SHBC 2020 | Keynote Speakers

Michael S. Vincent, MD, PhD

Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer of Inflammation and Immunology Research and Development, Pfizer

Mike Vincent, MD, PhD, is Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit, leading the scientific pipeline for Rheumatology, Gastroenterology and Dermatology specialties through the end of phase 2. Dr. Vincent earned his BA, PhD, and MD degrees from Indiana University. He completed his residency and began his post-doctoral and rheumatology training at the University of Vermont, completing his fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His research while on faculty at Harvard centered on human T cell-dendritic cell interactions, and basic mechanisms of autoimmunity.

Since joining Pfizer in 2011, he has held several scientific leadership roles, most recently as Clinical Head for Pharmatherapeutics in Cambridge, MA. Over this period, he has had responsibility for clinical and translational science in the Inflammation and Immunology, Rare Disease and the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Research Units, and the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation. Before joining Pfizer, Dr. Vincent held positions of increasing responsibility within Medical Sciences at Amgen, ultimately leading early clinical development for the Immunology and Neuroscience therapeutic areas.

Mark Trusheim, MSc

Strategic Director, MIT NEWDIGS

Mark Trusheim is Strategic Director, MIT NEWDIGS where he also co-leads the Financing and reimbursement of Cures in the US (FoCUS) Project; and a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management.  Through MIT he has also served as a Special Government Employee for the FDA’s Office of the Commissioner. 

Mark’s research focuses on the economics of biomedical innovation, especially precision financing for patient access, precision medicine, adaptive pathways, platform trials, biosimilars, and digital health advances.

Mark is also President of Co-Bio Consulting, LLC. Prior to MIT, his career spanned big data at Kenan Systems, marketing at Searle Pharmaceuticals, eHealth as Vice President of Monsanto Health Solutions, genomics as President of Cereon Genomics, and policy as the President of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

He holds degrees in Chemistry from Stanford University and Management from MIT.

Noubar Afeyan, PhD

Founder and CEO, Flagship Pioneering

Noubar Afeyan is founder, Senior Managing Partner and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, a leading innovation and early-stage venture capital firm. He also leads the firm’s VentureLabs unit that invents and launches transformative startups. He has been a Senior Lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management where he has taught courses on technology-entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership since 2000. Dr. Afeyan has authored numerous scientific publications and patents since earning his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from MIT in 1987. He lectures widely in the United States and internationally on diverse topics ranging from entrepreneurship, innovation and venture capital to biological engineering, drug discovery, medical technologies and renewable energy.

During his 28-year career as inventor, entrepreneur, CEO and venture capitalist, Dr. Afeyan has co-founded and helped build over 35 successful life science and technology startups. He was founder and CEO of PerSeptive Biosystems, a leader in the bio-instrumentation field that grew to over $100M in annual sales within six years from its first sales. After PerSeptive’s acquisition by Perkin Elmer/Applera Corporation in 1998, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Applera, where he initiated and oversaw the creation of Celera Genomics.

Currently Dr. Afeyan serves on a number of public and private company boards including CiBO Technologies, Evelo BioSciences, Joule Unlimited, Kaleido BioSciences, Moderna Therapeutics, Axcella Health and Seres Therapeutics. Read more

AKSHAY VAISHNAW, MD, PhD

PRESIDENT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, Alnylam PharmAceuticals

Dr. Vaishnaw joined Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in 2006 as VP Clinical Research and has then subsequently served in various R&D roles with increasing responsibility.  Akshay is currently the President of R&D.  At Alnylam he leads the discovery and development of their pipeline of RNAi therapeutics, which includes the recently approved compound, Onpattro for hATTR amyloidosis with peripheral neuropathy.  Prior to 2006, he was at Biogen as Senior Director, Translational Medicine.  In his seven years at Biogen, Akshay was involved in many aspects of clinical research and business development, and led the effort for the approval of alefacept (AMEVIVE™) for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Akshay received his M.D. from the University of Wales College of Medicine, U.K., and Ph.D. from the University of London, U.K., in Molecular Immunology. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, U.K.  He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, U.K.  Akshay is a member of the Board of Directors for Editas Medicine Inc. and Scholar Rock Inc. From 2014-2018, he served as a Board member of Visterra, Inc.