Second Annual Biopharma Comms Forum

Rowan Walrath is an associated editor and life sciences reporter for Chemical & Engineering News, reporting on the business of drug making from Boston, Massachusetts. Rowan is particularly interested in exploring patient-centric drug development, with an eye toward clinical trial design, diversity, and how business leaders can help patients overcome barriers to health-care access.

Karla is Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Entrada Therapeutics with responsibilities for building and amplifying the Company’s brand through corporate communications, investor relations, government affairs and employee engagement. She also leads Entrada’s patient advocacy team and champions the Company’s steadfast commitment to patient-focused drug development. Karla joined Entrada in 2021.

Karla previously worked at Ipsen Pharmaceuticals where she led corporate communications and patient advocacy for the company’s expansion into North America. Prior to Ipsen, she was at Merck & Co., Inc. where for more than 11 years she led a broad spectrum of R&D, global brand and corporate responsibility communications and contributed to the R&D division as a member of the executive leadership team. Earlier in her career, Karla was part of the healthcare practice at Ogilvy and MacDougall Advisors and led investor relations for Creative BioMolecules (now part of Curis, Inc.)

Karla holds a BA in Education and a diploma in Communications from McGill University. Karla is a Board Member of the Canadian Entrepreneurs in New England, an Advisory Board Member for Nova Scotia’s Health Innovation Hub and a Lead Mentor with the Canadian Technology Accelerator.

Marisol Mendez Peron is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of experience in life sciences communications. As Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs at Genmab, a leading biotechnology focused on antibody-based medicines, she drives the company’s vision, strategic priorities and business results through bold and innovative communications strategies. She joined Genmab in 2019 to lead Investor Relations & Communications and support Genmab’s transformation from an R&D biotech to a fully integrated biotech company with commercialization capabilities.

Among her top priorities were to maintain and strengthen the financial and IR capabilities while build a global communications and corporate affairs function inclusive of corporate brand reputation, executive leadership and internal and external communications, social responsibility and sustainability, patient advocacy and corporate affairs. Her leadership has ensured that an evolving corporate narrative resonates with purpose, authenticity and impact across all stakeholders.

Peron has guided communications through Genmab’s growth, expanding from ~450 employees in 2019 to ~3,000 today. She played a critical role in the company’s landmark U.S. IPO, Genmab’s first U.S. regulatory approvals and commercial launches, expansion into new markets, and multiple Business Development and Merger & Acquisition milestones, including the $1.8 billion acquisition of ProfoundBio in 2024 and the $8 billion acquisition of Merus in 2025. Peron sits on various governance, compliance and risk management committees and co-chairs the CSR & Sustainability Committee alongside the CEO.

A steadfast advocate for the power of corporate culture, inclusivity and authenticity in the workplace, Peron has spearheaded efforts that inform, connect, and engage leaders with Genmab’s strategic roadmap and growing international workforce. She is committed to and actively mentoring and empowering the next generation of leaders. She has previously held corporate communications roles at J&J, Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur and Ipsen.

Beyond her corporate duties, Peron serves on the boards of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium and Junior Achievement of Central NJ, participates in several BioNJ committees and is a member of Latinos in Bio. She lives in New Jersey along her husband and two college-age sons.

Laure Park is a healthcare and life sciences communications executive with more than three decades of experience spanning corporate strategy, investor relations, and brand reputation.

She is the founder and principal of ParkEdge Consulting LLC, which helps leaders align communications with purpose and drive performance. Previously, as SVP of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at Endo, Inc., and a long-tenured executive at Quest Diagnostics, she unified communications and investor relations under an enterprise-wide framework, launched award-winning digital and brand platforms, and guided organizations through complex and high-visibility financial restructurings and enterprise transformations while maintaining and building stakeholder trust.

Her background crosses finance, communications, investor relations, and customer experience, giving her a practical view of how communications functions perform at the highest level, where narrative and reputation directly shape enterprise value. She has built and scaled customer-centric strategies, led a high-growth business delivering more than 30% annual revenue growth, and oversaw enterprise finance functions.

Laure received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and communications from the University of North Dakota.

Ryan Flinn has 25 years of experience in media and communications, with roles both as a journalist covering biotech at Bloomberg News and as a Communications Leader at Johnson & Johnson. His articles have been published in the New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Businessweek, Evidence-Based Oncology, Managed Healthcare Executive and Wired. He is also the AI correspondent for BiotechTV. Ryan currently runs his own communications consulting firm, In Like Flinn Communications, where he advises emerging companies on how to shape and share their narrative.

Eve Siegel leads the Research & Analytics team at Syneos Health Communications. Her long career began with sequential roles in clinical trials and epidemiology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and has since spanned all facets of communications research – social intelligence, media analytics, and market research – for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. Today, her focus is the rapidly evolving media ecosystem, helping clients understand what drives perception and how to effectively reach their stakeholders.

Jaren Madden, chief corporate affairs officer, oversees the strategy and execution of the company’s investor relations and corporate affairs activities, including corporate communications, corporate sustainability, creative and brand, marketing and internal communications. She joined Schrödinger in 2020 from Gamida Cell Ltd. where she served as vice president, investor relations and corporate communications. Before joining Gamida Cell, she served as the global head of research and development communications at Shire Pharmaceuticals, plc. Prior to joining Shire, Jaren led the investor relations and communications team at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2010 to 2017. She also held communications and investor relations roles of increasing responsibility at Feinstein Kean Healthcare, Alkermes plc and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Jaren earned a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an M.S. in Botany from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from Boston University.

Lindy Devereux joined Flagship Pioneering in 2022. In this role, she is responsible for leading the development and execution of communications and brand strategies for Flagship NewCos and GrowthCos.

Lindy brings more than 20 years of life science communications experience to her role, with a focus on helping new and established biotech companies advance a compelling narrative, establish and elevate their presence among key stakeholders, announce pivotal milestones, and develop thought leadership.

Lindy has held leadership positions at several communications firms, most recently as part of Scient PR where she worked closely with public and private companies working in emerging fields for drug discovery to clearly articulate their science, the potential value of their platform or approach and strength of the organization to investors, academic and clinical researchers, industry peers and prospective talent. Prior to that, Lindy spent 10 years designing, directing and implementing corporate and product communications campaigns at prominent public relations agencies in New York, including Chandler Chicco Agency/Biosector 2, Cohn & Wolfe, and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

Lindy graduated cum laude from Duke University with a degree in psychology.

Nicole Fichera is a Senior Vice President for CannonDesign’s East Region, specializing in identifying growth opportunities within emerging sectors where markets are converging. She bridges design, technology, and business to help organizations navigate cross-sector challenges and capitalize on new economic opportunities.

Nicole brings deep expertise in AI strategy, having designed training and technology implementation initiatives for organizations such as Upwork, NewAge Industries, and Interise. Her background spans the AEC industry, aerospace, and resilience planning, shaped through leadership roles and collaborations with organizations including NASA, Autodesk, Microsoft, Brookings, and the Venture Café Global Institute.

With a love for science and a passion for storytelling, Kerry Ryan is an executive communications professional who has built her career at the intersection of science, storytelling, and strategy. Specializing in the life science industry, Kerry has most recently earned a growing reputation as a leading voice in data, digital, and technology communications – including AI.

Her passion for creating a world where disease no longer limits human potential is deeply personal. This mission was amplified by her experience as a mother to a child diagnosed with epilepsy at age nine. Thanks to the life-changing power of medicine, her child is now a young adult thriving as a business professional.

Kerry designs communications strategies that drive business value and leads high-impact programs aimed at demonstrating the transformative impact of treatments on patients’ lives. A supportive mentor and dynamic team leader, she is dedicated to delivering meaningful results while fostering collaboration, transparency, and excellence across teams.

Kerry holds a Master of Science in Communications from Boston University and lives in the Greater Boston area with her family. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, practicing Pilates, and, most recently, exploring how AI can enrich personal pursuits, including home remodeling.

Noelle Piscitelli is a skilled communications leader who has spent her career helping biopharmaceutical companies to translate complex science into compelling narratives around treatment innovations and elevate their reputations among key stakeholders.

Most recently, Noelle served as Global Head of Oncology Communications at EMD Serono, the U.S. healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In this role, she led comprehensive communications strategies through the oncology franchise’s growth. Partnering across commercial, medical, R&D, and patient advocacy functions and with corporate communications and investor relations, she designed communications approaches that helped create anticipation and uptake for new indications and new treatments—always keeping patients at the forefront.

Prior to EMD Serono, Noelle held senior leadership roles at Burson-Marsteller, Rx Mosaic Health, and Feinstein Kean Healthcare, where she advised many of the industry’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Across these positions, she directed global communications programs supporting oncology, vaccines, infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, ophthalmology, rare disease, and men’s health brands.

Noelle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. She lives in Boston.

Cheya M. Pope is Global Sr. Vice President of Corporate Communications for Menarini Stemline, where she is responsible for the company’s global communications initiatives, including data communications, product launches, and media engagement; corporate visibility, branding, and social media; DTP disease awareness initiatives; and internal and executive communications. Cheya joined Menarini Stemline in 2023, and created an integrated Communications and Patient Advocacy function, while also launching ORSERDU®, the first oral therapy to target ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer.

Prior to joining Menarini Stemline, Cheya led the Corporate Affairs teams for companies including Epizyme and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. In these roles, she built and led integrated Corporate Communications and Patient Advocacy functions from the ground up. She spearheaded successful patient and community education through advocacy partnerships; effectively reached consumer and HCP audiences via strategic media initiatives; developed internal communications engines to strengthen employee connection to purpose; and launched refreshed corporate narratives and branding, including company websites and social media channels.

Prior to that, Cheya held Patient Advocacy leadership roles with Sanofi Global Oncology, Genomic Health, and Genentech, leading the outreach to global cancer and rare disease patient communities, and providing counsel to internal stakeholders on key advocacy issues. Throughout her career, Cheya has successfully built partnerships with top-tier and grassroots advocacy organizations to educate and empower patients on personalized medicine, targeted therapies, and genomic tests; and collaborated with advocate thought leaders on key issues, such as access to therapy and regulatory policy issues.

Cheya has more than two decades of experience working in Communications and Patient Advocacy, and she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Davis with a BA in English.

Ben Bradford is the Head of External Affairs at MassBio, where he leads the organization’s economic development, workforce development, and communications initiatives. In this role, he manages MassBio’s relationships with municipalities, international organizations, and the regional real estate and development community. Ben works closely with companies evaluating relocation or expansion opportunities, helping them navigate decision-making and connect with resources across Massachusetts’s life sciences ecosystem.

Through partnerships with foreign economic development agencies, Ben supports international companies seeking entry into the U.S. market and facilitates connections to Massachusetts’s life sciences network. He also serves as a key resource for MassBio member companies as they scale and expand their operations within the Commonwealth.

Ben also authors two annual reports on the status of the Massachusetts biopharma industry. These reports provide key data and insights that support public-private collaboration to grow the state’s life sciences ecosystem and inform policies that strengthen the industry.

Prior to joining MassBio, Ben served as Director of Business Development and Regional Strategy at the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. In that role, he focused on recruiting life sciences companies to establish operations in Massachusetts and building strategic relationships with municipalities across the Commonwealth to support industry growth statewide.

Ben has a B.A. in Political Science from Union College(NY). He lives north of Boston with his wife and two kids.

Ian Karp is Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations at Collegium Pharmaceutical, a dynamic, biopharmaceutical company delivering medicines with formulation and delivery innovation for people living with complex central nervous system and pain conditions. In this role, Ian leads all aspects of Collegium’s investor relations function, developing and executing strategies that promote a clear understanding of the Company’s investment thesis and support an appropriate market valuation.

Prior to joining Collegium in 2025, Ian spent over twenty-five years working across a variety of functions including sales & marketing, new product commercialization, business development, corporate communications, and investor relations.  Ian spent the first half of his career in commercial roles at large, global biopharmaceutical companies including Pharmacia, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca before transitioning to business development and Investor Relations at Shire. Following his time as Head of Investor Relations at Shire, Ian went on to serve as Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Karyopharm Therapeutics and then at Intellia Therapeutics.

Ian earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emory University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rutgers Business School.

Tanya Wymer is Executive Director of Enterprise Communications at Biogen, where she leads global strategies across executive communications, digital and social channels, and corporate brand campaigns. Since 2018, she has focused on strengthening leadership visibility, employee engagement, and enterprise reputation.

Previously, Tanya spent 13 years at Novo Nordisk in the U.S., Denmark, and Canada, leading employee, digital, and affiliate communications. Earlier, she held roles at Cancer Care Ontario and Edelman, supporting clients across healthcare, technology, and the public sector.

Kate O’Malley is Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Moderna, where she leads brand, digital and enterprise communications—including employee engagement, executive visibility and community programs. She has guided Moderna’s communications through the company’s pandemic response, global expansion from more than 500 to 5,000 employees, and the launch of the Moderna Charitable Foundation. Previously, Kate worked in corporate marketing and CSR communications at Accenture and held communications roles at NYU and Indiana University. She earned an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame.

Dave Murdoch leads external, social and digital communications for Sumitomo Pharma America, formerly Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, and has served in this role since 2024. Previously, he led communications and investor relations at Lyndra Therapeutics, and has also held comms leadership roles at Takeda, Sanofi and Novartis. A journalist by trade, Dave started his career in financial publishing and worked as a reporter for Inc. magazine. He is a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication, and lives with his wife, two teenage children, two dogs, two guinea pigs, and a rabbit just outside of Portland, Maine.

Georgina is an award-winning communications leader with more than 20 years of experience driving impact across the global healthcare and biopharmaceutical sectors. She currently serves as Executive Director of Communications at Charles River Laboratories and has held senior communications roles at Sail Biomedicines, Aimmune, Takeda, GSK, and Gilead.

With experience spanning startups to global multinationals, she is recognized for building strategic communications functions that enable growth, guide transformation, and strengthen alignment. She began her career in a London media relations agency before spending almost a decade in the UK’s NHS and healthcare sector – a foundation that continues to shape her pragmatic, purpose-driven approach. An Oxford graduate with an MBA and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Georgina brings a culturally fluent perspective forged by work across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, combining strategic rigor with practical execution to deliver meaningful outcomes in global organizations.

Tracy Vineis is a biopharma communications leader with a strong track record of guiding companies through growth, transformation, and high-stakes moments. She serves as Vice President of Communications at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, where she has led the communications function during the company’s evolution from a clinical-stage organization to a commercial company with multiple product approvals and ultimately to its $5.6 billion acquisition by Biogen.

At Apellis, Tracy defined and evolved the company’s corporate narrative, elevated its visibility, and prepared leadership to engage effectively with media, employees, patients, and investors. She has also guided the company through complex challenges while maintaining stakeholder trust.

Prior to Apellis, Tracy played a key role in building Bioverativ, leading communications for the spin-off of Biogen’s hemophilia business. She helped launch the company in nine months, establishing its corporate identity and communications function, and later supported the company’s growth through its acquisition by Sanofi.

Across her career, Tracy has worked across large global biopharma, emerging biotechs, and a PR agency. She has helped companies navigate product approvals, corporate transactions, and periods of significant change, while delivering high-impact communications and building strong functions, often with lean teams and resources.