AAPS has announced the opening and closing plenary speakers for the 2025 PharmSci 360, taking place November 9-12, in San Antonio, Texas.

Opening Speaker—Dr. Richard Thakor

Richard Thakor, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Finance at the Carlson School of Management of the University of Minnesota, will kick off the meeting on Sunday, November 9. Thakor’s research delves into empirical and theoretical corporate finance, particularly in the areas of research and development (R&D) and innovation, and healthcare finance. His presentation builds upon a previous presentation on biotechnology financing delivered by Andrew Lo, Ph.D., economist at the MIT Sloan School of Management, at the AAPS National Biotechnology Conference in May.

Thakor joined the finance department at the University of Minnesota after obtaining his Ph.D. in Financial Economics from MIT. He also holds positions as a Research Affiliate at the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering and the WFA Center for Finance and Accounting Research at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Closing Speaker—Dr. Daniel Anderson

Daniel Anderson, Ph.D., Professor in Chemical Engineering and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, will conclude PharmSci 360 on Wednesday, November 12. Anderson is a prominent researcher in the fields of nanotherapeutics and biomaterials, having pioneered the development of smart materials. He holds a Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of California at Davis. His research spans various areas, including medical devices, cell therapy, drug delivery, gene therapy, and material science.

“We are excited to showcase the frontiers of pharmaceutical science by bringing these top-notch leaders to the AAPS community,” remarked AAPS 2025 PharmSci 360 Scientific Programming Committee Chair Mei He, Ph.D. “I look forward to learning from these experts at the event in November.”