Annalisa Jenkins, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P. is a biopharma thought leader with over 25 years of industry experience. Dr. Jenkins has extensive recent experience in building and financing biotech companies pursuing cures for the most challenging rare diseases to address important medical issues globally. She has consistently built and led teams advancing programs from scientific research through clinical development, regulatory approval, and into healthcare systems globally. In addition, she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for women in science. Dr. Jenkins served as president and CEO of Dimension Therapeutics, a leading gene therapy company that she took public on the NASDAQ and subsequently sold to Ultragenyx. Prior leadership roles have included the head of global research and development and executive vice president global development and medical at Merck Serono, and several senior positions at Bristol Myers-Squibb over 15 years - including serving as senior vice president and head of global medical affairs. Earlier in her career, Dr. Jenkins was a medical officer in the British Royal Navy during the Gulf Conflict, achieving the rank of surgeon lieutenant commander. Dr. Jenkins is a board member of several growing companies, including Ardelyx, Inc., iOX Therapeutics Limited, Oncimmune, AVROBIO, COMPASS Pathways, AOBiome, AgeX, PlaqueTec, ADOR Diagnostics, MedCity, DMNoMore, NoxSudor, Secret Saviours, Conduit Connect (Non-Executive Chair), Cocoon Biotech Inc. (Non-Executive Chair), Cellmedica (Non-Executive Chair), and Vium, Inc. (Executive Chair). She also is a committee member of the Science Board to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which advises FDA leadership on complex scientific and technical issues, board member at Faster Cures, a centre of The Milken Institute, and Chair of The Court at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Chika Yoshinaga, MD, is a venture capital, pharmaceutical business development and operations expert in Japan and China. With over two decades of cross-border industry experience, she has built a deep understanding of Chinese and Japanese healthcare markets, including the regulatory, clinical and commercial as well as financial environments. Her broad network of contacts at Asian and European companies has also been instrumental in successfully facilitating cross-border company transactions.

Dr Yoshinaga is the founder of Asajes Ventures. Asajes Ventures provides financing as well as local operational support including regulatory, clinical, and business development to western biotech companies to speed up innovative product development in a more time and cost effective way in Japan and China, the two key markets in Asia.

Prior to launching Asajes Ventures, Dr Yoshinaga worked as an independent consultant to provide Asian market entry advice to western companies. Before that, she worked as head of Corporate Development in Japan and China for Quintiles (IQVIA), responsible for inorganic growth including M&A in these markets.

She previously worked for one of the largest European venture capital firms, Sofinnova Partners, as VP Asia, Chief Representative in China. She started her venture capital career at NIF SMBC Ventures Co, Ltd, the second largest VC firm in Japan, where she headed the European life sciences area and directed equity investments in a number of biotech companies that achieved successful exits.

Dr Yoshinaga earned her M.D. degree from Shanghai (China) Medical University and Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Yokohama (Japan) National University. Dr Yoshinaga speaks fluent Chinese, Japanese and English.

Ron Lawrence BSc (Hons), PhD, FRSC is the Managing Director of RML Pharma Consulting and Managing Partner at Cerebro CMC.  With a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from Monash University in Australia, followed by postdoctoral studies in the UK he later joined GlaxoSmithKline in the Chemical Development department at Stevenage, UK.  He moved into the outsourced projects group at GSK in 2004 in a Scientific Manager role where he managed multiple early phase outsourced projects at contract manufacturers.  He left GSK in 2009 to set up RML Pharma Consulting and now helps small/virtual biotech companies like Actimed to deliver strong technical CMC packages.  Ron is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Jane Costello joined Actimed Therapeutics in 2022, and as acting Quality Manager Jane’s responsibilities include managing the Company’s auditing and quality systems. With over 20 years of industry knowledge, Jane joins the company with experience in clinical research and quality assurance as well as the introduction and management of quality management systems and support of pharmaceutical companies with Regulatory Authority inspections.

Jane founded Netherton QA Consultancy in 2005, a Quality Assurance company offering global support, development, and management to small and large pharma companies. As a Quality Consultant, Jane has worked with a variety of long-standing clients including Chroma Therapeutics Ltd and Kyowa Hakko Kirin, where she has undertaken central management responsibilities and assisted in a succession of positive Regulatory Authority inspections. Prior to this, Jane spent 8 years working with the Oxford Blood Transfusion Service where she specialised in Blood Group Serology and Haematology and 12 years at a leading UK biotech company where she progressed with the company in numerous roles, including Quality Assurance Technical Officer.