As CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Emilio A. Emini, Ph.D. leads the Institute’s research and development of novel products and interventions for diseases disproportionately impacting the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Before joining the Gates MRI, Emilio served as director of the HIV and Tuberculosis program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the foundation’s efforts focused on accelerating the reduction in the incidence of HIV and TB in high-burden geographies, with the goal of achieving sustained epidemic control. Over the course of his previous 30-year career in the biopharmaceutical industry, Emilio led teams involved in the research and development of novel anti-infectives and vaccines. From 1983 to 2004, he led research at the Merck Research Laboratories involved in the development of one of the first highly active antiretroviral therapies for HIV and, as senior vice president of vaccine research, the successful development of a number of vaccines including vaccines for human papillomavirus and rotavirus.

He later served as senior vice president of vaccine development at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. From 2005 to 2015, he was senior vice president of vaccine R&D at Pfizer Inc., leading the development of Prevnar 13^® for prevention of pneumococcal disease.

Emilio was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Weill Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in 2006. He is a former trustee of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a former member of the National Preparedness & Response Science Board, an advisory committee to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, International Society for Vaccines, and The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology, Genetics, and Biochemistry from the Weill Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences.

As head of global communications at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Lee Bansil, Ph.D., creates, integrates, and leads a communications strategy that advances the Institute's mission.

Lee brings more than 25 years of experience communicating complex science to consumers, patients, stakeholders, and regulators, and has led teams in three Fortune 200 companies. Prior to joining the Institute, Lee served as vice president of corporate communications at Tyson Foods. Before Tyson, he was director of corporate communications at Corning Incorporated. Lee previously spent 24 years at Procter & Gamble (P&G), where he started his career as a toxicologist in the healthcare division from 1993 to 1997. He then served as a regulator in the Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Unit at the European Commission from 1997 to 2000. On his return to P&G, he held a number of communications leadership roles from 2001 to 2017, including communications director for P&G’s global healthcare business.

Lee earned a degree in biology at Swansea University and a Ph.D. in the immunology of malaria from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

As head of global regulatory strategy and operations at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Taryn Rogalski-Salter, Ph.D., and her team develops and implements innovative global regulatory strategies that support accelerated product development, playing a critical role in helping to advance drug and vaccine candidates toward licensure globally.

Throughout her 25-year career in manufacturing, analytical development, global regulatory policy, and regulatory affairs, Taryn has been directly involved in the global licensure of nearly a dozen new vaccines. Prior to joining the Institute, Taryn was vice president and head of global regulatory affairs at Takeda Vaccines, where she was responsible for all regulatory aspects including norovirus, dengue, sIPV, and Zika vaccine candidates. From 2008 to 2012, Taryn served as vice president and global head of vaccine regulatory affairs at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, achieving global licensure of vaccines for influenza and meningitis. As vice president of global regulatory Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation from 2007 to 2008, she was responsible for all CMC aspects concerning developmental and marketed products. Prior to her work at Novartis, she held various leadership roles in regulatory affairs and global regulatory policy at Merck and GlaxoSmithKline from 1994 to 2007.

Taryn has extensive experience in global regulatory policy and has occupied elected and volunteer positions in pharmaceutical trade organizations including PhRMA, BIO, and IFPMA. Taryn received her Ph.D. from Dartmouth College and conducted her thesis research on applied genetic and metabolic engineering at Dartmouth's Thayer School.

As head of translational discovery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Jared A. Silverman, Ph.D., drives products from idea to commercialization in disease areas that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations worldwide.

Jared has more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery spanning multiple therapeutic areas, with a primary focus on antibiotics for the treatment of serious hospital infections. Prior to joining the Institute, Jared was senior vice president of research at Kaleido Biosciences, where he was responsible for building a drug discovery platform to identify novel modulators of the microbiome for the prevention and treatment of disease. From 1997 to 2015, he was a member of the research team at Cubist Pharmaceuticals (including five years as vice president of biology) where he contributed to the discovery of three novel antibiotics that entered clinical development.

Jared has served on the Board of Directors of Auspherix and Procarta Biosciences, and is an editor for Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University.

As head of chemistry, manufacturing and controls at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Piper Trelstad, Ph.D., and her team develop robust, innovative, and cost-effective manufacturing processes and ensure clinical supply availability for the Institute’s drug and vaccine candidates.

Piper brings over 20 years of experience in vaccine development, manufacturing, and supply chain, during which time she provided strategic and technical support for a variety of vaccine products at differing stages of development. Prior to joining the Institute, Piper served as vice president of technical development for Takeda’s Vaccine Business Unit, where she provided essential shared services and overall leadership for the cross-functional teams responsible for process, formulation, and analytical development of Takeda’s vaccine products. Earlier at Takeda, Piper held several roles focused on vaccine manufacturing strategy development and implementation, including life cycle management. Before joining Takeda in 2014, Piper worked at Merck, where she most recently served as vaccine product leader. Previously, she held a number of leadership roles within the Merck Manufacturing Division, including capital project team leader, startup leader, and potency investigation leader, as well as positions within vaccine technical operations.

Piper holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. She has an undergraduate degree from Yale University in English Literature and another from the University of Maryland at College Park in Chemical Engineering.

As chief operating officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Debra Weiss, RN, MSN, provides strategic and operational support to achieve business objectives in compliance with Institute and industry standards for data integrity, safety, and quality. She has overseen operations since the Institute was founded in January 2018. Prior to her role as COO, Debra served as the Institute’s head of quality assurance & enterprise operations.

Debra’s diverse background ranges from conducting clinical trials in an academic environment to working in large and small pharmaceutical companies, where she traveled globally auditing clinical trial activities and leading global QA organizations. Prior to joining the Institute, Debra served as president of Compliance Driven Performance LLC, where she provided quality assurance and compliance consulting to facilitate companies in building and sustaining their Quality Management System. From 2004 to 2015, she served as group vice president of R&D quality assurance at Shire Pharmaceuticals and was named Shire’s Healthcare Business Women Association Rising Star in 2008. Before Shire, Debra was manager of worldwide clinical quality assurance at Merck & Co., Inc., where she led a team of quality assurance auditors and participated in a pilot program with the FDA on the use of electronic diaries. A registered nurse by training, Debra held various roles at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University Hospital from 1986 to 1996.

Debra is an adjunct professor at Temple University teaching a graduate course in GCPs. She earned her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania and BSN from Hahnemann University (Drexel).

As chief medical officer and head of development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Michael W. Dunne, M.D., oversees clinical trials in therapeutic areas aligned with the mission of the Gates Foundation.

Over the course of his career, Michael has played an integral role in global and local anti-infective drug development. Prior to joining the Institute, Michael was the founder and chief scientific officer at Iterum Therapeutics, where he led the development of the antibiotic sulopenem. From 2014 to 2015, he was vice president of research and development at Actavis. Michael earlier served as founder and chief medical officer at Durata Therapeutics beginning in 2009, where he was responsible for the development and successful global registration of dalbavancin. Prior to joining Durata, Michael worked at Pfizer for 17 years, leading the development and registration of several antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and HIV therapeutics. Michael was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and a member of the Expert Scientific Advisory Committee for the Medicines for Malaria Venture.

Michael currently serves on the Board of Directors at Iterum Therapeutics and is on the Editorial Review Board of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology and a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He earned his M.D. from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn and completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in pulmonary medicine and infectious diseases at Yale University.

As head of program & portfolio management at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Manfred Lauchart, Ph.D., ensures the delivery of highly-needed medicinal products by driving strategic planning and execution of development programs.

Manfred has extensive product development experience in Fortune 500 Life Science companies, business units, and small biotech start-ups, leading international and cross-functional teams to develop, launch, and sustain life-saving biopharmaceutical and medical device products. Prior to joining the Institute, Manfred served as vice president and head of program management organization at Intarcia Therapeutics, where he drove planning and execution of the pipeline portfolio from 2017 to 2020. Prior to Intarcia, he served as an independent consultant providing and implementing program management solutions for life science companies. As senior director of R&D, head of business operations for global clinical development, and chief of staff at Baxalta, he optimized business processes and secured compliance with existing regulatory requests as well as new R&D standards. From 2003 to 2015, Manfred served as senior director program management office R&D at Baxter Bioscience and Baxter Medical Products divisions, leading international teams in the US, EU, and Asia advancing vaccine, pharmaceutical, and medical device development programs through all stages of product development to licensure and product launch.

Manfred earned his Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology and his Ph.D. from the University of Vienna, Austria. He later earned a Master of Management degree from Malik Management Centre in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

As lead counsel at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Ken A. Miller, J.D., delivers efficient and reliable legal guidance, manages legal risk, and supports the development of solutions that accelerate impact.

Ken is a business, technology, and global health attorney with more than 20 years of experience working with highly innovative companies and nonprofits, focusing on the life sciences, software, and semiconductor industries, to help them achieve their business and charitable objectives. Prior to joining the Gates MRI in 2021, Ken supported the Global Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for five years as associate general counsel, where he helped to structure and negotiate some of the Foundation’s most substantial investments and collaborations in TB, HIV, and vaccine development. From 2005 to 2015 he was a partner of the Technology Transactions and Privacy Group at Perkins Coie LLP. In this role, Ken advised technology companies and nonprofits in complex, high-value IP and commercial transactions covering the entire product life cycle, from discovery through manufacturing and commercialization for small molecules, biologics, and devices.

Ken is a member of the Licensing Executives Society and a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee at Epiphany School. He earned his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.

As human resources (HR) leader at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Carol O’Brien develops and drives people strategies that are aligned with company strategies while fostering employee engagement.

Carol brings over 20 years of experience in HR, working in large multi-country companies and smaller start-up sites specializing in R&D, lab operations, manufacturing, clinical trials, and corporate services. Prior to joining the Institute, Carol served as senior director and global HR business partner to the CFO, CIO, and the global head of clinical trial supplies and logistics at Parexel International. From 2012 to 2018, she was the HR leader for several start-up sites in research, lab operations, and gene therapy manufacturing, including bluebird bio, JAX Genomic Medicine, and Foundation Medicine. She was previously director of corporate human resources at Schneider Electric, where she focused on global talent management for the IT business unit. Carol held several HR business partner roles at Pfizer from 2001 to 2008 supporting pharmaceutical sciences, research science and technology, applied R&D, discovery chemistry, comparative medicine, and corporate services.

Carol earned her business degree with legal specialization at King’s College. She completed HR management courses in organizational theory at Salem College and the Principles and Practices of Organizational Development program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

As head of finance at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Mahendra Pattni, M.B.A., FCCA, oversees the continuous improvement and growth of the Institute’s financial operations.

Mahendra brings more than 30 years of experience in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and consumer healthcare industries, driving revenue growth, cost savings, and process improvements. Prior to joining the Institute, Mahendra served as head of finance, corporate functions, and information technology at Biogen, where he worked closely with senior leadership to define and deliver against short-term and long-term financial goals. Before becoming head of finance, Mahendra held the role of director of business planning, global business services at Biogen. Between 2005 and 2019, Mahendra served first as Shire Pharmaceuticals’ senior finance director of global supply chain and specialty pharma, and later as head of finance, G&A functions, capital management, and corporate governance. From 2014 to 2015, he was director of financial systems and processes for Rogers Corporation. Mahendra previously worked at GlaxoSmithKline for 17 years, where he started his career and had different roles with increasing responsibilities, supporting manufacturing plants and business functions in the UK and US.

Mahendra earned his M.B.A. from Western Illinois University and his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India. He is also a Chartered Certified Accountant from England.

As head of corporate strategy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Claire M. Wagner, M.D., M.B.A., drives forward the Institute’s mission and vision, advising the CEO on enterprise-level strategy across a range of vantage points. Prior to her role as head of corporate strategy, Claire served as chief of staff.

Claire has led multi-country studies and consulted for industry and non-profit entities focused on enhancing global access to oncology products and services in low- and middle-income countries. Prior to joining the Institute, Claire worked in Mali and Tanzania between 2007 and 2009 and later served in Rwanda from 2010 to 2013 on a research team advancing large public sector health initiatives.

After returning to the United States, Claire coordinated a global effort led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Union for International Cancer Control, resulting in the 16-drug expansion of the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines for cancer. As a research fellow of the Harvard-Dubai Center for Global Health Delivery in 2018-19, Claire was principal investigator on a study evaluating access to cancer diagnostics in the East African Community.

Claire is the recipient of The Commonwealth Institute’s 2021 Extraordinary Women Advancing Healthcare Award. She is an associate scientist in medicine in the Division of Global Health Equity at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a co-author of more than 40 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, The Lancet, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Claire earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where she was the Commencement Class Day Speaker.