Virtual Biopharma Comms Forum

Erica Jefferson has more than 20 years of broad communications and external and public affairs experience leading public health agencies and biopharma companies.

Most recently, she was senior vice president, corporate affairs at ReCode Therapeutics, a clinical-stage genetic medicines company where she led communications, investor relations and patient advocacy. Prior to ReCode, she served as associate commissioner of external affairs for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where she set agency-wide communications strategy, served as the top communications advisor to the commissioner and was the FDA’s principal communications liaison to the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies. In this role, she led the primary communications functions for the agency, including media affairs, editorial and creative services, digital and social media and stakeholder engagement.

Before rejoining the agency, Ms. Jefferson was vice president, corporate communications and public affairs at Alector, Inc., a clinical stage neurology company. In this capacity, she built the company’s communications function, led corporate rebranding efforts and supported investor relation. Previously, Ms. Jefferson led communications at Dermira, Inc. (acquired by Eli Lilly), and Pharmacyclics, LLC, an AbbVie company. Early in her career, she held communications roles with increasing responsibility at Genentech Inc. (a member of the Roche Group), the American Pharmacists Association and The McGinn Group (currently McGinn and Company).

Ms. Jefferson currently serves as a Board Member for the Foundation for mRNA Medicines, an organization dedicated to educating the public on the promise of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics through education and awareness, combatting misinformation, and supporting the training and advancement of professionals in the mRNA field.

In 2021, Ms. Jefferson was named to PR Week’s Health Influencer 30 List. She is an active member of the FDA Alumni Association and previously served as a Board Member for the National Association for Continence. Ms. Jefferson holds a master’s degree in health communication from The Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Shreya Jani is the Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences. In this role, Ms. Jani leads the public affairs function globally with a focus on growth strategies and innovative approaches to drive impact. 

Shreya Jani is an accomplished corporate affairs leader with 20+ years of experience, with an expertise in building high performing teams during periods of growth. 

Prior to joining Gilead, Ms. Jani was at BeOne (formerly BeiGene) where she built and led the global corporate affairs function, playing a pivotal role advancing the company’s reputation into new international growth markets. Earlier in her career, Ms. Jani spent almost 15 years at Pfizer, holding several roles with increasing seniority, ultimately leading the corporate affairs function for a range of therapeutic areas. 

Ms. Jani holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s in International Public Health, both at New York University (NYU). Ms. Jani is based at Gilead’s headquarters in Foster City, California.

Julie Tierney is a principal based in Washington, D.C. She has over 25 years of experience in FDA law and policy. Tierney helps life sciences companies, patient organizations, and others understand and develop regulatory and engagement strategies and advance policy solutions for complex issues related to product development, review, and marketing.

Before coming to Leavitt Partners, Julie served in a number of senior roles at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that leveraged her substantial legal, policy and operational expertise. She served as the FDA chief of staff, during which time she managed multiple public health crises and oversaw the daily management of the agency and major cross-cutting agency activities. Julie most recently served as deputy director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, where she led the center’s policy and legislative engagements related to complex biologics such as cell and gene therapies, vaccines, and blood products, cross-agency rare disease efforts, including the launch of the FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub, and other strategic initiatives.

During her tenure at FDA, Julie helped shape solutions to some of the most challenging regulatory and legal issues, including those related to rare disease product development and FDA’s expedited programs such as accelerated approval, breakthrough designation, and regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation, as well implementation of novel programs such as qualified infectious disease product designation, the drug development tools/biomarker qualification program, and platform technology designation.

Julie served as FDA’s detailee to the U.S. Senate HELP Committee as a senior health policy advisor, where she negotiated the FDA-related provisions of 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255); upon her return to FDA, she played a key role in the implementation of this transformative legislation. Beyond her time on Capitol Hill, she remained involved in legislative and policy initiatives at FDA as a member of the negotiation team for Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) VII and played a key role in FDA’s negotiation and implementation of major FDA-related legislation, including the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act of 2012 (FDASIA), Food and Drug Administration Reform Act of 2017 (FDARA), Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAIA), and Food and Drug Administration Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 (FDORA). An attorney by training, Julie joined the FDA in 2008, as an associate chief counsel for drugs in FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel.

Prior to her government service, Julie practiced food and drug law at private law firms. She received her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University with a double major in Biology and History. Julie received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Rose joined Cullinan Therapeutics in 2022, where she currently serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Rose brings more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and a variety of experiences across communications, patient advocacy, and government affairs. Previously, at Bristol Myers Squibb, Rose held leadership positions in Global Hematology Commercial Communications, Corporate Communications, and Scientific Communications. Prior to Bristol Myers Squibb, Rose led communications at Otsuka US. Previously she held roles in marketing and communications at Sanofi. Rose earned a Master’s degree in Finance from La Salle University and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Ruth du Moulin, PhD, is a recognized medical affairs executive with over 20 years of global experience across leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Her expertise spans both pre-commercial and commercial settings, from shaping pipeline decisions to spearheading successful oncology product launches. She has deep experience in drug development, medical strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Ruth champions the strategic evolution of medical affairs through digital innovation and collaborative partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders. She is an advocate for unified scientific messaging and speaking with one scientific voice across all audiences, which involves strong collaboration with corporate communications colleagues and partners. 

A skilled leader, Ruth excels at building team capabilities and navigating organizational change. She is a passionate advocate for women in leadership and fostering inclusive workplace cultures.

Nishla Keiser, Ph.D., focuses on strategic intellectual property counseling, patent litigation, and transactions in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical areas. She brings extensive in-house experience to her counseling and transactions practice through her more than eight years spent at small and mid-stage biotechnology companies in various roles, including executive leadership positions. Nishla advises clients on complex IP matters and has a deep understanding of how IP impacts overall business risk, transactions, fundraising, and decision-making.

Prior to rejoining Finnegan in 2023, Nishla was chief legal and strategy officer for a pre-clinical biotechnology company focused on developing circular RNA therapeutics. She also served as senior vice president, deputy general counsel at a leading genome editing company, where she oversaw all legal functions and was a member of the executive leadership team. In these roles, Nishla led legal preparations and diligence for multiple rounds of private and public financing events, helped negotiate complex licensing and collaboration deals, and advised all corporate functions on legal and IP risks. Working at these platform technology companies in crowded competitive landscapes has given Nishla a distinct perspective on how IP and other legal considerations fit into corporate planning and decisions.

While an associate at Finnegan, Nishla focused on due diligence, freedom-to-operate, and patentability opinions on topics including biologic and small molecule therapeutics, gene editing, gene therapy, vaccines, drug delivery, diagnostics, and analytical methods. She also spent significant time working on US district court litigations, with experience that included discovery, claim construction, working with expert and fact witnesses for depositions and trial, and post-trial briefing. Nishla’s practice extended to preparing and prosecuting patent applications and providing guidance on domestic and international portfolio management.

With a doctorate in bioengineering, Nishla has a wide range of laboratory experience. Her background includes developing analytical techniques to study the biological roles of complex carbohydrates, developing controlled-release drug delivery microchips, and studying the genetic regulation of hormones and hormone receptors.

Johnny Smith Jr. MA is the Global Head of Communications for Roche Diagnostics, the world’s leader in developing diagnostic tests, instruments and digital solutions that support healthcare professionals in making critical decisions for their patients’ health.

Previously, Johnny was Vice President of Marketing Services for Encompass Health, a national leader in post-acute care that operates more than 150 rehabilitation hospitals. In that role, he led a team of marketing, PR, communications, customer research, creative services, digital marketing and print service professionals.

Before Encompass Health, he was national senior director of marketing and communications for Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the United States. Prior to his national Ascension role, Johnny was system director of corporate communications for St. Vincent, a 22-hospital system and one of the largest employers in Indiana. He began his career at Indiana University Health.

Johnny earned a Master of Arts in communication from Johns Hopkins University. He also earned his Bachelor of Science in public relations from Ball State University. Johnny serves on the American Lung Association National Board and the University of Indianapolis Board of Trustees.

Michelle Benz serves as the Senior Director of Professional Development at Ticket to Biotech (T2B), where she champions the growth of communicators in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. She joined T2B in 2024, drawn to its mission of building a vibrant community of communications practitioners, and creates innovative programs that help comms pros thrive.

Prior to T2B, Michelle led conference production for Fierce Life Sciences at Questex, where she transformed the PR & Communications portfolio through strategic leadership and community building. She grew the flagship East Coast event’s speaking faculty by over 40%, elevating speaker diversity and expanding representation across pharma, biotech, and advocacy organizations. Michelle also launched a successful West Coast summit tailored to regional biotech needs and the Rising Stars program, connecting emerging PR talent with industry leaders and fostering professional development. Her impact extended beyond communications, managing several other programs such as New Product Planning, DEI, and the Fierce Biotech Summit.

Michelle previously championed market-driven programming for pharmaceutical and biotech audiences at Informa Connect, where she cultivated extensive networks across the life sciences sector. She has always had a passion for events; earlier in her career, she managed corporate events at Salesforce, led marketing initiatives at IBM Resilient, worked on the Global Seminars and Events team at Fidelity Investments, and supported numerous events while at Imprivata, where she consistently drove program growth and innovation.

Michelle holds a B.S. in Entrepreneurship and Marketing with a minor in Psychology from Northeastern University. She currently advises for the University of Oklahoma’s Women in Leadership Program, supporting rising female leaders in their professional development journey.

Lynnea Olivarez founded the global biopharma communicator community Ticket to Biotech (T2B) after 15 years driving compelling corporate affairs initiatives across the drug development lifecycle. Since its 2023 launch, T2B has attracted hundreds of communications practitioners to elevate the profession’s influence and deepen impact across the life sciences.

Lynnea has guided integrated communications strategies for dozens of organizations spanning industry, agency, and government. She most recently managed corporate communications as a VP at gene therapy company Encoded Therapeutics. Before that, Lynnea was recognized in PR News as a 2020 Top Woman in PR for her work at Intellia Therapeutics initiating a clinical trial investigating the first CRISPR therapy to edit genes inside the human body. Previously supporting the pivotal study readouts, launch, and pricing of the first gene therapy for a genetic disease is another career highlight.

Lynnea also has advised a spectrum of life science clients at boutique PR firms, spearheaded mar-comm for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and led global IT communications at Novartis Biomedical Research. A summa cum laude Northeastern University graduate, she’s immediate past president of the Public Relations Society of America SF Bay Area Chapter and chair of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Communications Committee.

Michalina Brokos is an Amsterdam-based PR & communications manager and Netherlands Director at Maneuvre, an award-winning boutique firm that supports visionary companies and founders with strategic PR, communications, and growth. She works closely with clients operating at the forefront of biotech, longevity, AI, fintech, blockchain, and agtech.

Before joining Maneuvre, Michalina held several marketing and graphic design roles across creative agencies and served as a CMO at a web3 gaming startup. For over three years, she worked with the Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA), an independent expert body dedicated to improving the quality of higher education in Poland. Earlier in her career, Michalina also supported a number of cultural institutions in Gdańsk, co-organising national and international events and festivals.

She holds two bachelor’s degrees from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (art education and product design) and a master’s degree in product design from the University of the Arts in Poznań, Poland. Outside of work, she’s a Duolingo nerd with a 1500+ day streak and runs a small handcrafted jewelry brand, Orilla.

Arleen Goldenberg is a seasoned communications professional with more than more than two decades of experience in-house and on the agency side, leading corporate and product communications strategy for a range of both start-up stage biotech and healthcare companies to large, global pharmaceutical companies. She is currently the Vice President, Corporate Communications at Replimune, a clinical-stage biotech company where she leads external, internal and digital communications, and supports investor relations. 

Prior to Replimune, Arleen worked at Real Chemistry as a Managing Director in their Integrated Communications practice. She also spent time at VERGE Scientific Communications (now Deerfield) leading engagements with venture-funded companies in life sciences to define their stories and strengthen their value to the marketplace.

Previously, she was the Director of Product and Pipeline Communications at Regeneron where she built the product communications team and worked closely with the executive team, scientists and the commercial organization to help shape external understanding of the company, its platform and products.

Prior to Regeneron, Arleen worked at Edelman where she was a Senior Vice President in the New York Health and Wellness Practice. In this role, she led strategy development and implementation for a variety of clients, drove consumer and brand engagement, and led numerous product launches and regulatory milestones. 

Earlier in her career, Arleen served as a leader and consultant at several large public relations firms, including Cohn & Wolfe. 

Arleen graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a BA in Communication.

Natalie Moran is the founder of Comms Futurist, a consultancy that helps businesses stay ahead by positioning communications as a true driver of trust and growth. She partners with executives and leadership teams to strengthen visibility, integrate AI responsibly, and ensure their communications keep pace with a rapidly changing profession. Her work spans C-suite workshops on LinkedIn presence, 1:1 communications coaching programs, and virtual events that help leaders translate strategy into plain language and build visibility that supports business goals.

Natalie has led media campaigns in federal advocacy, written speeches on Capitol Hill, managed communications in education, and trained executive teams at fast-growing companies. She connects major shifts in the field (i.e. AI adoption, the “trust recession,” and the rise of executive visibility on LinkedIn) to concrete actions leaders can take to future-proof their organizations.