Archives: Speakers

Société Générale Private Banking (Suisse)

As Head of Special Cargo at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Dr Sonia Ben Hamida leads the development of the special cargo agenda, delivering standards, business processes, and solutions for the air cargo supply chain related to the transport of live animals, perishables, and temperature-sensitive cargo, and all other special cargo. Prior to joining IATA, Sonia held several roles in France where she spent 8 years driving innovation in the aerospace industry. Then she joined academia in 2019 as a lecturer and researcher at EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and UNIGE, the University of Geneva. Over the past 12 years, I have built a strong expertise in project management, innovation, design, and business and systems modeling. Sonia holds an engineering degree in Aviation and Computer Science from the French Civil Aviation University – ENAC (France) and a PhD in Innovation from CentraleSupélec (France).

Maayan Tsur, Director of Operations in Neuroderm, manages the company’s strategic vendors. During covid-19 pandemic Neuroderm had to adjust the management model of the clinical vendors in order to accommodate new constraints arising from the crisis period. Maayan led a risk management processes in Neuroderm and in external CRO which allowed identifying risks and mitigation plans, and worked with the team on its implementation. Maayan holds MSc in Bio medical studies and MBA from Tel Aviv university Neuroderm develops next-generation drug-device combination solutions for central nervous system disorders. NeuroDerm is an Israel-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

Dr. Nitsan Halevy is the Chief Medical Officer at Pluristem Therapeutics, where she leads clinical and regulatory activities. Nitsan has over 15 years of experience leading global clinical research and drug development projects. From an academic setting at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston), Nitsan transitioned to industry, where she has held roles of increasing responsibility and scope at Novartis, Teva and Quark Pharmaceuticals. She holds an MD from Ben-Gurion University.

Boaz Albo is Head of the Medical Cannabis Treatment and Clinical Research Institute that was established in 2020 at the Sheba Medical Center, and also serves as the academic coordinator in leading academies for training programs of physicians, pharmacists and medical professions in the subject of “Treatment with Medical Cannabis” delivered by Sapir College, the Israeli Medical Association, the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University. From 2014 till 2020 Boaz served as deputy to the director and as department head of R&D, Quality and Vocational Training in the Medical Cannabis Agency (IMCA of the Israeli Ministry of Health’s. There, he took a major part in designing the policy and regulation for the emerging medical cannabis industry, including writing the clinical methodology and quality procedures for medical cannabis products. In his Academic training Boaz holds an M.Sc. graduate in life sciences and Biotechnology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and gained a vast experience in the biomed industry and research and development of innovative botanical products.

Professor Emerita Tel Aviv University (TAU), formerly Lily and Avraham Gildor Chair and Director of the Adams Super Center for Brain Studies. Currently, Director, Elton Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology. B.Sc. TAU, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, postdoc. MIT and Salk Institute. Associate Professor, Weizmann Institute, Fogarty-Scholar-in-Residence, NIH, Humboldt Awardee, Germany. Mentored >65 students. Published ~350 papers (h-index 79). Inventor of multiple patents including (NAP, Davuentide), a clinical drug candidate targeted at the rare disease indication, the ADNP syndrome. Discovered ADNP, essential for brain formation implicated in autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. NAP is the active site of ADNP. Multiple prizes including Teva Founders Prize, Landau Prizes and best applied scientist, TAU. Ex-President, Israel Society for Neuroscience (Honorary Member), Ex-Member, Council of Higher Education. Secretary, European Society for Neurochemistry. Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Molecular Neuroscience. Chief Scientific Officer, ATED Therapeutics.