2024 Annual Symposium Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Cokey Nguyen
President and CEO @ Atara Biotherapeutics

SoCal TBA 有幸邀請到在 Atara Biotherapeutics 擔任執行長的 Cokey Nguyen 博士為今年年會的主題演講嘉賓。

Cokey Nguyen 博士身為細胞治療和癌症治療藥物開發的領航者之一，擁有多年的研究和領導經驗，曾任數個藥廠包含瑞輝、強生的高級主管，帶領雙特性抗體和嵌合抗原受體T細胞療法的研究計畫，並持有多個專利。他於2021年加入 Atara Biotherapeutics，並在今年九月受任為執行長，領導公司發展新一代的細胞治療技術(allogeneic cell therapies)，治療癌症與自體免疫疾病。

這次年會，Cokey Nguyen 博士將在生醫業界數十年的經驗濃縮轉化為一場精彩的演講，揭開現今生技製藥的趨勢以及未來發展。

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Cokey Nguyen, President and CEO of Atara Biotherapeutics, as our keynote speaker this year.

Dr. Nguyen is a leader in the fields of cell therapy and oncology with significant experience in research and development of cell therapies as well as oncology drug discovery and development in biotech. Dr. Nguyen joined Atara in May 2021 as Chief Scientific Officer, where he focused on leading the development of next-generation allogeneic cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. With his passion for delivering transformative therapies to patients, Dr. Nguyen helped advance Atara’s existing programs and further expanded the pipeline through pioneering science, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and named to the Board of Directors in September 2024.

Prior to joining Atara, Dr. Nguyen was at Fate Therapeutics, where, as Vice President, Innovation, Research and Development, he directed strategy for discovery and innovation efforts, and spearheaded the corporate collaboration program with ONO Pharma. Prior to that, he was leader of the targeted immunotherapy group on the Oncology R&D team at Pfizer, producing bispecific antibodies for solid tumors and hematological malignancies and bringing them into the clinic.

Dr. Nguyen’s bench science experience includes work in tumor metabolism, gene expression and molecular biology. He holds numerous patents for iPSC and immune effector cells and has been published in various peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Nguyen has also been active in successful business development activities, including, while at Janssen, evaluating Legend’s BCMA-directed CAR T program and supporting the Janssen/Legend partnership.

Dr. Nguyen received his undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Washington University in St. Louis. He was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he focused on the identification and characterization of BRCT domains as novel phosphor-binding domains in DNA damage pathways.

In his free time, Cokey is an avid reader, is a fan of motorsports and enjoys cycling.

Session I: AI and Machine Learning in Pharmaceutical Industry

人工智慧與機器學習在生技和醫藥領域的應用

你想了解人工智慧與機器學習如何正在改變製藥業的未來嗎？這些技術如何加速藥物的發現和開發過程，並提高精準度和效率？在 2024 年年會的第一個 Session「人工智慧與機器學習在製藥業的應用」，我們將深入探討這些技術的潛力與挑戰，並解答你心中的疑惑。

Are you curious about how AI and machine learning are reshaping the future of the pharmaceutical industry? How are these technologies accelerating the drug discovery and development process while enhancing precision and efficiency? Don’t miss the third session at the 2024 Annual Symposium, “AI and Machine Learning in Pharmaceutical Industry,” where we will explore the potential and challenges of these technologies and answer your questions.

Speakers

Shawn Hsu

Consultant in AI/ML solutions

Sheng-Hsiou (Shawn) Hsu is an innovator in AI/ML solutions for health technology, wearables, and neurotech. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from NTU and a PhD in Bioengineering from UCSD. Shawn began his career as a Research Scientist at Google X, later becoming a founding member of NextSense, a Google spinoff, where he developed novel health wearables. As Director of Data Science at Arctop, he led R&D in pioneering brain-computer interfaces for brain health and human-AI interaction. Now as a consultant, Shawn drives generative AI development for health tech startups while mentoring the next generation of innovators.

Szu-Yeu (Jimmy) Hu

Machine learning engineer @ Google Health AI

Jimmy Hu is a Machine Learning Engineer at Google Health AI dedicated to making health knowledge universally accessible through the power of AI. With a background as a medical doctor from National Taiwan University and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Informatics from Harvard Medical School, Jimmy brings a blend of clinical and AI expertise to his work. He specializes in enhancing large language models (LLMs) to provide accurate and comprehensive answers to complex health questions. Jimmy is passionate about the potential of AI to democratize healthcare and improve global well-being.

Ming-tse (Michael) Tsai

Chief Medical Officer & Co-Founder @ KURA care

Ming-tse (Michael) Tsai, MD, MHI, FAMIA, ACHIP is driven by a mission to transform the future of healthcare by bridging the gaps between payors, providers, and patients. His journey has taken him through various impactful roles, including serving as a board-certified MD in direct patient care, a medical director in the government sector, a physician informaticist, a data scientist, a product manager, and an executive in a U.S. digital health company. His career is marked by a dedication to rigor, discipline, and a deep commitment to achieving the quadruple aims of healthcare improvement. With a diverse professional background, Ming-tse excels at fostering team unity, enhancing performance, and leading teams to success.

Session II: Current and Future of Small Molecule Drugs

小分子藥物的現在與未來

你想知道小分子藥物從發現到進入臨床的過程是如何嗎？你想知道中間需要克服哪些挑戰嗎？新一代的科技像是 AI 會如何改變藥物開發的流程？又是否可信呢？那絕對不可以錯過 2024 年會的第二個講題「小分子藥物的現在與未來」。在這個講題我們將透過對話的方式解答你的疑問。

Are you curious about the process of small molecule drugs from discovery to clinical trials? Do you want to know the challenges that need to be overcome along the way? How will new technologies like AI change the drug development process? And is it trustworthy? Then you definitely shouldn’t miss the second session at the 2024 Annual Symposium, ‘The Present and Future of Small Molecule Drugs.’ In this session, we’ll answer your questions through a conversational format.

Tzu-Hsuan (Leon) Huang

Director Discovery Immunology @ Vividion Therapeutics

Dr. Tzu-Hsuan (Leon) Huang is the Director of Immunology Discovery at Vividion Therapeutics, a Bayer AG subsidiary. He specializes in developing small molecules targeting traditionally undruggable proteins in autoimmune diseases. With extensive experience at Pfizer, Abbvie, and Amgen, Dr. Huang has led teams in creating innovative therapeutics, including small molecules aimed at cancer immunotherapy and tumor immune evasion.

Justin Ichida

Associate Professor @ USC, Co Founder @ AcuraStem

Dr. Justin K. Ichida is the John Douglas French Foundation Endowed Professor and Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. His research centers on neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Ichida has co-founded two biotech companies to translate his small molecule discoveries into clinical treatments, reflecting his commitment to advancing therapeutic options for nervous system disorders.

Ichida Lab

Yong Jia

Director @ Norvatis

Dr. Yong Jia currently serves as the Director of the Discovery Science Department at Novartis, where he leads the in vitro pharmacology group. During his tenure at Novartis, he served as the project co-leader of the mutant-selective EGFR inhibitor program, leading it from target validation to the identification of the clinical drug candidate EGF816, which demonstrated proof of concept in humans during Phase I trials. Prior to joining Novartis, Dr. Jia was a Senior Scientist at AbbVie, where his group primarily supported biochemistry and enzymology in small molecule drug discovery.

Resume & Interview Workshop

履歷與面試工作坊

你準備從學校畢業後，尋找生技界的第一份工作嗎？還是準備轉換角色，挑戰不同的工作內容？你知道如何撰寫亮眼的履歷和掌握面試流程，在眾多應徵者中脫穎而出？本次年會的履歷與面試工作坊邀請到 ACROBiosystems 的 Sofia Elmore 以及 Neogene Therapeutics 的 Alice Lin 博士，從人力資源和招聘經理的角度分享他們在招聘過程中的寶貴見解和經驗。

Are you looking to land your first jobs, or looking to advance or switch roles in the competitive biotech industry? Do you know how to navigate the current job market, and how to write a strong resume and master the interview process to secure the job opportunities? In the resume & interview workshop, we are honored to have Sofia Elmore and Dr. Alice Lin as our panel speakers to share their valuable insights and experiences from the perspectives of human resources and hiring managers in the hiring process.

Alice Lin

Senior Director, Analytic Sciences @ Neogene Therapeutics, a member of the AstraZeneca group

Dr. Alice Lin is the Senior Director of Analytical Sciences at Neogene Therapeutics, with extensive experience in hiring, team building, and fostering cross-functional collaborations as a proactive, technically adept leader. She has established an efficient Analytical Development (AD)/Quality Control (QC) team, developed analytical assays, led projects with R&D, PD (Process Development), AD, and QC teams across the Netherlands and the US, and coordinated AD and QC functions in CMOs globally.

Previously, Alice served as Associate Director and Senior Manager in Quality Control at Fate Therapeutics, where she oversaw assay development and built a QC team along with a full-scale laboratory. She also held roles as Manager and Senior Scientist in QC at Kite Pharma and as an R&D Scientist at BioVision.

Alice earned her BSc in Life Science from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, and her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Riverside. She completed postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute, focusing on discovering specific mediators for neurodegenerative disorders using iPSC-derived cells.

Sofia Elmore

Sr. HR manager @ ACROBiosystems

Sofia Elmore is the Senior Human Resources Manager at ACROBiosystems. With comprehensive experience in the biotechnology industry, she specializes in talent management, organizational development, benefits, and employee relations. In her role, she also partners with company leaders to support ACROBiosystems’ company strategies.

Sofia earned her BSc in Communication Studies with a focus on Cultural Communication from the University of Phoenix. She also completed the Human Resource Management Certificate from the UCSD Extension program and holds the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) certification, recognizing her expertise in HR strategy, policy-making, and leadership.

Networking & Relationship Building Workshop

人脈拓展工作坊

Looking to expand your professional connections and learn from industry leaders? Our Networking & relationship building workshop is the perfect opportunity to gain insights, build relationships, and discover new collaboration opportunities!

Tony Yen

Product Development Manager ＠ Illumina

Tony Yen, PhD, is an accomplished technical leader and systems integration expert with over a decade of experience in product development across established corporations, startups, and academic laboratories. Currently serving as a Staff Systems Integration Scientist at Illumina, Inc., Tony has played a pivotal role in the development and launch of groundbreaking DNA sequencing platforms, including the NovaSeq X and iSeq100. His integration expertise spans various subsystem types, including optics, informatics, fluidics, motion, and thermal systems, enabling him to deliver best-in-class performance across throughput spaces of DNA sequencing. Tony’s contributions have led to significant advancements in the field, such as enabling unprecedented pricing at $200 per human genome and driving further demand elasticity for the NGS market. With a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA in progress, Tony combines his technical prowess with business acumen to drive operational excellence and innovation in the genomics industry.

Debbie Lin

Vice President @ Caris Life Sciences and Venture Partner @ T.Rx Capital

Dr. Debbie Lin has over 20+ years of business leadership experience in multinational environments, having lived and worked in global executive positions in the US, Europe and Asia. Debbie’s forte is new business model strategy, business development, venture capital in healthcare and medtech with a focus on scientific product development, value proposition refinement, and market access.

As Executive Director for Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Debbie was accountable for digital
health investments, board directorship and digital health strategy setting in North America. Previous to her role at the Venture Fund, she was Global Director of Corporate Development where
she crafted new business models for healthcare in major global markets.

She has also held operational roles in field based Health Economics and Medical Affairs working
with national payers, regional providers and opinion leaders. She supported more than 5 drug launches and a variety of disease indications. Debbie is an Adjunct Faculty Advisor at UCLA Anderson School of Business and a mentor at Stanford MedicineX. She currently in VP of Strategic Partnerships at Caris Life Sciences, a precision oncology diagnostics company and a Venture partner at T.Rx Capital.

Eddie Chung

CEO @ Coastar Therapeutics

Mr. Chung has extensive experience in the drug delivery industry, with a strong track record of managing projects from R&D to IND package preparation. He serves on the board of several organizations and has been the CEO of Coastar for the past four years. Mr. Chung holds an MS degree in Bioengineering from UC San Diego and a BS degree from National Tsinghua University.

Southern California Taiwanese Biotechnology Association

南加州臺灣人生技協會

加入官方LINE帳號，活動訊息不漏接