PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSIONS

Monday, May 11 | 4:15 – 5:55 PM

CARs 2026: New Models and New Runways
Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, Director, Columbia University Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET); Director, Cell Therapy Initiative, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Young Scientist Keynote: Deep Learning-Based Binder Design to Probe Biology
Martin Pacesa, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, University of Zurich

Wednesday, May 13 | 8:25 – 9:15 AM

PEGS Young Scientist Keynote Alumni Panel: Innovation in Protein Science with Young Scientist Visionaries

Moderator:
James A. Wells, PhD, Professor, Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco

Panelists:
Martin Pacesa, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pharmacology, University of Zurich
Jamie Spangler, PhD, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Kipp Weiskopf, MD, PhD, Head of Antibody Therapeutics and Biologics, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Timothy Whitehead, PhD, Professor, University of Colorado
Xin Zhou, PhD, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Thursday, May 14 | 11:35 AM – 12:35 PM

PLENARY FIRESIDE CHAT: How to Think About Designing Smart Biologics in The Age of GenAI: Integrating Biology, Technology, and Experience

Moderator:
Christopher J. Langmead, PhD, Executive Director, AI & Data for Engineered Biologics, Amgen

Panelists:
Surge Biswas, PhD, Founder & CEO, Nabla Bio, Inc.
Rebecca Croasdale-Wood, PhD, Senior Director, Augmented Biologics Discovery & Design, Biologics Engineering, Oncology, AstraZeneca
Joshua Meier, PhD, Co-Founder, Chai Discovery
Maria Wendt, PhD, Global Head (Vice President) of Digital and Biologics Strategy and Innovation, Large Molecule Research, Novel Modalities, Synthetic Biology and AI, Sanofi