Kasper Hettinga received his MSc and PhD at Wageningen University. Over the past 15 years, he built a research group on the effects of processing on milk proteins in relation to digestion and health functionalities of dairy products. He is full professor in Dairy Processing and Functionality” and also is the chair of the Food Quality & Design Department. He is scientific advisor to 3 startups. He has supervised, and is supervising, ~40 PhD projects, and published ~175 peer-reviewed articles. He is teaching at the BSc, MSc and PhD level on topics related to food science, especially dairy technology.
In his work, he is combining traditional food science approaches to study food proteins with advanced -omics approaches (proteomics, peptidomics), leading to more detailed insights in the effects of processing on milk proteins. By subsequently studying the digestive behavior of those proteins, and linking this to the health consequences, focusing especially on immunogenicity, he aims to get better understanding of the health consequences of dairy processing. His works focuses on milk proteins from different sources: from animals such as cows and goat, to human breast milk, and recombinantly produced milk proteins.
Julia Keppler studied Food Science at Kiel University in Germany where she also received her PhD, and was a visiting post doc at INRAe in France afterwards.
She has more than 11 years of experience in the field of food protein functionality and 99 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents. She started her research group in the Food Process Engineering lab at Wageningen University, the Netherlands 6 years ago with the focus on tuning the structure and functionality of food protein ingredients during processing. In that context, her group explores new food protein sources that range from plant-, single cell -, mussel-proteins, to (dairy) proteins obtained through precision fermentation; unravels their functionalities and delves into the intricate relationship between structure and function influenced by processing techniques. The overarching aim is to identify and create sustainable and functional ingredients for the future.
Audrey Finesso, PharmD, MsC, Clinical Regulatory Strategist has 25 years of professional experience in regulatory affairs from industry (pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies) to consultancy. She worked in different global regulatory affairs departments and gained a strong experience in clinical and regulatory strategy, unmet medical needs, life-threatening diseases (onco/hematology) and orphan diseases. She joined the consultancy world in 2017 and is currently supporting Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry stakeholders with the aim to expedite their development programs and interact with key global Regulatory Agencies (EMA, FDA, National Agencies) through different regulatory/expedite pathways.
Mark Lovern, PhD, is Executive Director of Medical Science Services at Fortrea, and has 25+ years of experience in the application of model-informed drug development (MIDD). Throughout his career, Mark has led and contributed to numerous projects involving quantitative pharmacology. Prior to his present position, Mark spent over 10 years at Certara in a variety of capacities. His work history has been split between biopharmaceutical companies (GSK and UCB) and companies that support the biopharmaceutical industry (Quintiles and Certara.) In addition to modeling pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data across a wide variety of compounds and therapeutic areas, Mark has also taught over 50 technical training workshops on modeling tools and methodology. His most recent therapeutic area experience has been with therapies for infectious disease, metabolic, and autoimmune disorders.
Mark was awarded a Ph. D. in Biomathematics from North Carolina State University in 1997. His favorite leisure activities include hosting dinner parties, traveling, reading, and enjoying films.
Richard McNally has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and 20 years of experience in oncology. He has worked at small and large CROs and in biotech. At Fortrea, he is a subject matter expert for the design of clinical trials, including early and late phase oncology, the design and analysis of cell and gene therapy studies, and for adaptive design clinical trials. He advises both internal project teams and external clients on the design and statistical analysis of clinical studies, and he assists project team in developing clinical trial protocols and statistical analysis plans. He also sets up and manages Data Monitoring Committees across a wide range of therapeutic areas. He has been at Fortrea for thirteen years.
Luca Cantini, MD, PhD, is Medical Director at Fortrea, based in Leiden, the Netherlands. Dr. Cantini has 10 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development from academia to CROs, dealing with all aspects of early and late phase clinical trials. As a Medical Oncologist, he has been actively involved in translational research in Immuno-Oncology with a special focus on thoracic cancers. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pisa, Italy and completed his medical oncology fellowship training at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. In 2020, he was awarded with the ESMO Translational Research Fellowship, to carry on a project titled “ENSURE study – dENdritic cell therapy combined with SURgEry in mesothelioma” at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. During the Fellowship, he decided to pursue a PhD trajectory at the same Institution, which has been finalized in 2022. Besides the ESMO Fellowship, he has been awarded with the IASLC Early Career Education Award, the ESO Grant for participating to the “18th ESO/ESMO Masterclass in Clinical Oncology,” the ESMO Grant for participating to the “Translational Research Unit Visit,” the ESMO Travel Grant for participating to the “2022 European Lung Cancer Conference,” and the NRS Travel Grant. He has authored 60 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He joined Fortrea in December 2022.
Shanthi is a Senior Director in Strategic Growth & Delivery team in Oncology. She contributes to the development of best operational strategy for new and existing clients by linking with all Fortrea business units and all applicable services and new initiatives the company has developed.Shanthi has more than 25 years of experience in clinical research in Oncology for most part and in both Investigational Drug and MDD trials. Before joining Fortrea, she was a Senior Director in Strategy at ICON and prior to that at IQVIA. Shanthi joined Fortrea in 2019. Shanthi has more than 20 years of experience in running Phase I oncology clinical trials
Suzanne McNally is an Executive Director in Portfolio Management with over 20 years of leadership experience in clinical trial management. She holds a BA (Hons) in Nursing and brings strong financial acumen, innovation, and a proven track record in overseeing multi-therapeutic, global Phase I-IV drug trials. Suzanne has clinical research experience in oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, GI, general medicine, and infectious diseases, managing complex global projects with high quality.
As a proactive leader, Suzanne excels in navigating challenging operational complexities and site dynamics, providing innovative solutions to meet tight timelines and budgets. She is a certified PMP, Lean Six Sigma, and a member of the global Women in Leadership alumni.
Stephanie joined BMS in March 2022 and is currently a Senior Global Trial Manager managing early phase immuno-oncology and hematology studies within the HOCT pillar. She also supports Diversity in Clinical Trials efforts throughout the organization.
Stephanie holds a Master of Public Health in Health Management and Policy, a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry.
Stephanie is a PMP and CCRP Certified Clinical Research Professional with extensive experience in Phase 1-4 trials. She has been in the Clinical Research Industry for over 16 years, beginning as a research assistant at an academic site then transitioning to coordinating trials at the VA for a total of six years. Since moving to sponsor level operations, Stephanie has managed early and late phase trials at both large pharmaceutical companies and small device start-ups. Her experience in this industry as well as within clinical sites has provided her with extensive knowledge in the clinical operations field.
