Michele M. Oshman is Chief Patient Advocate, Senior Vice President, Alliance Development at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). In her role, she leads an incredibly strong patient advocacy team, where she oversees BIO’s engagement with patient advocacy and other key stakeholder communities, drives support for members’ patient engagement and patient advocacy work, and ensures BIO’s policies reflect patient perspectives.

Ms. Oshman joined BIO in January 2020 after a successful 18-year career at Eli Lilly and Company, where she led federal alliance development outreach. She served in multiple clinical development, patient advocacy and corporate leadership roles, earning a Six Sigma Black Belt, and leading multiple transformational efforts across the company.

Dr. Brett P. Giroir has 35 years of experience as a physician, scientist and innovator dedicated to improving public health and medical science. Brett currently serves as Chairman & Interim CEO of OncoNano Medicine. Formerly, he served as the 16th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Acting FDA Commissioner and Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He also acted as the U.S. Representative to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization within the Department of State and was on the front lines of the COVID-19 response as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Brett was the first physician to be appointed an Office Director at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and led the Blue-Ribbon Panel for the Veterans Choice Act Reform of the VA Health System. 

Kristen Doyle joined the agency in 2009, serving as CPRIT’s deputy executive officer and general counsel. Ms. Doyle has played a pivotal role in establishing the policies and legal and regulatory foundations that ensure CPRIT maintains the highest standards in carrying out our mission to accelerate cancer cures, treatments, and prevention activities throughout Texas. 

Through CPRIT, Texas leads the country in its unprecedented commitment to catalyze discovery and progress in preventing cancer and researching and developing innovative technologies to detect, treat, and cure cancer. Created by the Texas Legislature and approved by two statewide votes in 2007 and 2019, CPRIT directs the state’s $6 billion cancer initiative.  

Positioned in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metroplex, Arlington is known as the “American Dream City,” offering a low cost of living, affordable housing, and strong educational and cultural opportunities, where big ideas come to life.

The Arlington Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is a nonprofit that drives equitable economic growth by recruiting new industry, supporting business expansion, and creating quality jobs across Arlington while attracting and retaining employers, partners, and talent.

Helping life science companies bring their products to market by turning complex patent landscapes into clear, actionable launch strategies.

Harness IP is an intellectual property law firm dedicated to protecting pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovation with high-quality, strategic legal counsel from discovery through commercialization. With deep expertise across pharma and biotech, the firm advises companies of all sizes on building strong, defensible IP portfolios that support long-term growth and market success.