Monday, May 18

9:30 - 10:00 AM

Mastering the Art of Networking 

This presentation will guide early career scientists in building meaningful, career‑advancing connections. Attendees will learn practical tips for conference networking, including strategies for identifying who you want to meet, crafting your elevator pitch, initiating authentic conversations, and setting achievable goals. We’ll also discuss how to secure and prepare for informational interviews to advance your career. Whether you’re seeking research collaborators, career opportunities, or just new science-loving friends, this presentation will provide the tools to network with confidence and purpose.  

Emily Ortman
Head of Communications, PhRMA Foundation

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Bouncing Back: The Art of Building Resilience

Life is not a linear road, and everyone has experienced changes, whether they are planned or unexpected. These changes can challenge our ability to adapt in productive ways, especially in our professional lives. In this session we will discuss several tips that we can practice to bounce back, refocus, and build resilience during challenging times.

Gisela Camacho Hernandez, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Drug Discovery, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Asking for What You Need: Practical Strategies for Every Career Stage

This session empowers participants – whether early‑career trainees seeking mentorship or established scientists navigating leadership roles – to confidently articulate their needs in professional settings. We will explore why “the ask” can feel difficult, including internal barriers such as self‑doubt and external factors such as hierarchy and culture. Attendees will learn practical, adaptable strategies for making clear, well‑framed requests that strengthen rather than strain professional relationships. Topics include asking for actionable feedback, negotiating support and resources, initiating difficult conversations, and resolving conflict with clarity and professionalism. Participants will leave with concrete tools they can apply immediately to communicate needs effectively at every stage of their career.

Katerina Venderova, PharmD, PhD, FAAPE
Associate Professor, Biomedical Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine

4:30 – 5:00 PM

Navigating the PhD Journey, Before and After Post-Doc

This talk is for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows seeking advice on navigating through graduate school and postdoctoral fellowships.  We’ll discuss tips for searching for your post-doctoral fellowship that will set you up for success on your career path.  We will also highlight strategies that will help you find your next step towards applying to academia and industry positions.

Helmut Gottlieb, PhD
Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of the Incarnate Word, Feik School of Pharmacy

Diane Ingabire
PhD candidate, Virginia Commonwealth University 

Tuesday, May 19: Industry Day

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Behind the Science: A Fireside Chat with Dr. Michael F. Jarvis

Join us for an inspirational fireside chat with Dr. Michael F. Jarvis, a prolific researcher with 260+ publications, past ASPET President, two-time journal Editor-in-Chief, and a scientist who has spent decades in the pharmaceutical industry shaping drug discovery and development. Dr. Jarvis will field questions from two moderators, sharing personal reflections and hard-won insights gained over a lifetime of a remarkable career as a private sector scientist.

Michael F. Jarvis, PhD, FASPET, HonFBPhS
Ethics Editor, ASPET Journals

Moderators:
Kyle Palmer, PhD - CSO and COO, Opertech Bio 
Harshini Neelakantan, PhD - Executive Director, R&D, Ridgeline Therapeutics

 3:00 – 3:30 PM

Collaboration and Partnership Models Across the Private Sector

Drug discovery and development is a complex process that requires innovation, input, and effort from multi-disciplinary entities to execute an integrated strategy informed by numerous experts’ perspectives. In this talk, a team of four experts from the ASPET Industry Science Committee will discuss the integrated strategy and processes of advancing therapeutic assets from bench to marketing by drawing examples from their career experiences.

Panelists:

Xiaodong Cheng, PhD
Professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Vrushank Bhatt, PhD
Senior Scientist, Bristol Myers Squibb

Marcus Delatte, PhD
VP, Regulatory Affairs, Allucent

Yurong Lai, PhD
Executive Director, Drug Metabolism, Gilead

 4:30 – 5:00 PM

The Untold Career Paths for Pharmacologists and Biomedical Scientists

Curious about what career paths await you beyond academia? Join this panel discussion to hear firsthand from scientists who have built successful careers in government, industry, and science policy by applying the transferable skills that matter most.

Panelists:

Janet Clark, PhD, FASPET, FACNP
Director for Fellowship Training, NIMH/NIH

Julie Lade, PhD
Scientific Director, PKDM, Amgen

Marah Wahbeh, PhD
Senior Manager, Government Affairs & Science Policy, ASPET

Moderator:

Abdalla Wedn - PhD Candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Wednesday, May 20

10:30 – 11:00 AM

Beyond the Bench: Building and Communicating Transferable Skills Across Academic Career Stages

The transition from PhD training to postdoctoral fellow and ultimately to a faculty position requires more than technical expertise. This session will focus on the transferable skills developed at each career stage and how to confidently articulate them in a teaching philosophy, research statement, and interview talks. We will discuss how to reframe mentoring, collaboration, publications, and service as clear evidence of readiness for the next step that resonate with search committees. With real-world perspective, this session will help early-career pharmacologists approach the academic job market with confidence and strong professional identity.

Reem Atawia, BPharm, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwestern Oklahoma State University