientists to Connect and Collaborate
Saudat Fadeyi, PhD, MBA, Head, Business Development & Strategy, Samyang Biopharm USA, Inc.


Sean Ekins, PhDHow to Educate Scientists to Seek Out Networks and Funding Resources
Sean Ekins, PhD, Founder & CEO, Collaborations Pharmaceuticals


Shruthi Bharadwaj, PhDHow to Motivate Industry and Academia to Work Together and Forge Partnerships
Shruthi Bharadwaj, PhD, Program Leader, MIT


Raquel MuraHow to Address Hidden Barriers and Biases
Raquel Mura, DPharm, Founder, RGM Life Sciences Consulting; former VP & Head R&D, Sanofi


Nisha Perez, PhDHow to Uncover Gaps and Systemic Predispositions, Rethinking Clinical Trial Design Conventions
Nisha Perez, PhD, VP Preclinical Development & Clinical Pharmacology, ROME Therapeutics