Phyllis Barkman Ferrell, Ph.D., Global Head of External Engagement, Alzheimer’s and Neurodegeneration, Eli Lilly & Company

Phyllis Ferrell is the Global Head of External Engagement for Alzheimer’s disease at Eli Lilly & Company, where she previously served as the leader of the Global Alzheimer’s disease development team. She also currently serves on secondment as the Acting Director of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Healthcare System Preparedness initiative. Phyllis is a current member of the World Dementia Council, a steering committee member of the Milken Institute Center for Aging Alliance for Dementia Care and NMQF Alzheimer’s Disease Index working groups, and a strategic reviewer for the Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Foundation Diagnostics Accelerator. Phyllis is also on the Boards of Directors for Alzheimer’s Research UK EDoN, Gates Ventures Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, the Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Indianapolis 500 Festival. Phyllis is a founding member of Women Against Alzheimer’s and Women of Impact Boone County; co-chair of the Women’s Leadership Council and the alumna sponsor of the Women in Economics and Business Program at DePauw University. Phyllis is passionate about Alzheimer’s advocacy and inclusion so that other boys don’t have to grow up without their grandfathers’ presence as her sons did.

Niranjan Bose, Ph.D., Managing Director (Health & Life Science), Gates Ventures

Niranjan Bose is currently the Managing Director (Health & Life Sciences Strategy) at Gates Ventures LLC, where he serves as the Science Advisor to Mr. Bill Gates. Prior to joining Gates Ventures in August 2014, he was the Chief of Staff to the President of the Global Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

He was with the Gates Foundation from 2007 through 2014, which included a few years with their Enterics and Diarrheal Diseases (EDD) program strategy team, where he was responsible for managing a portfolio of investments, which included clinical development of enteric vaccines (rotavirus, cholera, enterotoxigenic E coli and shigella).

Prior to joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he was with Strategic Decisions Group (and SDG Life Sciences), where he was a Senior Consultant and assisted clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with strategy development, company valuations, portfolio management frameworks, revenue forecasting, and competitive assessments.

Niranjan holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Dartmouth College and an MS in biological sciences and BS in pharmaceutical sciences from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India. He also received the Business Bridge Diploma from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Rob Buckle, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Medical Research Council

Dr. Rob Buckle is Chief Science Officer at the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the main Government agency responsible for UK biomedical research. MRC invests ~£800m per year on world-class research across the biomedical spectrum with the mission to improve human health and enhance the economic competitiveness of the UK.

As CSO, Rob oversees MRC’s scientific operations and funding procedures, major science initiatives and research implementation programmes. He also provides leadership for MRC in developing networks and inter-organisational relationships, both nationally and internationally.

In relation to dementias research, Rob has been a major contributor to the development of the UK Government’s strategic approach to this area, and played a key role in the establishment of the £250m UK Dementia Research Institute and the MRC Dementias Platform UK. At the international level Rob has served as a founder member on the Executive Boards for both the EU’s Joint Programming Initiative in Neurodegeneration (JPND) and the Centres of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (COEN) initiative. He also chaired the OECD working group on big data in dementia research between 2014 and 2015.

Samantha Budd Haeberlein, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Head, Neurodegeneration Development Unit, Biogen

Samantha Budd Haeberlein has twenty years of biopharmaceutical industry experience across Research, Translational Medicine and Clinical Development. Based in Cambridge, MA Samantha currently leads the Neurodegeneration Development Unit accountable for the Clinical Development of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s disease, dementia & Movement Disorders portfolios. Prior to Biogen Samantha was at AstraZeneca where she held roles in the US, Canada and Sweden as Vice President of Translational Science & Global Program Lead in Alzheimer’s disease.

Samantha is a member of the World Dementia Council, and an executive member of the Board of The Boston Home. Samantha has a BSc and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Dundee in Scotland. She was an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, Boston and conducted research at The Burnham Institute in San Diego before joining the biopharmaceutical industry.

Maria C. Carillo, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Alzheimer's Association

As chief science officer, Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., sets the strategic vision for the Alzheimer’s Association global research program. Under her leadership, the Association is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research — investing more than $455 million since 1982 — and an internationally recognized pioneer in convening the dementia science community. Dr. Carrillo uses her platform as a noted public speaker to play an instrumental role in the Association’s efforts to lobby for increased funding for the disease.

Dr. Carrillo oversees the implementation of the Association’s growing portfolio of research initiatives, including the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®), the world’s largest and most influential dementia science meeting, and the Research Roundtable, which enables international scientific, industry and government leaders to work together to overcome shared obstacles in Alzheimer’s science and drug development. In addition, she leads the Association’s direct involvement in research by serving as a co-primary investigator for the Association-funded and led U.S. POINTER study, a lifestyle intervention trial to prevent cognitive decline and dementia.

Dr. Carrillo earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University’s Institute for Neuroscience and completed a postdoctoral fellowship focused on Alzheimer’s brain imaging and risk factors at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Paul Colville-Nash, UK Medical Research Council (MRC)

Biographical information coming soon.

Paul Dauber, Bezos Expeditions

Biographical information coming soon.

Tarun Dua, World Health Organization

Biographical information coming soon.

Lisa Farier, Alzheimer’s Research UK

Biographical information coming soon.

Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director, National Institute on Aging, NIH ex officio

Richard J. Hodes, M.D., has directed the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health since 1993. Under Dr. Hodes’ stewardship, the NIA budget has grown to over $3.5 billion, reflecting increased public interest in aging as America and the world grow older. Dr. Hodes has devoted his tenure to the development of a strong, diverse, and balanced research program, focusing on the genetics and biology of aging, basic and clinical studies aimed at reducing disease and disability, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; age-related cognitive change; and investigations of the behavioral and social aspects of aging.

Dr. Hodes is a graduate of Yale University and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed training in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and in Oncology at the National Cancer Institute. He is an influential scientist in and contributor to the field of immunology, having authored more than 250 research papers.

Joanna Latimer, UK Medical Research Council (MRC)

Biographical information coming soon.

Melinda Lewison, Bezos Expeditions

Biographical information coming soon.

Sarah Lenz Lock, Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health, AARP’s Policy, Research and International (PRI)

Sarah Lenz Lock is Senior Vice President for Policy and Brain Health in AARP’s Policy, Research and International (PRI). Ms. Lock leads AARP’s policy initiatives on brain health and care for people living with dementia, including serving as the Executive Director of the Global Council on Brain Health, an independent collaborative of scientists, doctors, and policy experts convened by AARP to provide trusted information on brain health. Previously, Ms. Lock was Senior Attorney/Manager at AARP Foundation Litigation conducting health care impact litigation on behalf of older persons. Ms. Lock has been a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives to Congressman Michael D. Barnes working with the Federal Government Service Task Force, and also worked at the law firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn.

Simon Lovestone, Janssen

Biographical information coming soon.

Georgina MacKenzie, Ph.D., Portfolio Manager, Neuroscience and Mental Health, Welcome Trust

Dr Georgina MacKenzie is a Portfolio Manager within the Neuroscience and Mental Health team at the Wellcome Trust. Georgina has been at Wellcome since 2016 where she oversees the cellular and molecular neuroscience portfolio. In addition to managing a diverse research portfolio she develops and implements strategic initiatives and builds relationships with stakeholders within the global neuroscience and mental health community. Georgina has a strong interest in translating promising research to the clinic and was previously on secondment to Wellcome Innovations. A biochemist and neuroscientist by training, Georgina is a graduate of the University of Bath and earned her MRes and PhD from Imperial College London. She completed postdoctoral training at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts followed by a second postdoctoral position within Industry.

Eliezer Masliah, M.D., Director, Division of Neurosciences, NIA/NIH ex officio

Dr. Masliah joined the NIA/NIH as Director of the Division of Neurosciences in the summer of 2016. Dr. Masliah received his M.D. from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1982. He completed a postgraduate residency training in pathology at the National Institutes of Health in Mexico City in 1986. Following a fellowship in neuropathology and neurodegenerative disorders at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), before joining NIA he held joint appointments as tenured track Professor at the Departments of Neurosciences and Pathology and as Director of the Autopsy Service at UCSD-Medical Center.

As head of UCSD’s Experimental Neuropathology Laboratory, he investigated synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy and AIDS-related dementia. His laboratory was involved with the discovery of a-synuclein and developed novel models of neurodegeneration as well as new gene therapies, small molecules and experimental immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Four of the experimental therapeutic approaches developed at his laboratory targeting a-synuclein have now passed Phase I clinical trials. He also directed the neuropathology core of the NIA-supported Shirley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

A prolific author with approximately 800 original research articles, 70 book chapters and dozens of patents, Dr. Masliah has familiarity with NIA as a past member of the NIA National Advisory Council on Aging, the NIA Neuroscience of Aging Study Section, and the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study Section. He has also served as an advisor in the expert panels to revise the criteria for the neuropathological diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease organized by the NIA and the Alzheimer’s Association, at expert meetings and workshops to advise in the use of preclinical models for Alzheimer’s Disease and at a series of NIH-hosted Summits on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Masliah served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Alzheimer’s Association from 2010-2016”.

As Director of the Division of Neurosciences at NIA, Dr. Masliah is responsible for managing the portfolios and providing leadership on NIH sponsored programs dedicated at better understanding brain aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, the Division plays a key role in developing the implementation research milestones targeting the ultimate goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which calls for the nation to identify effective ways to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by 2025. Dr. Masliah also participates at the NIA Intramural program as investigator in the Laboratory of Neurogenetics.

Andrew Morris, Health Data Research UK (HDRUK)

Biographical information coming soon.

Jason Mugg, SVP, Emerging Businesses, AARP

Jason Mugg leads AARP Services Emerging Businesses department. He leads the company’s efforts in Business Development, Innovation, and Corporate Development. He was instrumental in standing up AARP’s Brain Health Fund that invested $60 million dollars in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Previous to this role he led Data Analytics & Performance Management for the past ten years within AARP. Before joining AARP, he worked for America Online and XO Communications. Jason played NCAA division I soccer as a scholarship athlete for the University of New Hampshire and is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School earning his General Management degree in 2014. He lives with his wife and two children in Arlington, Virginia.

Paul Ramsey, M.D., former CEO of UW Medicine, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the UW School of Medicine

Paul Ramsey, M.D., was the CEO of UW Medicine, executive vice president for Medical Affairs and Dean of the UW School of Medicine with executive responsibility for three hospitals (University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center and Valley Medical Center), the University of Washington School of Medicine, the largest physician practice plan in the northwest---UW Physicians, UW Neighborhood Clinics, and Airlift Northwest.

Dr. Ramsey’s research has focused on assessing physicians’ clinical competence. Dr. Ramsey earned his M.D. from Harvard. He is board certified in both Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine. He was the first holder of the Robert G. Petersdorf Endowed Chair in Medicine. He served as a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Faculty Scholar in General Internal Medicine. He has received the Distinguished Teacher Award and the Margaret Anderson Award from UW Medicine’s graduating class. He received the John P. Hubbard Award from the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has served on many national committees and is a member of multiple organizations including the Association of American Physicians and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Vice President of Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer's Association

Dr. Snyder is the vice president of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association. In this role, she oversees Association initiatives that accelerate innovative Alzheimer’s research and provide opportunities for the global dementia community to connect and collaborate. Dr. Snyder is responsible for the progress the Association has made in Alzheimer's and dementia research funding. She leads the Association’s International Research Grant Program, the vehicle through which the Association funds promising investigations that advance understanding of Alzheimer's and moves the field toward solutions for the global Alzheimer's crisis. As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research, the Association is currently investing over $208 million in 590 active best-of-field projects in 31 countries. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and a bachelor's degree in biology and religious studies from the University of Virginia.

Stacie Weninger, Ph.D., President, FBRI

Stacie Weninger is the President of FBRI. Prior to this position, she was the Senior Director of Science Programs for the Fidelity Foundations. In 2005, Dr. Weninger served as the Project Manager and Senior Analyst for the Task Force on Women in Science at Harvard University. From 2001-2005, Dr. Weninger was a Senior Scientist at Cell Press for the journal Neuron. Before joining Cell Press, Dr. Weninger was a postdoctoral research fellow at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School with Dr. Bruce Yankner. She was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute predoctoral fellow in the Program in Neuroscience at Harvard University. While a graduate student and postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Weninger was actively involved in undergraduate teaching, winning six teaching awards.

Dr. Weninger received a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University, and a B.S. degree in chemistry with highest honors from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She currently chairs the Collaboration for Alzheimer’s Prevention; is President of Alzforum; serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Rugen Therapeutics; serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Aratome, Atalanta, Eikonizo, RBNC, Sironax, and Target ALS; and serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards for the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Brain Research and the UK Dementia Research Institute. She is also a member of Pfizer’s Genetics Scientific Advisory Panel. She previously served as a founding member of the Board of Directors for Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI); as well as a member of the Board of Directors for Abelian (acquired by RBNC), Annexon Biosciences (NASDAQ: ANNX), BRI-Alzan (acquired by MeiraGTx), Digital Cognition Technologies (acquired by Linus Health), Enspectra, Inscopix, Syllable Life Sciences (acquired by RBNC), and Q-State Biosciences.