BIOLABS
INVESTOR
DAY
|2026
PHILADELPHIA
April 21, 2026 | The Curtis
#biolabsinvestorday
PARTNERS
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"Founders, investors, scientists, and operators moved easily between conversations, reconnecting, meeting for the first time, exchanging ideas before the first pitch even began. It didn’t feel like a passive event—it felt like a system in motion." - BioBuzz (continue reading)
2026 HIGHLIGHTS
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
AGENDA
9:00 - 9:30
9:30 - 9:45
9:45 - 9:55
9:55 - 10:35
10:35 - 11:10
11:10 - 11:20
11:20 - 11:30
11:30 - 12:10
12:10 - 1:10
1:10 - 1:55
1:55 - 2:35
2:35 - 3:15
3:15 - 3:30
3:30 - 4:30
Registration & Networking Breakfast
Opening Remarks
Investor Intros I
Lightning Pitch Session I
Networking Coffee I
Patient Spotlight
Investor Intros II
Lightning Pitch Session II
Networking Lunch
Panel
Networking II
Lightning Pitch Session III
Voting + Award
Networking Happy Hour (BioLabs 8th Floor Cafe)
Maiken Scott
Host and Executive Producer
The Pulse, WHYY
Maiken Scott is the host and executive producer of WHYY’s The Pulse - a weekly, national health and science radio show and podcast that explores the people and places at the heart of health and science. The Pulse's goal is to make scientific findings accessible to all audiences, and to showcase how science matters to people's daily lives. Episodes have explored everything from the chemistry of creating better laundry detergents to fusion power and space travel. The Pulse airs on more than 130 public radio stations across the country, and its podcast has a loyal following. Before hosting The Pulse, Maiken covered behavioral health for WHYY. Maiken also uses her broadcast and communication experience to work with scientists around crafting clear messages, presence and presentation skills.
Panel Session
The BioLabs Investor Day panel is part of
the Practical Knowledge Series,
Presented by:
"Leveraging Academic Partnerships for
Early-stage Discovery and Co-development"
Investor Day 2026 panel includes:
MODERATOR
Heather M. Rose, Ph.D., J.D.
Vice President of Technology Licensing and Startups, Jefferson;
President, BioStrategy Partners
Heather M. Rose, Ph.D., J.D., is Vice President of Technology Licensing and Startups in the Jefferson Ventures office. Dr. Rose oversees innovation strategy, commercialization, and venture development across the Jefferson University and Jefferson Health system, advancing discoveries into measurable improvements in health outcomes and institutional growth. With more than a decade of experience spanning biotechnology, intellectual property law, and business development, Dr. Rose and her team have negotiated and executed hundreds of commercialization agreements and supported startup ventures that have collectively raised more than $1 billion over the past five years. She also serves as President of BioStrategy Partners, a nonprofit consortium of academic and health-system innovation offices dedicated to accelerating early-stage life science innovation across Pennsylvania. Dr. Rose earned her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and her J.D. in Intellectual Property Law from Drexel University.
Francesca I. De Simone
Scientific Affairs Manager at FujirebioDiagnostics Inc
Francesca leads strategic initiatives in biomarker development across neurodegenerative diseases and oncology. Her work focuses on Alzheimer’s disease while extending to other neurodegenerative disorders, advancing blood-based biomarkers and their integration into clinical and diagnostic frameworks. In her role, she leads cross-functional and external collaborations to generate clinical evidence supporting the validation and clinical use of diagnostic assays, contributes to regulatory and publication strategies, and partners with academic and industry stakeholders to advance biomarker development and implementation. She also helps translate emerging biomarkers into clinical and research applications. Francesca brings extensive experience in academic–industry collaboration, working with leading research institutions, consortia, and pharmaceutical partners to align scientific innovation with clinical and regulatory needs. Prior to joining Fujirebio, she completed her PhD and postdoctoral training in neuroscience and neurovirology at Temple University.
Kiichiro Yano, Ph.D.
Deputy Head of Daiichi Sankyo Research Institute Boston
Kiichiro Yano, Ph.D., is a strategic biopharmaceutical leader with over 15 years of experience in drug discovery, technology scouting, and global business development. As a Regional External Innovation Lead, he specializes in identifying breakthrough scientific opportunities and negotiating complex agreements within the Boston biotech ecosystem and beyond. Dr. Yano was instrumental in establishing the Research Institute Boston, fostering high-impact partnerships with start-ups and academic institutions to align research with Daiichi Sankyo strategy. Previously, Dr. Yano served as a Principal Investigator and Instructor in Emergency Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School, following a postdoctoral fellowship. His academic research focused on vascular inflammation and the pathogenesis of sepsis, specifically identifying the role of adipose tissue-derived cytokines in disease morbidity. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biotechnology from Hiroshima University. Dr. Yano’s expertise bridges deep technical knowledge in molecular biology with a proven track record in strategic deal-making and network building.
Tom Wilton
SVP Innovation Ventures,
CHOP
Tom Wilton currently serves as SVP Innovation Ventures at CHOP, where he leads a team of licensing, business development and investment professionals focused on driving collaborations with the private sector. He is a highly accomplished biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of leadership experience spanning corporate strategy, business development, commercialization and R&D operations. Throughout his career, Tom has consistently advanced cutting edge therapeutic platforms, with a particular focus in oncology, rare diseases, cell and gene therapies, and AI-enabled technology. Prior to joining CHOP, Tom served as the chief business officer for Carisma Therapeutics and LogicBio Therapeutics.
Hassan Naqvi, PhD
Sr Director, Digital Health Partnerships, Astra Zeneca
Hassan leads AI partnerships at AstraZeneca, building global collaborations that translate digital and AI capabilities into scaled, value-driving solutions across the enterprise. He previously led Digital Health Strategy for AstraZeneca Oncology, where he implemented a cross-therapeutic-area, multidisciplinary enablement program across 100+ hospitals worldwide. Before AstraZeneca, he led corporate partnerships and technology commercialization at Johns Hopkins University, launching three strategic partnerships across digital, life sciences, and medical device sectors. Earlier roles at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic Innovations included commercializing digital health, radiomics, therapeutics, and precision diagnostics. He also contributes to the broader ecosystem through BIO and the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), including service on the BIO International Convention program committee and as chair of the AUTM Annual Meeting programming committee (2017–2020).
Patient Spotlight
Guest Speaker
Rob Long
Executive Director,
Uplifting Athletes
Rob, a former All-American punter at Syracuse. In 2010, during his senior season, he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. His treatment lasted 14 months, ending his NFL aspirations. A Syracuse University graduate, Rob earned a B.S. from the Whitman School of Management and a Master’s in New Media Management from the Newhouse School. He became the Executive Director of Uplifting Athletes in 2018 after joining the organization in 2016. Uplifting Athletes has now funded more than $1.4 million in research grants to the next generation of researchers and has provided unique Uplifting Experiences to more than 2,500 individuals impacted by a rare disease.
INVESTORS
a selection of participating investors and pharma in attendance
SPONSORS
Gold
Silver
Platinum
The Venue
The Historic Curtis Building
601 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
The Curtis, the reimagined landmark publishing house in Philadelphia's highly desirable Washington Square neighborhood, is fast becoming a hub for top life science companies. Life science tenants such as Imvax, Aro Biotherapeutics, and Vivodyne occupy lab — and in some cases cGMP — spaces within the historic building. BioLabs Philadelphia is thrilled to host both graduate suites and an upcoming showcase incubator as part of the rich and rapidly growing life science hub at the Curtis.
