Illip Burmester Technical and Applications Manager, Proteome Sciences, UK Illip Burmester is a Technical and Applications Manager at Proteome Sciences and has 20 years’ experience working in the biomarker sector in academia and industry. Since joining Proteome Sciences in 2019 he is involved in technical, scientific, and business development functions and has been working with customers focusing on the identification of optimally tailored solutions.
Today, there is a huge effort to develop cancer immunotherapeutics capable of combating cancer cells as well as the biological environment in which they can grow, adapt, and survive. For such treatments to benefit more patients there is a great need to dissect the complex interplays between tumor cells and the host’s immune system. Identifying both the appropriate patient population and Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers related to drug biology, can offer a deeper understanding of cancer immune responsivene to immuno-oncology treatments and optimize future drug designs.
Louis is the CSO and Management Board Member of JJP Biologics, an innovative new Polish Company backed by the Starak family. JJP Biologics develops the next generation of novel therapeutic biologics around personalized medicine and companion diagnostics (JJP Biologics: Overview | LinkedIn). Louis obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Amsterdam. He was the founder of various companies focused on the generation and development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, primarily in the field of cancer and inflammation. Louis is an author of over 360 publications in international scientific journals in the field of medical immunology/biotechnology and an inventor at more than 20 patent applications.
Aart is a seasoned senior scientist with a specialized focus on the development and application of rapid diagnostic platforms and assays across a wide spectrum of fields, including environmental, water, industrial, food, feed, and human sectors. His expertise aids companies, regulatory agencies, and governmental bodies in the analysis of diverse components such as proteins (including biomarkers and food allergens), microorganisms, specific RNA/DNA sequences, toxins, contaminants (such as antibiotics and pesticides), toxic plasticizers, and other critical quality-determining factors. Aart's extensive skill set also encompasses adept project acquisition, coordination, and management in both national and international contexts. Furthermore, he is an integral member of the organizing committee for the prestigious Rapid Methods Europe conference series since 2004. Additionally, his original academic background in Medical Biology, with a focus on immunology, neuro-endocrinology, and biochemistry, underpins his comprehensive understanding of the intricate scientific landscapes he navigates.
Allan is an Associate Professor with a strong background in research, specializing in Omics, Protein Science, and Bioinformatics for Omics-driven precision medicine. His research is centered on gaining insights into disease pathology in autoimmune conditions like arthritis, IBD, and neuroinflammation, as well as low-grade inflammation processes. His expertise extends to Omics technologies, biomarker investigations, and protein array technologies for companion diagnostics, reflecting his dedication to advancing precision medicine and improving healthcare outcomes through cutting-edge research.
Dr. Shidong Jia is the Founder and CEO of Predicine, a global molecular insights company that is committed to advancing precision medicine in oncology and infectious diseases. Predicine has developed a proprietary cell-free DNA- and cell-free RNA-based liquid biopsy technology enabling minimally invasive molecular diagnosis for treatment selection, therapy monitoring, and minimal residual disease and early cancer detection. Through its global business operations in the US and in China, Predicine partners with leading global biopharma companies, academic institutions, and government agencies to support global clinical trials, CDx development and commercialization. Predicine was granted the Breakthrough Device Designation by FDA in 2022.
Christopher Peters went to medical school in Leeds and after completing basic surgical training moved to Cambridge to carry out a PhD with Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald. During his PhD he developed a four gene signature to predict outcome in oesophageal adenocarcinoma which was validated in 371 independent cases. He also set up the OCCAMS collaboration which went on to be selected to run the International Cancer Genome Consortium's Whole Genome sequencing project in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. OCCAMS has now recruited in excess of 4000 patients and resulted in over 35 publications including in Nature (2 papers), Nature Genetics (4 papers) and Nature Communications (4 papers).
After moving to London to complete his higher surgical training he was appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant Upper GI surgeon at Imperial College London with a specialist interest in transitioning new technologies to the patient. As the Biomarker lead for the NIHR London IVD Co-operative he has a programme built around trying to better understand which Biomarkers are likely to achieve clinical adoption- aiming to bridge the gap between the millions spent on Biomarker discovery and validation and the handful that achieve clinical success.
David obtained his certification in Neurology and Immunology (MD, PhD) from the University of Toulouse France, Professor of Neurology, Head Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinic. David was trained in Paris, London, and San Francisco. His research lab was dedicated to biomarkers discovery (coordinator EU-FP7 Best-MS project).
David has spent 4 years in Pharma-medical affairs, working on two MS real-world cohorts, Pharma-driven and beyond molecule: MS-Path(Biogen) and INTONATE (Roche) using standardized, quantitative outcomes and federated learning architecture.
At Novartis, David works in drug Development-Neurosciences as biomarker lead. Based on a unique database build with past therapeutic trials, clinical, MRI and biological samples are used to find a biomarker signature associated with MS disease progression.
Eike started his career in the field of bioinformatics for cancer research as a Ph.D. student in one of the first oncogenomics-based drug hunting companies, metaGen in Berlin. After a short phase of academic research focusing on protein and genome evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, he joined Altana Pharma to continue developing analytical strategies to leverage oncogenomics data for drug research. In 2007, Eike joined Merck KGaA where he worked in various functions to analyze genome-scale data for drug discovery and development, using biostatistics, data mining & machine learning, for identification of new drug target concepts or patient selection strategies in late clinical drug development.
Since 2013 he has been leading Oncology Data Science at Merck Healthcare KGaA, a team that aims to apply data mining and AI/ML from early pre-clinical research to late stage clinical development, and also to deliver cloud-based computational infrastructure and self-service tools to the Merck R&D community
Daniel Chapman joined the University of Oxford’s Clinical Trial Support Unit in 2018 and is a Laboratory Researcher in the NDPH Wolfson Laboratories. Daniel studied Biomedical Science at Bangor University and was awarded his PhD in Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Research at The University of Exeter in 2018.
Daniel’s main areas of research are the development of bespoke multiplex assays, establishing high throughput analytical methods suitable for large-scale epidemiological studies, and designing and conducting biomarker stability studies to validate sample collection, transport and storage methods.
The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) has risen dramatically for decades and is expected to rise further with a growing number of sedentary lifestyles. Obesity increases the risks of T2D, cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Depending on BMI and associated risk factors lifestyle changes are available for excess weight loss and prevention of T2D. My research focuses on identifying epigenetic markers that can predict the benefit of lifestyle changes.
Philip is CSO at Step Pharma, a French therapeutic biotech focused on novel targeted approaches for the treatment of cancer. Prior to joining Step Pharma, Philip held senior leadership roles in biotech and biopharma companies, overseeing oncology drug development and biomarker discovery programmes. He is also a board-certified haematologist with over 16 years of frontline healthcare experience. Philip is a cofounder of Gabriel Precision Oncology, a clinical software company focussed on improving outcomes for those living with cancer. He also chairs the Genomics Working group at BIVDA, The British In Vitro Diagnostic Association.
Thomas Hach, MD, is Senior Clinical Development Medical Director for Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism (CRM) at Novartis. He is the medical lead for an ultra-rare disease clinical program at Novartis. Thomas also held positions of Executive Director Patient Engagement, Global Brand Medical Director Neuroscience, Senior Global Health Advisor and Director Healthcare Systems. His passion and expertise are in precision medicine, preventative medicine, patient centricity and partnerships. He joined Novartis from Boehringer Ingelheim, where he was Global Senior Medical Director, Therapeutic Area Metabolism. Prior to that, he was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company, serving as a leader in the pharmaceuticals and healthcare practice. Dr. Hach conducted several years of research and clinical practice in diabetes/microcirculation at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. At the beginning of his clinical career, he worked in orthopedic surgery in Sweden and Germany. He received his medical degree from University of Mainz, Germany.
Elizabeth is currently Director, Oncology Market Access and Pricing- Diagnostics at AstraZeneca in Cambridge, UK. She provides diagnostic market access oversight for new biomarker companion diagnostics related to the AZ drug portfolio. Prior to her current role she was Head of Global Market Access Roche Diagnostics. She also held other key positions within Roche diagnostics during her tenure that included launch optimization and commercialization of new FDA approved products. She also has a scientific background as Director of the Anatomic Pathology Laboratories at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, US. Elizabeth received her undergraduate degrees at State University of New York and Masters of Business at Wake Forest University.
Elizabeth has authored numerous publications and is frequent invited speaker at state, regional, national and international congresses. She is a voting member and committee representative with the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and member of the ISO/TC212 Clinical Laboratory Testing and in vitro Test Systems, Committee member HQIP College of American Pathologists (CAP) , Board member of the Anatomic Pathology Patient Interest Association (APPIA).
