Ashley Brenton

Vice President, Real-World Evidence and Genomics, Optum Life Sciences

Ashley Brenton, PhD, is the vice president of real-world evidence and genomics for Optum Life Sciences. She is responsible for leading the data strategy, development, business development and operations for genomics. In this role, she bridges the gap between clinical genomics and product development to leverage the wealth of Optum data into commercial data sets and strategic alliances.

Prior to joining Optum, Dr. Brenton was the chief science officer at Mycroft Bioanalytics, where she led corporate valuation and sales strategy of the intellectual property portfolio, including the world’s largest clinicogenomic biobank in chronic pain. Previously, Dr. Brenton developed and commercialized several precision medicine tests and algorithms while building clinicogenomic data sets. In addition to her product development in this space, she has established herself as a thought leader, publishing numerous manuscripts that support the integration of clinicogenomics in health care.

Before entering the life sciences industry, Dr. Brenton was a molecular biologist in academia. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Studies from Johns Hopkins. She earned a PhD from University of California Davis and a viral pathogenesis fellowship from the Scripps Research Institute. She enjoys powerlifting, the outdoors, camping, trail running and hiking. She’s an accomplished athlete, having completed the IRONMAN twice as well as several ultramarathons. She also participates in CrossFit competitions. She resides in Spokane, Washington, with her husband and 2 daughters.

Stephen Stanhope

Director of Real World Data Center of Excellence, Boehringer Ingelheim

Stephen Stanhope is a Director in the Real World Data Center of Excellence at Boehringer Ingelheim. He has broad experience in the health sciences, and has worked on problems related to cancer genomics, drug development and medical care in academia, for integrated health care systems, and the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Stanhope has a PhD in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Nicholas Wysham

Medical Director of Lung Cancer Screening, Vancouver Clinic

Dr. Nicholas Wysham treats patients 18 years and older for a wide variety of pulmonary conditions. He has a special interest in early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer, advanced bronchoscopy, diagnosis and management of pleural disease, and advanced lung disease. During his fellowship, Dr. Wysham focused on caring for patients with advanced lung diseases with an emphasis on improving quality of life. At Vancouver Clinic, he founded the lung cancer screening program. He offers advanced bronchoscopy services, including robotic bronchoscopy for precise, non-invasive lung biopsies. Dr. Wysham also has expertise in diagnosis and management pleural effusions—fluid buildup outside the lungs.

Dr. Wysham earned a bachelor of arts in philosophy at William & Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia. He earned a doctor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. From there, he completed his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

After his training, Dr. Wysham eagerly returned to the Pacific Northwest. Outside of work, he enjoys cycling, skiing, hiking, and cooking. He particularly enjoys sharing these hobbies with his children.

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Alexa Woodward

Partnerships and Strategy Manager, Optum Life Sciences

Alexa Woodward, PhD, is partnerships and strategy manager for Optum Life Sciences. She is responsible for clinicogenomics data partnerships and supporting business strategy. She facilitates and maintains collaborations with both industry and academic partners. She also helps drive product development and strategy for a variety of clinicogenomic use cases. Prior to her role at Optum, Dr. Woodward’s academic research focused on computational methods to detect and characterize genetic heterogeneity.

Dr. Woodward received her Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from California State University, Chico. She received a Master of Science in Bioethics from Columbia University and a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she enjoys coaching CrossFit, playing ice hockey, DIY projects and learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She’s also a mezzo-soprano, previously singing with the NYC Stonewall Chorale and the University of Pennsylvania Chamber Choir. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her wife.