AGENDA
14th Annual
LIFE SCIENCE PATIENT ADVOCACY CONFERENCE
November 4-5, 2025 | Nashville, TN
Navigating Rapid Policy Change and Impact on Representative Advocacy, Health Equity, and Industry Engagement for Patient-Centered Solutions
Aïcha Diallo
Vice President of Programs
PATIENT EMPOWERMENT NETWORK
Cheryl Davis
President & Founder
RED THRED SOLUTIONS
Grayson Schultz
Senior Health Equity Strategist
ELEVATE ADVOCACY
Nasha Fitter
CITIZEN HEALTH
FOXG1 RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Wendy Erler
Senior Vice President, Patient Affairs
SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS
Martha Orzechowski
Global Head of Patient Advocacy
ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS
Jasin Binder
Head of Patient Experience
PATHOS
Monique French
Vice President, Patient Advocacy
RX4GOOD
Eshan Vishwakarma
Founder
ARUL HEALTH
Stephanie Reffey
Sr. Director, Advocacy and Alliances
EXACT SCIENCES
Marcie Reeder
Senior Director, Patient Advocacy & Communications
Y-MABS THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Nicole Schroeder
Director, Patient Advocacy
ARVINAS
Joanna Doran, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer
TRIAGE CANCER
Matt Farber
Sr. Director, Alzheimer’s
Advocacy & Professional Relations
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
Camilo Rojas
President & Founder
PROJECUS.AI
Countdown to the Life Science Strategic Patient Advocacy Conference
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
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Second(s)
Agenda – Day One
Tuesday, November 4
8:00 REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE
9:00 CHAIRPERSON’S OPENING REMARKS
9:15 OPENING Q&A ICEBREAKER
This interactive ice breaker will open the event with an opportunity for all participants to move around the conference room with the goal of meeting other delegates and engaging in swift discussions. The audience is encouraged to briefly exchange perspectives on the evolution of patient advocacy at their organizations and different organizational approaches related to anticipated federal policy shifts. Furthermore, participants in this warm-up session are also given the opportunity to directly build contacts.
9:45 KEYNOTE: NAVIGATING 2025 LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY CHANGES & DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON HEALTH CARE
2025 has seen substantial federal legislative and policy changes that will directly impact patient access to health insurance and access to health care. These ongoing changes will have innumerable downstream effects on the health care system, including for patients, providers, hospitals, health systems, and industry. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of these changes and their likely and potential impact, in order to ensure patient access to quality care.
Joanna Doran, Esq., Chief Executive Officer
TRIAGE CANCER
10:30 COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
11:00 RE-ORIENTING CLINICAL TRIALS AS A MUTUALLY-BENEFICIAL PROCESS
The clinical trial process is experiencing a deficit of participants due to lack of awareness from both patients and healthcare providers. Communication gaps before, during, and after the process often leave patients unclear about cost, benefits, and overall outcomes. There is an opportunity to improve communication and involvement for patients and family to ensure insights and expectations are met. Pharmaceutical companies can improve patient-trial connections by collaborating with advocates, developing a clear access path for participants, including those who could benefit from innovative therapies as a form of healthcare, and engaging with the patients after the trial conclusion.
• Lack of awareness and communication disrupts trial recruitment
• Outlining patients benefits from clinical trials as a form of healthcare
• Journey-mapping to better connect patients in CT process
Nicole Schroeder, Director, Patient Advocacy
ARVINAS
11:45 ENHANCING INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPROVED REPRESENTATION IN ADVOCACY
• Addressing institutional challenges that result in public scrutiny
Implementing transparency strategies to help restore trust in PA relationships
Highlight the importance of buy-in from patients to better improve health
Matt Farber, Sr. Director, Alzheimer’s Advocacy & Professional Relations
ELI LILLY AND COMPANY
12:30 LUNCHEON
1:30 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS: REPRESENTATION AND MEASURING IMPACT WITHIN ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS
• Defining a value proposition for patient advocacy function
• Communicating the impact & necessity of advocacy to leadership
• Effective methods for advocacy leaders to compliantly measure results
• Reframing success metrics from “return on investment” to “return on engagement
Grayson Schulz, Senior Health Equity Strategist
ELEVATE ADVOCACY
2:15 UTILIZING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO EMPOWER PATIENT VOICE
With artificial intelligence gradually being integrated into the life sciences industry, advocates must learn to generate data that can stand up to technical rigor. While a data-first approach may help with measuring ROI, a traditionally challenging aspect of patient advocacy, a strictly impartial and robotic method risks replacing the patient voice altogether, thereby decentering patients during the process. Advocates can work with this by turning patient storytelling into data-driven storytelling that will validate the patient voice rather than replace it.
• Current industry uses for integrating AI data analysis
• Sharing methods around using data to tell patient stories
• Discuss potential challenges to AI integration
Nasha Fitter, CITIZEN HEALTH/FOXG1 RESEARCH FOUNDATION
3:00 COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
3:30 MANAGING ADVOCACY BURNOUT AMID RAPID CHANGE IN POLICY
• Assessing underlying drivers and unique challenges of burnout
• Discuss strategies to mitigate burnout despite constant policy shifts
• Explore resilience-building techniques, and collaborative approaches
Monique French, Vice President, Patient Advocacy
RX4GOOD
4:15 PANEL DISCUSSION: EFFORTS TOWARD HEALTH EQUITY AMID SHIFTING FEDERAL PRIORITIES
The current administration has released a series of executive orders addressing any diversity-related initiatives, which will have a significant impact on research, development, and efforts to promote equitable access.
• Highlighting the impact of executive orders on R&D
• Share structural barriers and limitations that challenge equity
• Discuss current strategies for equitable access while remaining compliant
Stephanie Reffey, EXACT SCIENCES
Aïcha Diallo, PATIENT EMPOWERMENT NETWORK
5:00 CLOSING REMARKS AND END DAY TWO
Agenda – Day Two
Wednesday, November 5
8:30 REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE
8:50 CHAIRPERSON’S OPENING REMARKS
9:00 EXPLORING GLOBAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PATIENT ADVOCACY
• Highlighting differences in patient engagement initiatives outside US
• Comparing differing regulatory landscapes and measurement tactics
• Exploring collaborative partnership models and sponsorships
Grayson Schulz, Senior Health Equity Strategist
ELEVATE ADVOCACY
9:45 EFFECTIVE METHODOLOGIES FOR COALITION & INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP BUILDING
• Share considerations for selecting sponsored patient organizations
• Review critical methods for demonstrating measurable value of collaborations
• Defining success metrics for developing and sustaining high-impact partnerships
Martha Orzechowski, Global Head of Patient Advocacy
ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS
10:30 COFFEE & NETWORKING BREAK
11:00 PANEL DISCUSSION: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN DECISION-MAKING FOR PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS
• Use of AI to collect representative data in various areas
• Addressing algorithmic bias and informed consent
• Exploring potential regulatory roadblocks
Marcie Reeder, Y-MABS THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Camilo Rojas, PROJECTUS.AI
Eshan Vishwakarma, ARUL HEALTH
Jasin Binder, PATHOS
11:45 INTERACTIVE Q&A ROUND ROBIN
Join us for an interactive Q&A session designed to foster open dialogue and deepen understanding around key themes discussed during the conference. This session offers attendees the opportunity to engage directly with panel experts, ask questions, and explore emerging ideas in an informal, conversational format. Whether you’re seeking clarification, looking to challenge perspectives, or aiming to connect insights across disciplines, this session provides a collaborative space for thoughtful exchange and community learning.
12:30 LUNCHEON
1:30 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS: STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVELY ENGAGING LEADERSHIP WITH ADVOCACY INITIATIVES
• Share strategic frameworks and actionable steps to justify advocacy function
• Opportunities to embed patient insights into planning, development, etc
• Brainstorm additional ways for a patient-centered internal approach
Monique French, Vice President, Patient Advocacy
RX4GOOD
2:15 PANEL DISCUSSION: EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF STRATEGIC PATIENT ADVOCACY WITH POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS
The strategic patient advocacy function is undergoing transformation by way of increasingly centering patient voice and engagement for continued investment. Gaining access to policy discussions with policymakers remains challenging, especially during a time of political fluctuation.
• Forging effective partnerships with community and industry stakeholders
• Exploring pharmaceutical companies’ local sponsorship initiatives
• Shared standards for cultivating relationships with advocacy organizations
Nasha Fitter, CITIZEN HEALTH/FOXG1 RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Wendy Erler, SAREPTA THERAPUTICS
Cheryl Davis, RED THRED SOLUTIONS
3:00 CLOSING REMARKS AND END DAY TWO
Attendees by Job Title
%
VP or Higher
%
Director
%
Manager
%
Other
Who Should Attend
Executives that will find this program of greatest relevance are those currently working to integrate great diversity in patient pools while expanding patient access to education, as well as navigating the changing landscape of outreach and monetary compliance regulations. Job titles of those executives that will find this program to be most applicable to the job function include:
Patient Advocacy
Advocacy Relations
Patient Engagement
Patient Communications
Patient Assistance/Programs
Patient Advocates
Previous Attendees Include
Sr. CSA, ALEXION
Head of Health Equity, Patient Engagement and Policy AMGEN
Global Head, Patient Advocacy, ARGENX
Director, Patient Advocacy, ASTRIA THERAPEUTICS
Sr. Director, Advocacy & Strategic Alliance, AURINIA PHARMA
Co-Founder & Executive Director, AVERY’S HOPE
Associate Director, Global Patient Advocacy, BMS
Senior Director, Patient Advocacy, CATALYST PHARMACEUTICAL
Director of Advocacy, CHRONIC DISEASE COALITION
Associate Director, Patient Advocacy & Outreach, CRINETICS
Executive Director, DYSPHONIA INTERNATIONAL
Associate, Director Corporate Advocacy, EISAI
Associate Vice President – Neuroscience Advocacy, ELI LILLY
Patient Advocacy & Engagement, ENCODED THERAPEUTICS
Senior Manager, Patient Advocacy, FORGE BIOLOGICS
Dir, Patient & Professional Partnerships, FOUNDATION MEDICINE
Executive Director, GBS
Patient Advocacy Relations, GENENTECH
Director, Public Affairs US Patient Advocacy, GILEAD SCIENCES
Chief Science Policy Officer, GLOBAL HEALTHY LIVING FOUNDATION
Sr. Director, Patient Engagement and Advocacy, GSK
President, HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT FOUNDATION
Senior Director, Patient Advocacy, HORIZON PHARMA
Head of Patient Advocacy, IMMUNOVANT INC
Global Director Patient Advocacy and Engagement, JANSSEN (J&J)
SVP, JPA HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS
Vice President, Product Development, LEADIANT BIOSCIENCES
Patient Advocate, LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Senior Director, MENARINI-STEMLINE
President and CEO, NATIONAL MPS SOCIETY INC
Executive Director, Patient Engagement & Advocacy, NEUROCRINE
Sr Director, Patient Advocacy, REGENXBIO
Vice President, Partnerships Lead, REVERBA
Patient Advocacy Experience Lead, SPARK THERAPEUTICS
….And Many Many More
