ASPET 2026 Industry Scientists Track: Science Delivered, Connections Made, Momentum Built
By Harshini Neelakantan, PhD, and Kyle Palmer, PhD
ISC Founding Co-Chairs
Year after year, ASPET’s Annual Conference brings together pharmacologists from all over the world to participate in an exciting and stimulating agenda. This year was no different. From cutting-edge drug discovery science to candid career conversations, the ASPET 2026 meeting in Minneapolis delivered on all fronts.
The Industry Science Committee (ISC) sponsored a flagship symposium and three Career Connections events within the meeting’s Industry Scientists Track—each designed to bridge the academic-industry sectors, enhance mentorship and professional development opportunities, and open doors for pharmacologists at every career stage. Here’s a look at what unfolded.
Accelerating Biopharmaceutical Drug Discovery: Strategies and Scientific Frontiers
Chaired by ISC members Alix Rouault and Hiranmayee Kandala, this flagship symposium showcased cutting-edge efforts in drug discovery in the private sector, with an emphasis on advanced technologies and new strategies for rapidly pursuing novel and untapped drug targets. The symposium led off with a presentation by Brooke Rock (Amgen), who made the case that AI is a powerful tool—not a replacement—for scientists, advising trainees to embrace machine learning as a core skill for accelerating the path to clinically viable molecules. Next, Chris Oalmann (Superluminal Medicines) revealed how pairing cryo-EM structural data on receptor conformations with machine-learning algorithms solved a long-standing problem in MC4R drug development, identifying biased agonists with a cleaner side-effect profile. Following that, Radhakrishna Sura (Gilead Sciences) emphasized the limitations of standard in vitro models for drug toxicology in mimicking human-relevant complexity, making a compelling case for organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies as the next generation models in predictive toxicology. Finally, James Trevaskis (Lilly) closed with topline Phase 2 data on a next-generation amylin receptor agonist showing superior efficacy and tolerability over GLP-1 agents—a target that has proven difficult in the past given its lack of selectivity.
The symposium was attended by a large, enthusiastic audience. More than ten trainees stayed to interact with the speakers and chairs afterwards, and expressed their excitement about the exposure to private sector drug discovery and the opportunity to network for potential job opportunities. The event occasioned at least one new business partnership and one direct industry recruitment.
Career Connections: Behind the Science—A Fireside Chat with Dr. Michael F. Jarvis
ISC co-chairs Kyle Palmer and Harshini Neelakantan sat down with ASPET’s illustrious past President Dr. Michael F. Jarvis for a candid, career-spanning conversation.
A major leader in the pharmaceutical industry and a pivotal member of ASPET leadership, Dr. Jarvis traced his journey from the Navy—a formative experience where discipline and hard work became life-long values—to a career built out of naturally following his interests and doing what he loved. He emphasized the importance of associating and working with excellent scientists, with a special message to young scientists—stay curious, engage with societies like ASPET by attending meetings and asking questions, and leverage career and networking opportunities to the fullest. He distilled his leadership philosophy to “Lead by asking questions.” For Dr. Jarvis, contributing to drug development programs that have meaningfully changed patients’ lives has been the deepest source of professional fulfillment in his career.
Career Connections: Collaboration and Partnership Models Across the Private Sector
A panel led by ISC members presented the process of discovering and launching drug candidates, tracking the progression through development, acquisition, clinical candidacy, and fulfillment of safety pharmacology regulations. Xiaodong Cheng (UT Health Science Center at Houston) covered early target discovery in academia; Vrushank Bhatt (Bristol Myers Squibb) described hit-to-lead activities and how to select and work with contract research organizations for ADME and toxicology studies; Yurong Lai (Gilead) outlined the strategic thinking behind early stage acquisitions and the qualities that make a drug candidate a promising investment; and Marcus Delatte (Allucent) detailed the complexities of the regulatory landscape, underscoring why safety strategy needs to be built in from the start. This event gave a comprehensive end-to-end view of the drug development pipeline that attendees enjoyed hearing live.
Career Connections: The Untold Career Paths for Pharmacologists and Biomedical Scientists
Moderated by ISC member Abdalla Wedn (University of Pittsburgh), this session featured three remarkable and accomplished women scientists who shared their distinguished career journeys. A graduate with a PhD in genetics, Marah Wahbeh (ASPET) became enthusiastically involved with student government and policy issues, such as DEI and communication for multilingual students. Those early experiences inspired and motivated Dr. Wahbeh to pursue a career in advocacy for science, ultimately leading to her current position at ASPET as Manager of Government Affairs & Science Policy. Julie Lade (Amgen) knew early in grad school that she wanted to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Her advisor steered her to an internship at Genentech, and further networking at conferences led to an opportunity at Amgen. Janet Clark (NIMH) brought a broader perspective: a decade in industry at Merck, a lead role shaping graduate education at Drexel and, most recently at NIMH, founding the Intramural Research Program for Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Initiative, focused on training next generation scientists. A common theme among the panelists’ stories was the importance of making connections—sound advice to trainees from three exemplary role models.
The Bigger Picture
The ISC-led events sparked keen interests among young and senior ASPET members, opening doors for informal academic-industry conversations, new mentor-mentee relationships, and a surge of interest in ISC involvement. They were further amplified and complemented by the broader Industry Scientists Track sessions at ASPET 2026, including “GLP-1R vs. GIPR Pharmacology: Not All Incretin GPCRs Are Created Equal,” “Bridging the Gap: Aligning Predictive Toxicology with Mechanistic Pharmacology,” and “Non-Academic Careers for Pharmacologists.”
Given the overall success, the ISC is energized and committed to deepening the ties between ASPET and the private sector, fulfilling ASPET’s strategic vision of becoming a true professional home for pharmacologists from all sectors. The best is yet to come.
