2025 SAPA Science and Careers Symposium

The Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association (SAPA) successfully hosted the 2025 SAPA Science and Careers Symposium (SCS) on April 12, 2025, at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. This year’s symposium, themed “Advancing Science and Careers: Shaping the Future Together”, featured presentations by distinguished scientists and thought leaders focusing on transformative platforms and technologies that have reshaped the pharmaceutical landscape. The event drew over 400 attendees, including pharma and biotech leaders, researchers, academic professors, and students from diverse sectors, fostering an exciting atmosphere conducive to intellectual exchange of science advancements in the Pharma and Biotech industries. 

Notably, SAPA introduced a wide variety of topics, including Novel Drug Discovery Science, Frontiers in Diabetes & Obesity Research, an Agentic AI Workshop, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Career development remained one of the central themes, reflecting SAPA’s ongoing commitment to supporting both scientific advancement and professional growth. In addition, an onsite job fair featured nearly 20 pharmaceutical and biotech companies, providing attendees with valuable career opportunities. We were also pleased to offer the "HR on Duty" program, where experienced professionals provided real-time consultations to boost candidates’ job search strategies and build meaningful connections. Furthermore, the 1:1 partnership system fostered close and impactful engagement among professionals across the community.

Plenary Session

The event kicked off with opening remarks by Dr. Wei Ding, President of SAPA and Head of Bioinformatics and Data Science at Alexion, AstraZeneca. He warmly welcomed attendees and provided an overview of SAPA’s mission and history. Following that, Event co-Chair Brian Jiang delivered a brief address, introducing the audience to this year’s diverse and dynamic SCS program.

The first keynote speaker, Dr. Hua Xu, Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at Yale University, delivered an inspiring talk titled “MedViz: Illuminating Biomedical Literature using Agentic AI and Visual Analytics.” Dr. Xu addressed the challenges of navigating scientific literature and demonstrated how advanced AI tools—leveraging visual intelligence—can extract key insights from biomedical texts, significantly accelerating both research and translational applications. He also showcased how this innovative tool can generate hypotheses and streamline discovery processes. Furthermore, Dr. Xu provided a behind-the-scenes look at the underlying algorithms, offering valuable perspectives on the evolving role of AI in the pharmaceutical industry.

Next, Dr. Peter Luo, Co-founder and CEO of Adagene, delivered a compelling presentation titled “Igniting Immunity in Cold Tumors.” He introduced a novel orthogonal dual-attack immunotherapy strategy targeting immunologically “cold” tumors, achieving a remarkable 33% overall response rate (ORR) in patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS mCRC)—a significant breakthrough in this challenging area. Dr. Luo showcased an innovative masking technology that enables precise drug delivery into tumors, maximizing on-target concentration while sparing healthy tissues and thereby broadening the therapeutic window. This promising therapeutic approach may address critical unmet needs in the post-PD-1 treatment landscape, particularly for PD-L1–negative patient populations.

Shifting focus to professional development, Dr. Russell Weiner, President of American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientist (AAPS) and Vice President, Head of Translational Sciences at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, delivered an inspiring talk titled “Careers vs. Jobs.” He emphasized the value of joining professional organizations like AAPS and encouraged attendees to pursue purpose-driven careers rather than settling for purely transactional jobs. Dr. Weiner urged participants to step out of their comfort zones, embrace fear as a catalyst for growth, and seize new opportunities at every stage of their career. He highlighted how passion is the key to transforming a job into a fulfilling career.

Dr. Hao Chen, Associate Vice President in Process R&D at Merck & Co., Inc. followed with a talk titled “Accelerating Vaccine Development in a Post-COVID-19 World.” He emphasized the growing importance of speed, innovation, and global collaboration in shaping the future of vaccine development. Dr. Chen highlighted how the vaccine landscape has fundamentally changed—becoming more competitive and expansive in scope. He discussed current market challenges and the increasing diversity of vaccine modalities.Importantly, he underscored that vaccine development is a multidimensional effort requiring strategic collaboration across science, academia, and industry. Moving forward, sustained investment and partnership across these sectors will be essential to meeting global health needs.

The session concluded with an inspiring keynote from Dr. Lyndon Mitnaul, Executive Director at the Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), titled “Together for CHANGE.” Dr. Mitnaul introduced this collaborative initiative, which focuses on increasing diversity in genomics research and advancing equity in scientific discovery. He emphasized the critical role of understanding genetics in driving therapeutic innovation and shared insights into the mission and development of the Regeneron Genetics Center. Dr. Mitnaul underscored the importance of not only doing good science but also doing science for good—advocating for a sustained commitment to supporting communities, advancing science, and serving society as a whole.

The afternoon’s Parallel Section I, “Novel Drug Discovery Science” was chaired by Dr. Dexi Yang, Director of QuantXand and Dr. Yu Tian from Merck. The session offered valuable perspectives on cutting-edge developments in Neuroscience, Medicinal Chemistry, Immunotherapy, ADC.

The session opened with Dr. Jin Zhou, Executive Director of Clinical Development, Clinical Evidence Generation, Deep Human Biology Learning at Eisai, who discussed anti-amyloid/tau therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and emphasized the importance of global Phase 3 trials such as AHEAD 3-45 and DIAN-TU. Dr. Ling Tong, Senior Principal Scientist and External Partners Lead at Merck & Co., Inc, explored uncharted chemical space, showcasing work on the HCV inhibitor MK-8408 and the PCSK9 inhibitor MK-0616. Dr. Yi Fan, Professor at University of Pennsylvania presented on reprogramming the tumor stroma for immunotherapy, with a focus on targeting the disease microenvironment. Dr. Haihong Zhou, Director of Quantitative Biosciences at Merck & Co., Inc. showcased biophysical tools used in the mechanism of action studies for a NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor. Dr. Sean Hu, President & CEO at Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, introduced non-degrading molecular glues,a novel class of compounds designed to target previously undruggable proteins. Dr. Shiwen Lin, VP of Business Enablement North America at WuXi XDC, shared strategic insights into antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development, drawing on over 30 years of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) expertise.

Parallel Session II, titled “Career Development” was moderated by Dr. Willie Wu, Founding partner of Cubic AI Technologies LLC and Kejun Zhu, Director at Bristol Myers Squibb.

Dr. Yu Cheng, Vice President at Water Corporation, highlighted the importance of self-awareness, strategic partnerships, and adaptive management in navigating today’s dynamic professional landscape. Laura Flessner, Founder & CEO at Mindtap LLC shared her personal journey of overcoming bias through innovative leadership, encouraging attendees to see their unique traits as “superpowers” in advancing their careers. Amy Spinney, Global Director at Fresenius Medical Care, introduced the concept of managing one’s career like a business, advocating for a CEO mindset and robust personal branding.

Kejun Zhu, MBA, Director of Bristol Myers Squibb, moderated a dynamic panel discussion on career development over the next five years, featuring:

• Atiba Page (Senior Manager, Talent Sourcing & Engagement, Bristol Myers Squibb)

• Diana Ji (MS, Founder & CEO, Bongene Search)

• Ran He (JD, Ph.D., Founder, THC Lawyers)

• Sienna Liu, (ESQ, Founding Attorney of Liu Law Group, P.C.)

• Yu Cheng (Ph.D., Vice President, Water Corporation)

• Laura Flessner (Founder & CEO, Mindtap LLC)

• Amy Spinney (MBA, Global Director, Fresenius Medical Care)

• Russell Weiner (Ph.D., FAAPS, Vice President, Head of Translational Sciences, Alexion Pharmaceuticals)

Key topics included adaptability, leadership, communication, networking, and interview strategies.

A highlight of the Workshop was the onsite sharing of a hiring QR-Code by Atiba who not only invited job-seekers to network, check the openings and submit resumes but also promised special personal attention to anyone attending the workshop and applying through the QR-code in the next 90 days.

The session concluded with a Mock Interview Workshop, moderated by Annie Shen, Senior Partner at Page Executive, and Jianjian Guo, Yale University. Panelists Diana Ji, Kejun Zhu, and Atiba Page, provided constructive feedback on participants’ behavioral interview responses.

Kejun Zhu delivered closing remarks, wrapping up the session with practical advice and encouragement.

Parallel Session III, titled “Frontiers in Diabetes & Obesity Research”, was hosted by Dr. Zhiping Pang, Henry Rutgers Professor of NeuroMetabolism in the department of Neuroscience at Rutgers University; Dr. Shuibing Chen, Kilts Family Professor and Vice Chair of Innovation in the department of Surgery, as well as the director of the Center for Genomic Health at Weill Cornell Medicine; and Dr. Haiying Liu, event co-Chair, director - Clinical Biomarker at CSL Behring. The session was co-organized with the Chinese American Diabetes Association (CADA).

Dr. Shuibing Chen discussed disease modeling using human pluripotent stem cells and organoids. Dr. Zhiping Pang presented on brain GLP-1's role in regulating energy balance. Dr. Liming Pei, Associate Professor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania explored mechanistic links between cardiac and metabolic disorders. Dr. Xiaoyong Yang, Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale University School of Medicine introduced “Metastat,” a novel concept reshaping our understanding of metabolic regulation.

The session concluded with a compelling and thought-provoking panel discussion.

Parallel Session IV, titled “Agentic AI Workshop” was organized by Dr. Zhiwei Yin, Associate Director at Bristol Myers Squibb and Xi Cheng, Senior Data Scientist at ThinkSnow.

Dr. Ruixiang Tang, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Rutgers University opened the workshop with “Opening the Black Box of Large Language Models,”addressing trust, transparency, and safety in these advanced AI systems. Molly Liu, Senior Manager of Analytical AI Patient Solutions at Bristol Myers Squibb, led a hands-on session on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), covering its architecture, pharma use cases, code demos, and advanced techniques. The workshop concluded with Dr. Jacob Albrecht, Director of Data Science and AI Capabilities and Governance at Bristol Myers Squibb, who presented on multi-agent AI systems and demonstrated the development of a deep research agent for pharmaceutical applications.

Parallel Session V, titled “Entrepreneurship & Innovation Forum” was chaired by Dr. Junyuan Wang, Co-founder & CEO at AnHeart Therapeutics; Yulai Weng, Founder & CEO at Bestmow and Dr. Xiaobin Huang, Chairman of GTRA, University of Pennsylvania. This section was co-organized with Global Technology Roundtable Alliance (GTRA).

Dr. Junyuan Wang shared his entrepreneurial journey, inspired by leading projects to FDA approval and the subsequent founding of AnHeart Therapeutics. Yulai Weng discussed how his internship at DJI Enterprise sparked his passion for robotics and led to the creation of Bestmow, a robotic lawn care startup. Dr. Xiaobin Huang introduced his vision for founding the Global Technology Roundtable Alliance (GTRA), a platform dedicated to promoting open intellectual exchange and collaborative innovation.

The forum concluded with a dynamic group brainstorming session that left participants inspired and newly connected.

The 2025 SAPA Science and Careers Symposium was a resounding success, uniting professionals across disciplines and generations. With a blend of scientific exploration, professional development, and collaborative spirit, the event reaffirmed SAPA’s mission to advance pharmaceutical innovation and support the growth of its vibrant community.

This year’s SAPA Scientific Symposium received generous support from a number of esteemed sponsoring organizations, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Crystal Pharmatech, Fosun Pharma USA, GenScript, McCarter & English, Merck, Pharmaron, Protheragen, Regeneron, TRiCBIO, Wiskind Cleanroom System, and WuXi XDC. We extend our sincere thanks for their valuable contributions and continued partnership.

SAPA remains dedicated to its mission of fostering collaboration within the pharmaceutical industry, promoting global scientific innovation, and supporting business development. We warmly invite all members and partners to stay engaged and participate in SAPA’s upcoming events throughout the year.