Joseph joined Sanofi’s structural biology group in 2013 as a crystallographer to support structural-based and fragment-based discovery projects. In 2016, he began training in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and has since ‘converted’ from crystallography to microscopy. Joseph established a mixed internal/external cryo-EM platform at Sanofi where cryo-EM sample prep and data processing are performed internally and microscopy is performed by vendors such as the UMass cryo-EM core. This platform has delivered cryo-EM structures of small molecule and biologics targets at resolutions up to 2.6Å, enabling structural biology approaches for non-crystallizable targets. He trained at U.C. Berkeley (Ph.D.) and Washington University School of Medicine.

Hans-Peter Biemann began his biotech career in the 1990s during the initiation of Genzyme's small molecule discovery enterprise. In that decade he originated multiple Genzyme programs, comprising design of productive lead ID strategies using target-based and phenotypic primary screens. Fragment-based and structure-based drug design were more recently enabled by his work and applied in multiple disease areas during the current decade when Genzyme joined Sanofi. His current responsibilities include leading Sanofi's North America structural biology group that supports drug discovery and other functions. He trained in cellular signal transduction and protein structure-function and Harvard (Ph.D.) and U.C. Berkeley.

Dr. Fomekong Nanfack is Associate Director at EMD Serono, a pharmaceutical company, and a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Dr. Fomekong Nanfack is leading the “structural and Digital Drug Discovery” group, an interdisciplinary team of scientists built around a core of experts to drive drug discovery of small molecules and biologics. The unique approach of the group is to combine experimental science such as crystallography with quantitative and qualitative in silico approaches that span computational chemistry and biology, structural biology, mathematics and data science. The group focus is the discovery of novel targets and molecules using computational methods such as rational library design, virtual screening, and structure-based target druggability assessment. One equally important aspect of his group is to improve molecule candidates with the potential to become therapeutics in areas like oncology or immunology. Optimization of the molecules not only involves binding affinity, potency, developability, biophysical properties and physical-chemistry characteristics, but also better selection at an earlier phase. The processes in place are based on in silico approaches such as computational properties prediction, structural protein design or structure determination. Prior to joining EMD Serono, Dr. Fomekong Nanfack was in Geneva, Switzerland at Merck Serono, where he held a Computational Biologist position focusing on antibody engineering and bioinformatics for molecular biology. In his early professional years, prior to joining the pharma industry, Dr. Fomekong Nanfack has worked in image processing and computational finance. After earning an associate degree in Yaoundé (Cameron) and then an MSc in computer science and mathematics from the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Dr. Fomekong Nanfack completed his PhD in computational biology, with a focus on systems biology at the Universität van Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in 2009.

Dr. Laura Silvian is Director of the Physical Biochemistry and Molecular Design technology group within the Biotherapeutic and Medicinal Sciences department at Biogen in Cambridge, MA. She has focused on the development of novel therapeutics in the small molecule and biologics space for 17 years in the immunology, oncology and neurology therapeutic areas. Her group harnesses structural and biophysics techniques for understanding and improving small molecule, biologics therapeutics and gene therapy capsid design for Biogen’s focus on neurodegenerative disease.. In the past 5 years Laura’s group initiated several new technology initiatives including: biodesy SHG to monitor protein conformational change, negative stain and CryoEM, and executing on molecular design strategies for improved biologics efficacy and developability. Laura is part of several leadership initiatives focusing on building a community of project leaders and building a data capture and analytical tool infrastructure strategy.