Lakshmi Krishnan | Vice-President, Life Sciences
National Research Council Canada

Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan is the Vice-President of Life Sciences at the National Research Council, Canada (NRC). In this capacity, she oversees the Human Health Therapeutics, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development and Medical Devices research centers. As a globally recognized Life Sciences researcher, Dr. Krishnan has been a leader for driving innovation in the area of novel vaccines and biologics treatments for the improvement of human health. In her current role Dr. Krishnan is committed to Health technologies Innovation and sustainable bio-economy. Dr. Krishnan is member of a number of national, international and inter-governmental forums such as the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, the National Synthetic Biology Steering Committee, CIHR’s Centre for research on Pandemic Preparedness & Health Emergencies, Government of Canada Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing ADM committee and Canada Biomedical research fund hubs governance committees. She is the Canadian Co-Chair, under the Canada-South Korea Agreement on Science, Technology and Innovation as well as the NRC representative at government of Canada international joint committees and has been an invited guest speaker in various international conferences. Dr. Krishnan holds a Master's degree in Bio-medical Genetics from the University of Madras (India) and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the National Institute of Immunology in India. Dr. Krishnan has published over 100 primary research articles in peer-reviewed journals and is listed as an inventor on several patents. She serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa and has mentored many graduate students. In her free time, she volunteers with several not-for-profit organizations mentoring youth on leadership skills and STEM studies.

Appearances:

Pre-Congress Workshops - 21st April @ 10:00

BIODEFENSE

Protecting public health from biothreats to pandemics.

What is the progress on new technologies in medical product development?
How our governments are incentivizing (portfolio approach), especially with biotech and industry? What International collaborations are being facilitated?

How our governments are incentivizing (portfolio approach), especially with biotech and industry?

10:10 Melinda Hamer, Operating Partner, GHIC

10:30 BARDA & Sabin: Kelly Warfield, Sabin Vaccine Institute’s President of Research & Development, Sabin Institute

10:50 – 11:50 Panel: Collaboration with industry: the solution for a sustainable posture for biodefence and global health security

Col Matt Clark, Joint Project Manager, CBRN, JPEO-CBRND

Kevin Webb, COO, API Innovation Center

Chan Harjivan, Former Assistant at The White House & Chief Strategy Officer, The Medical Countermeasures Coalition

11:50 – 12:50 Panel: Rapid vaccine development through manufacturing innovation

Moderator: Praneel Jadav, Manager, Infectious Disease Policy, BIO

Mike Stebbins, Manufacturing and Threat Countermeasures Division, ATI

Renee Hart, President & CBO, LumaCyte

Lakshmi Krishnan, Vice President of Research, National Research Council of Canada

1:00 - 2:00 break

2:00 – 3:10 Panel: What are the remaining bottlenecks holding us back from achieving the 100 day mission?

Moderator: Dr Philip Krause, Independent Consultant & Former FDA

William Falstich, VP, Primary Care Category Supply Chain Lead, Pfizer

Dr Bassam Hallis, Deputy Director, Vaccine Development & Evaluation Centre, UKHSA

Dr Seth Berkley, Former CEO, Gavi; Senior Advisor, Pandemic Center at Brown University

Marion Gruber, Vice President, Public Health and Regulatory Affairs, IAVI

Kent Kester, Executive Director, Vaccine Research and Development, CEPI

3:10 – 4:10 Panel: International pandemic funding – how can we make it accessible globally?

Moderator: Soazic Elise Wang Sonn, Economist, World Bank Group, Washington D.C.

Dr Seth Berkley, Former CEO, Gavi; Senior Advisor, Pandemic Center at Brown University

Dr Christian Tientcha Happi, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences & Director, African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID)

Megan Rauscher, Senior Manager, Private Sector Program Lead, ThinkWell

Dr Monique K Mansoura, Executive Director, Global Health Security & Biotechnology, Independent

Bassam Hallis, Deputy Director, Vaccine Development & Evaluation Centre, UK Health Security Agency

Christian Tientcha Happi, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences & Director, ACEGID