Mike Templin

Director of Scientific Advisory Services, Charles River

Michael Templin is a senior principal scientific advisor for both biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug development with expertise in the realms of toxicology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.

Specializing in numerous therapeutic areas including cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular, metabolic, and viral diseases, he has a proven track record for transitioning drug candidates from research into development. Mike uses his diverse scientific knowledge to guide clients’ nonclinical development programs and to advise on ways to strengthen and/or accelerate their nonclinical programs.

Cynthia Verst

President, Design & Delivery Innovation, R&D Solutions, IQVIA

Cyndi is a proven leader with over 25 years of clinical development and real-word research, payer and provider experience who successfully led the world’s largest R&D Clinical Operations group and built three world-leading Real-World & Late Phase Research business units within the Clinical Research Organization (CRO) industry, along with high-performing teams. The building of these three late phase research business units was driven through organic and inorganic growth, service line expansion and geographic penetration into NA, LA, EMEA and Asia Pacific.

Her current position is President, R&D Design & Delivery Innovation for IQVIA, a human data science company. Her previous roles include President Clinical Operations for IQVIA, leading over 12,000 global employees in ~100 countries, President of Real-World & Late Phase Research for Quintiles (now IQVIA), Senior Vice President of UnitedHealth Group, OptumInsight (formally, i3 Innovus) Late Phase Research Business Unit and Vice President of Global Late Phase for Kendle International Inc. Her responsibilities in her previous roles have included worldwide strategic planning, responsibility and accountability of growth, profit and loss (P&L), business development, oversight of high-quality clinical operations, executive-level Sponsor-relationship management and personnel management and team motivation.

Her additional experience in R&D and Late Phase Research was gained at Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals (P&GP) in leadership roles within the Medical Affairs division supporting marketed products within gastroenterology and infectious disease therapeutic areas over eight years. Her global role entailed the successful design and conduct of Phase IIIB/IV trials, sNDA submissions, marketing support, publication planning, thought leader advocacy, and competitive product positioning via the appropriate blending of scientific and commercial objectives.

Cyndi holds a Pharm.D. and bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati, a master’s degree in structural and cellular biology from the University of Illinois, and bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry from Northern Kentucky University.

Michael Brooks

Chief Development Officer,Syneos Health

Michael Brooks serves as the Chief Development Officer at Syneos Health, the only fully integrated biopharmaceuticals solutions organization. In this role, he helps drive Syneos Health’s growth strategy, building a broader, proactive go-to-market ecosystem. As lead of the company’s Customer Engagement and Market Development portfolio, he helps advance innovation and the voice of the customer across the product development continuum to create better outcomes for patients worldwide. Michael has more than 25 years of clinical research and commercialization experience and is well-versed in product development consulting, market access, FSP, patient access and recruiting clinical operations, decentralized trials, and digital and mobile solutions.

Jamie Macdonald

Chief Executive Officer, Parexel

Jamie Macdonald is Chief Executive Officer of Parexel. He has nearly 25 years of experience in leading global biopharmaceutical services companies.

Prior to joining Parexel, Mr. Macdonald served as CEO of INC Research, now known as Syneos Health, from January 2013 through September 2016, where he led the company through a successful Initial Public Offering in 2014.

Mr. Macdonald also served as INC’s Chief Operating Officer from July 2011 through December 2012, and previously held several leadership positions in the biopharmaceutical services industry, including Senior Vice President and Head of Global Project Management at Quintiles, now known as IQVIA. Prior to this, he held various senior operational and finance roles at Quintiles. He has represented Parexel on the Board of Directors for the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), having previously served as its Chairman in 2015.

Mr. Macdonald’s recent experience also includes serving as Chairman of the Board for Certara, a drug development consultancy with solutions spanning discovery, preclinical and clinical drug development, from 2017 to 2018.

Mr. Macdonald began his career in the pharmaceutical industry with Syntex Corporation (acquired by Roche Holdings, Inc.). A native of Scotland, he holds a B.A. in Economics from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA).

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Kyle Blankenship

Managing Editor, Endpoints News

A native of Austin, Kyle previously worked as an associate editor at another leading biopharma publication and has held editor roles at two daily newspapers in Texas. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University, Kyle holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas in Denton. At Endpoints, Kyle leads the company’s manufacturing coverage as well as running point on virtual events, editing and content strategy. An avid cook and history nerd, you can find Kyle hovering over the stove—spatula in one hand and a World War II tome in the other.