Discover vital insights into diseases that disproportionately impact women—breast cancer and lupus—at this powerful event. Join us as women leaders from Alumis, Celine Biotechnologies, Genentech, IGM Biosciences, and The Cancer Journey Institute come together to share their unique perspectives as researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates. Explore the latest advancements in treatments and learn practical ways to support loved ones navigating these challenging diagnoses.

Don’t miss this chance to engage with thought leaders in the breast cancer and lupus fields while connecting with the WIB community. Space is limited, and this event is expected to sell out quickly. Secure your spot today—there will be no on-site registration. Your ticket includes food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Note: HCPs, government employees, and contractors for government agencies must disclose their status at the time of registration in order to attend the event.

Program

6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Check-in and networking
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Panel discussion
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Q&A and networking

Speaker Bios

Mary Beth Harler, Chief Executive Officer at IGM Biosciences, Inc.

Dr. Harler joined IGM in 2021 and is the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining IGM she was Senior Vice President, Head of Immunology and Fibrosis Development at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she oversaw late-stage development of assets for the potential treatment of psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), among others. Dr. Harler also oversaw approved medicines within the immunology and fibrosis portfolios, such as Orencia and Zeposia. In her more than ten years at Bristol Myers Squibb, she also served as Head of Innovative Medicines Development and Head of Innovative Clinical Development in the cardiovascular, fibrosis, immunoscience, and genetically-defined diseases group. Prior to joining Bristol Myers Squibb, Dr. Harler worked in both medical affairs and clinical research at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now part of Pfizer). Dr. Harler received a BS from Wheeling University in West Virginia and an MD from Marshall University. She completed training as a general surgeon at Brown University’s Rhode Island Hospital, where she was also a research fellow with a focus on the role of immune cells in wound healing.

Nina Keshavarzi, Founder and CEO of Celine Biotechnologies, Moderator

Nina is a visionary entrepreneur and biotech leader with extensive experience at the intersection of science, synthetic biology, and deep tech. For over 15 years, her passion has been driving the development of innovative therapeutics to potentially cure patients with unmet medical needs. Throughout her career, she has held diverse roles in major pharma, biotech startups, and venture capital, providing her with unique and varied perspectives on the journey to bring life-saving treatments to market. Now, she is excited to leverage these insights to launch her biotech startup and continue developing groundbreaking therapeutics that can transform the lives of patients.

Gail Lewis, Senior Principal Scientist at Genentech

Gail Lewis has worked at Genentech for 39 years and serves as Senior Principal Scientist. For more than 30 years, she has headed a tumor cell biology/preclinical drug development lab in Genentech Research. Gail’s research, leadership, and expertise led to the development and approvals of trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and pertuzumab (Perjeta®) for treating HER2-positive breast cancer. Following the approval of trastuzumab, Gail and her team focused their efforts on the nascent field of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Gail's innovative work led to the development and approval of trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla®). Gail continued her work on ADCs, for HER2 as well as additional targets, with an expanded arsenal of novel linker-drugs. Gail's lab expertise now encompasses not only HER2+ breast cancer, but other solid tumor types as well as hematologic malignancies. Currently, Gail is leading the nonclinical pharmacology efforts for Genentech’s investigational mutant-selective PI3 kinase-alpha inhibitor, inavolisib. Gail received her undergraduate degree in microbiology at the University of Texas at Austin and performed graduate work in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

Mera Tilley, Vice President, Head of Genetics at Alumis

Mera joined Alumis in February of 2022 as Vice President of Genetics. She is an NIH/NHGRI-trained genetic epidemiologist and human geneticist. She leads Alumis’ efforts to leverage genomics and genetics to guide the research and development of novel and precise therapeutics in collaboration with Foresite Labs. Mera previously did a stint in the start-up world, leading the Precision Medicine and Translational Genetics group at Goldfinch Bio. Prior to Goldfinch, she spent six years at Pfizer in roles across drug discovery, development, and medical affairs. Prior to Pfizer, she was at the National Human Genome Research Institute, where she developed new methods for analyzing rare variants in DNA sequence data to discover novel genetic causes of coronary artery disease. During her early career, she trained in a variety of fields, including molecular biology, bioinformatics, and science policy. Mera holds a PhD in genetics, epidemiology, and behavioral health from Penn State University.

Shariann Tom, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Cancer Journey Institute

Shariann is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Cancer Journey Institute (CJI), the nation’s first cancer coaching training organization. Her life was transformed after she experienced two turning points: surviving five bouts of cancer (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma plus a Gastric Intestinal Stromal Tumor) and making life coaching her profession. The profound contrast between facing cancer without a coach and embarking on a cancer journey with a coach by her side inspired Shariann to start a movement dedicated to cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors/thrivers. She believes that everyone facing cancer would benefit from having a Cancer Journey Coach (CJC) to help them heal emotionally and spiritually and find their true power. Shariann has over 25 years of coaching and coach training experience combined with 16 years in corporate America, which gives her the expertise needed to lead and operate an innovative company and support the growing number of CJCs worldwide. Shariann has spoken at cancer centers and cancer conferences on both U.S. coasts and internationally, including The Global Cancer Summit, Mt. Sinai’s cancer center in New York, UCSF in San Francisco, and Ostia, Italy’s Cancer Conference. UCSF also sponsored a study on the impact of CJI’s specific coaching methodologies, which showed significant improvement in the overall well-being of cancer patients. Shariann and the Cancer Journey Institute have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Cure Magazine Online, and she has been interviewed by KGO Channel 7 in San Francisco and Huffington’s Thrive Global and Authority Magazine. Her latest achievement is being an Amazon #1 New Release Bestseller with her book, The Call of Cancer: A Loving Pathway to Wholeness, Healing, and Transformation in Oct 2021. Shariann lives with her husband, Gerry, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she can be near her family, which is her number one value, and includes her children and fur babies.

Pricing Information

Register by October 16

• Members/Guests: $25
• Non-members*: $40

Register after October 16

• Members/Guests: $40
• Non-members*: $50

*Interested in joining Women In Bio? Click here to learn more about WIB membership and gain access to our video library, mentorship opportunities, and more. 

Please read WIB's Code of Conduct, In-Person Event Waiver, and Refund Policy.

Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed. 

Maximum Capacity

100

Parking Information 
Free parking is available on-site at the JLABS parking lot.
 

Public Transit Information
Take the Red or Yellow Line Bart train to the South San Francisco Station. Exit the station from El Camino Real and walk 2 minutes to the 130 South City bus stop. Depart the bus on Oyster Point Blvd & Eccles Ave. Walk 5 minutes to JLABS. 

Sponsor