AAPS announced the opening and closing plenary speakers for the 2024 National Biotechnology Conference (NBC), taking place May 13-16 in San Francisco, CA. 
 

Hari Pujar, Ph.D., M.B.A., Chief Operating Officer of Tessera Therapeutics and Operating Partner at Flagship Pioneering, will deliver the opening plenary on Monday, May 13, at 3 p.m. He will discuss next-generation approaches to biotechnology modality development.
 

Dr. Pujar is a global biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in biologics. He has experience in manufacturing, R&D, commercialization, and gene therapies, having worked for both large pharma and small biotech firms.
 

Peter Lee, Ph.D., President of Microsoft Research, will discuss AI and its impact on health and life sciences in the closing plenary on Thursday, May 16, at 3:15 p.m. In his role at Microsoft, he leads the team developing research-driven products that integrate new technologies such as AI with healthcare solutions. 
 

“I can’t wait to be motivated and inspired by the opening and closing plenaries,” AAPS 2024 NBC Scientific Programming Committee Chair Katie Maass, Ph.D., said. “There are opportunities and challenges as we venture into new modalities and broader applications of AI, and I hope you’ll join me in hearing the perspectives of these thought leaders in the field.”
 

“Both Dr. Pujar and Dr. Lee are leaders directing new frontiers in biotechnology,” 2024 AAPS President, Gopi Shankar, Ph.D., M.B.A., FAAPS, said. “I’m looking forward to hearing their insights and learning how to put them into practice. If you’re in biotechnology, I recommend attending the NBC and hearing from these paradigm-bending experts.”
 

The two plenaries bookend a scientific program that follows two tracks: Advances in Discovery, Formulation, and Delivery of New Modalities and Novel Strategies to Advance Biotherapeutic Development.