Our Speakers
Sarah Hein
March Biosciences
Co-founder & CEO
Sarah is the founding CEO of March Biosciences, a clinical-stage cell-therapy company targeting challenging hematological malignancies. Prior to cofounding March Bio, she was the founding Entrepreneur in Residence for the Texas Medical Center Innovation Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics (TMCi ACT). Formerly, she was a cofounder and the Vice President of Operations at Courier Therapeutics, a cancer immunotherapy startup acquired by Valo Health. She was also Director of Research at Resonant Therapeutics, an antibody therapeutics platform technology company. She began at Mercury Fund as a Venture Fellow directly after graduating with her PhD in Molecular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine.
Ann Marie Leen
Baylor College of Medicine
Professor, Pediatrics-Hem-Onc and Center for Cell & Gene Therapy
Dr. Leen is an immunologist with 20+ years of experience in developing and clinically testing a variety of novel T cell therapies to treat patients with post-transplant viral infections and malignancies including lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, as well as solid tumors such as breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. She is a named inventor on multiple patents/patent applications, has co-founded two companies, and has a long track record of mentoring trainees from graduate students to post-doctoral and clinical fellows. She is committed to scientific rigor, training, mentoring, as well as promoting an inclusive and supportive scientific environment.
Xiang Zhang
Baylor College of Medicine
Director & Endowed Chair for Distinguished Faculty
Xiang Zhang, Ph.D., is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Zhang's prominent research focuses on the bone microenvironment, cancer metastasis, and tumor-induced immune suppression, earning him numerous accolades including the Michael E. DeBakey Award for Excellence in Research.
Gang Bao
Rice University
Professor of Bioengineering; Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science & Nano Engineering; CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
Gang Bao, Ph.D., is the Foyt Family Professor of Bioengineering and a CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research at Rice University. A pioneer in nanomedicine, molecular imaging, and genome editing, his research focuses on developing precise gene correction techniques and targeted nanotechnology tools to fight cancer and single-gene disorders like sickle-cell disease. Dr. Bao is an elected fellow of several prestigious organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES).
Yubin Zhou
Texas A&M University
Professor, Presidential Impact Fellow, Chancellor EDGES Fellow, AAAS Fellow Director, Center for Translational Cancer Research (CTCR)
Yubin Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., is a tenured Professor, Presidential Impact Fellow, and Director of the Center for Translational Cancer Research at Texas A&M University's Institute of Biosciences and Technology. He received his medical training at Zhejiang University School of Medicine and later earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Georgia State University before completing postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Zhou directs a synthetic immunology and bioengineering laboratory focused on pioneering optogenetic and chemogenetic technologies for wireless immunomodulation, earning him multiple fellowships with institutions such as AAAS, FAIMBE, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Zhiqiang An
The University of Texas Health Science Center
Vice President of Drug Discovery; Director, Texas Therapeutics Institute; Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry; Professor
Zhiqiang An, Ph.D., is a professor, the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry, and the Vice President of Drug Discovery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His laboratory specializes in antibody drug discovery, having advanced over 10 innovative therapies into clinical and preclinical development and co-founded CrossBridge Bio, which was recently acquired by Eli Lilly & Co. An alumnus of the University of Kentucky and UW-Madison, Dr. An previously held leadership roles at Merck and Epitomics, and is an elected fellow of multiple prestigious organizations, including the AAAS and the National Academy of Inventors.
Mirus Bio LLC
Laura Juckem, Ph.D., is the Vice President of Research and Development at Mirus Bio LLC (now part of Merck), a life sciences company specializing in innovative solutions for nucleic acid delivery, gene expression, and biotherapeutic manufacturing. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Dr. Juckem has dedicated over two decades to advancing transfection technologies and viral manufacturing processes, progressing through several scientific leadership and operational roles within the organization.
Vice President, Research & Development