I am a results-oriented drug discovery scientist and leader with more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Under my leadership, my team's research paved the way for pediatric cancer trials involving various drugs from Lilly, such as Verzenio, Cyramza, prexasertib, and LY3295668 erbumine. In 2020, I transitioned to Lilly’s Pediatric Development Center, emerging as a leader in oncology and immunology drug development. My focus on advocating for safe and innovative clinical trial designs reflects my commitment to providing the best care for young patients.
I co-led the Innovative Medicines Initiative public-private partnership in the EU, known as "ITCC-P4," which aimed to create a preclinical pediatric proof of concept research platform for identifying potential new medicines for children with cancer. This consortium, comprising top EU pediatric cancer centers and scientists from leading pharmaceutical companies, established one of the largest pediatric cancer research platforms globally. This successful public-private partnership evolved into the ITCCP4 gGmbH in 2023, with its headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.
Currently, I hold the position of vice president of enabling technologies and head the Pediatric Rare Disease Platform at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. My expertise in translational research for both adult and pediatric cancer is acknowledged worldwide. Before my tenure at Eli Lilly and Company, I served as an Intramural Research Training Award Fellow at the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the National Institutes of Health, where I was twice honored with the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence. I dedicated 26 years to Eli Lilly and Company before retiring in the summer of 2023. My extensive experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development has significantly contributed to the company's initiatives.
I sit on the ITCCP4 gGmbH Scientific Advisory Board, actively contribute to the CureSearch for Children's Cancer Strategy Oversight Committee, hold a position on the Harper Cancer Research Institute (Notre Dame) Industry Advisory Board, and am a senior editor for the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
Key Milestone Expertise in Drug Discovery & Development:
- Target Validation
- Hit Identification
- Lead Identification
- Lead Optimization
- Predevelopment (candidate selection)
- IND enabling
- Phase I-III trials
