Life Science Speaker Series: The State of Pharma
Series Overview
NEVCA’s Life Science Speaker Series provides an opportunity for connection, discussion, and education amongst life science investors. The series is built around in-person, speaker-led sessions with industry leaders at different points along the startup journey, from academia to venture capital, to pharma R&D and BD. Each event in the series includes ample time for unstructured connection preceding and following the discussions.
The State of Pharma
Our first event in the series concerns the State of Pharma. Three expert panelists - from academia, venture, and pharma - will discuss major factors influencing the pharma industry in 2024 and share insights on what’s ahead.
Agenda
4 - 4:15 PM, Check In
4:15 - 5:00 PM, State of Pharma Panel
5 - 5:15 PM, Audience Q&A
5:15 - 6 PM, Networking and Wrap
Speakers
Mark Namchuk, Executive Director of Therapeutics Translation
Mark Namchuk, PhD, joined Harvard Medical School in January 2020 as the executive director of therapeutics translation. In this role, Namchuk works with HMS scientists to identify and harness basic insights into clinical therapies, creating an infrastructure that advances the School’s scientific discoveries along a translational trajectory while training the next generation of therapeutics investigators. Namchuk joined HMS after a 24-year research and development career in the biotech industry, working in a number of areas, including drug discovery, translational science and pharmaceutical development.
Laura Tadvalkar, Managing Director of RA Capital Management
Laura Tadvalkar is a Managing Director on the Venture Team at RA Capital Management. Laura works on new company creation and early-stage investments, and serves as a Board Director for Be Biopharma, Expansion Therapeutics, Hemab, Aliada Therapeutics, Hyku Biosciences, Typewriter Therapeutics, and Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX). Laura has a BS in Chemistry from Yale University and a PhD in Chemical Biology from Harvard University. Prior to RA, Laura was a Principal at MP Healthcare Venture Management. Prior to MP, she was a Consultant at Clarion Healthcare.
Rajesh Kamath, Program Lead for Entyvio at Takeda