Speakers
Host
Ron Burkle
Board Member, Scripps Research
Ron Burkle is founder and managing partner of The Yucaipa Companies, a premier investment firm that fosters economic value through the growth and responsible development of companies. An active member of the Los Angeles community, Burkle regularly hosts fundraising events and serves on the boards of several of the area’s nonprofit organizations. For his philanthropic contributions, he has received numerous awards and honors. He joined the Scripps Research Board of Directors in 2017.
Emcee
Sherry Lansing
Board Member, Scripps Research
Sherry Lansing was the first woman to head a major film studio as president at 20th Century Fox in 1980, and in 1992, she became chair and CEO of Paramount Pictures. In 2005, she established the Sherry Lansing Foundation, dedicated to funding and raising awareness for cancer research, health, public education and encore career opportunities. She also co-founded the Stand Up To Cancer initiative, and currently serves on several prominent boards. She joined the Scripps Research Board of Directors in 2018.
Featured Speakers
Peter Schultz, PhD
President and CEO, Scripps Research
L.S. “Sam” Skaggs Presidential Chair
Peter Schultz is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Scripps Research as well as a successful biotech entrepreneur. Widely considered one of the top chemists in the world, he has made many seminal contributions to the field, including the development and application of methods to expand the genetic code of living organisms, the discovery of catalytic antibodies, and the development and application of molecular diversity technologies to address problems in chemistry, biology and medicine. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Eric Topol, MD
Executive Vice President, Scripps Research
Director and Founder, Scripps Research Translational Institute
Eric Topol has published over 1,300 peer-reviewed articles, been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and is one of the top 10 most cited researchers in medicine. He’s also clinically active as a cardiologist. He authored three best-selling books on the future of medicine and is the principal investigator of two large NIH grants: the All of Us Research Program that supports precision medicine, as well as a Clinical and Translational Award that promotes innovation in medicine.
Arnab Chatterjee, PhD
Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry, Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines
Arnab Chatterjee’s work has been focused on hit-to-lead and lead optimization in several medicinal chemistry projects for a range of therapeutic areas, spanning neuroscience, oncology, respiratory disease and infectious diseases. Formerly a principal investigator at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), he has more than 20 years’ of experience as a medicinal chemist and has developed multiple drugs currently in clinical trials and late-stage preclinical development.
Ardem Patapoutian, PhD
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ardem Patapoutian received the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for solving how the body senses touch and other mechanical stimuli. His notable contributions include identifying ion channels that act as the body’s mechanical pressure sensors and interpret information like temperature, pressure, organ movement, how we sense our bodies in space, and much more. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Michael Bollong, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Early Career Endowed Roon Chair for Cardiovascular Research
Michael Bollong was the first-ever fellow of the Scripps Research Fellows program, which supports the next generation of visionary researchers by helping them launch impactful careers. He is a recipient of the Baxter Foundation Young Faculty Award (2020), the Philip S. Portoghese Joint Lectureship Award (2022) and the Amgen Young Investigator Award (2023).
Featured Panelists
Nancy Thornberry – Moderator
Founding CEO, Kallyope
Nancy Thornberry has decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, with responsibilities spanning research and development, business development, customer engagement and strategy. Prior to joining Kallyope, she was Senior Vice President and Franchise Head, Diabetes and Endocrinology, for Merck & Co., Inc., with responsibility for discovery and clinical research in diabetes, obesity and women’s health.
Bill Gates
Gates Foundation
Bill Gates is chair of the Gates Foundation. In 1975, he co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend, Paul Allen. Bill is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy, an effort to commercialize clean energy and other climate-related technologies, and TerraPower, a company investing in developing groundbreaking nuclear technologies. Through his private office, Gates Ventures, he focuses on Alzheimer’s research and other issues, such as healthcare, interdisciplinary education and technology.
Gerald Chan
ScD, Morningside
Gerald Chan is a scientist and a global leader in biotechnology, and a Scripps Research board member. In his career as a venture capitalist, he has been involved in the building of over a hundred biotech companies. Of these, over a dozen companies were co-founded by him with intellectual property spun out from universities. His work has resulted in first-in-class drugs, diagnostics and medical devices being approved by regulatory agencies for use in the clinic. In recent years, his work has focused on using AI to develop digital biomarkers, digital diagnostics and therapeutics for dementia, autism and behavioral disorders.
Mikael Dolsten
MD, Pfizer, Inc.
Mikael Dolsten focuses on advancing Pfizer’s scientific breakthrough leadership in small molecule medicines, biotherapeutics, gene therapies and vaccines. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the company’s Portfolio Management Team, which governs major pipeline investments and strategic end-to-end R&D priorities. He leads Pfizer Research & Development, focused on discovery and early- and late-stage clinical development for vaccines, inflammation and immunology, internal medicine, and infectious diseases, as well as non- malignant hematology and rare neuromuscular diseases.
Rajiv Kaul
Fidelity Investments
Rajiv Kaul is a portfolio manager and research analyst for Fidelity Investments. Widely recognized for his leadership in the biotech industry, he manages Fidelity’s Select Biotechnology Portfolio and its Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology Fund. He is considered among the country’s top-rated healthcare investors.
