Saranya Sridhar | VP Head of Clinical Development
Sanofi

Dr. Saranya Sridhar serves as Head of Global Clinical Development for Vaccines at Sanofi, leading end-to-end clinical research from translational medicine through life cycle management. He leads a multidisciplinary team with expertise in clinical research, biostatistics, data sciences, medical writing and clinical operations. With over 20 years in vaccine R&D, Dr. Sridhar has held pivotal leadership roles including Global Head of Translational Medicine for Vaccines, Head of the Translational Science Hub in Australia (a AU$280M public-private partnership), and Global Head of Clinical Franchise for COVID-19 and mRNA vaccines. He has led the clinical development and approval of Sanofi's COVID-19 vaccine, contributed to the first dengue vaccine approval, and advanced next-generation respiratory vaccines. Dr. Sridhar earned his medical degree in India before receiving a Rhodes Scholarship to pursue his D.Phil at Oxford University, where he developed adenoviral vectored vaccines for malaria and tuberculosis. He completed a Masters in Epidemiology and Biostatistics as a Fogarty International HIV Training Fellow at UC Berkeley. His expertise is in translational medicine, clinical research and development with particular interest in new vaccine platforms and respiratory pathogens.

Appearances:

Day 1 (20th October) @ 09:00

The Technology Revolution: Agility for the Wave of Next Generation Vaccines

What new vaccines are on the horizon and what are our key scientific leaders championing?
How close are we to precision immunology? What is the roadmap for platform vaccines in oncology, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases?
What are the key performance and logistical benefits of advanced platforms (e.g. RNA) compared to traditional vaccine approaches?
Which platform technologies are most likely to cut response timelines and deliver on the 100-day mission?
How are regulatory agencies adapting their approval pathways to novel vaccines, new antigens and using AI in vaccine R&D and manufacturing?

Marco Cavaleri, Head of Public Health Threats, European Medicines Agency

Charlotte Vernhes, Director Scientific and Medical Affairs, Vaccines Europe

Jerome Kim, Director General, IVI

Moderator: Peter Marks, SVP Molecule Discovery and Head of Infectious Diseases, Eli lilly

Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department of Health and Social Care

Robert Walker, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, Novavax

Annaliesa Anderson, SVP & Chief Vaccines Officer, Pfizer

Saranya Sridhar, VP Head of Clinical Development, Sanofi

Day 2 (21st October) @ 12:45

Panel: From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: Reengineering Vaccine Clinical Development

Infectious disease vaccine development timelines have not seen a step change in the last decade, while the landscape has become increasingly competitive. In this environment, trial productivity has become a critical strategic differentiator. This panel brings together perspectives from biotech, large vaccine companies, and the public sector to explore the levers with the greatest potential to advance clinical development and accelerate the impact of innovative vaccine products on society.

Session led by: