2018 Speakers
Taneli Jouhikainen, MD, PhD
Dr. Taneli Jouhikainen is a Co-Founder of Savara and has served as Chief Operating Officer since October 2009. From October 2006 until September 2009, he served at Akela Pharma Inc., a public clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on orphan drugs and inhalation products, first as Head of Corporate Development and subsequently as interim CEO…
Read MoreGregory Grunberg, MD
Dr. Grunberg is a Managing Director of Longitude Capital. Prior to joining Longitude Capital in 2012, Dr. Grunberg was a Principal at Rho Ventures and an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. Dr. Grunberg is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and completed his residency at Cornell’s New York Presbyterian Hospital. He has maintained a…
Read MoreTheodore Reiss, MD, MBE, ATSF
Ted began his career with Merck & Co. in Clinical Pharmacology and Pulmonary-Immunology and eventually was responsible for other therapeutic areas within the company including Gastroenterology. Ted also worked at Covance, fostering an integrated approach to drug development, Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Molecular Toxicology and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and joins…
Read MoreMahendra Shah, PhD
Mahendra Shah, is a highly successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur and executive who has been with Vivo Capital, LLC since March 2010. He currently serving as managing director. Dr. Shah is the founder and executive chairman of Semnur Pharmaceuticals. He previously served as chairman of the board of Essentialis, and currently serves as a board member of…
Read MoreBill Gerhart
Mr. Gerhart is the Chairman and CEO of Patara Pharma, a San Diego-based, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company he founded to develop a new therapy for the treatment of diseases and conditions associated with inflammation and fibrosis. Prior to Patara, he was the President & CEO of Elevation Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego-based biotech he founded in…
Read MoreMatthew McMahon, PhD
Dr. McMahon leads the Office of Translational Alliances and Coordination to enable the development and commercialization of research discoveries funded by the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. His office manages NHLBI’s $100 million/year Small Business Program and a national network of six proof-of-concept centers that support the translation of academic discoveries into product development projects.…
Read MoreTimothy Watkins, MD, MSc
Tim Watkins is a Director of Clinical Research in Respiratory/Inflammation Therapeutics at Gilead Sciences. He has over a decade of experience in the biomedical and biopharmaceutical sectors, with clinical research spanning ARDS, trauma, sepsis, viral pneumonia and other aspects of inflammatory and respiratory diseases. At Gilead, Tim is responsible for the clinical development of drug…
Read MoreCecilia Gonzalo
Ms. Gonzalo is a Partner at Oberland Capital, a private investment firm with over $1.2 billion in capital commitments since inception, that is focused exclusively on investing in the global healthcare industry. Prior to joining Oberland, she was a Managing Director at Vatera Healthcare Partners where she focused on venture capital and private equity investments…
Read MoreDennis Wahr, MD
Dennis Wahr, MD is the CEO of Nuvaira which is developing a unique minimally invasive bronchoscopic treatment for patients with chronic obstructive lung disease called Targeted Lung Denervation (TLD). Prior to joining Nuvaira, Dr. Wahr co-founded Lutonix in 2007 and served as its President and CEO until CR Bard acquired the company in December 2011.…
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