IQ MPS 

Anna leads the Investigative Toxicology team in Drug Safety Research & Development at Pfizer, where she oversees in vitro safety screening strategies and development of custom-tailored mechanistic in vitro assays for toxicity derisking across several therapeutic areas. Anna drives internal qualification efforts of novel complex in vitro models and provides strategic guidance on their context-driven applications to portfolio.

She received a dual major PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Environmental Toxicology from Michigan State University where she continued as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and subsequently as a Research Assistant Professor investigating mechanisms linking coagulation and liver repair in models of liver injury. Anna has co-authored ~50 peer-reviewed publications and has been a productive member of the Society of Toxicology for the last 18 years. Anna is looking forward to contributing her enthusiasm and energy to the IQ MPS Leadership.

Dr. Rhiannon David is Director of Microphysiological Systems (MPS) in Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences at AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK, where she is responsible for the overall strategy to implement advanced cell models (including organoids and MPS) to address gaps and improve the human-translation of pre-clinical safety assessment.

Prior to joining AZ, following completion of her PhD at the University of Birmingham, Rhiannon undertook postdoctoral research at Imperial College London where she developed an interest in novel techniques that would improve the in vivo relevance of in vitro assays. After joining AZ in 2015, Rhiannon led the development and application of a bone marrow MPS for improved pre-clinical safety assessment. In her current role as Director of MPS in Safety Innovation, Rhiannon leads a multidisciplinary matrix team to drive and coordinate the development and integration of advanced cell models to bring safer medicines to patients quicker.

Kim is a Senior Director and Distinguished Scientist at Genentech Inc. where she heads the Complex in vitro Systems (CiS) lab, a core group focused on employing new predictive tools to enhance clinical translational outcomes. She has prior experience holding key leadership positions in two biotech startups, one of which she co-founded while in graduate school at UT Austin. Prior to that, as a co-appointed postdoc at Roche and at the Wyss Institute in Harvard, Kim invented methods to bioprint human tissues and use them to model drug disposition, mode of action, and safety. She has ~50 peer reviewed publications and 16 patents and patent applications. Kim holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering; she is also a former United States Marine Corps officer and veteran.

On a more personal note, Kim is a staunch advocate for this MPS/Organoid space and her group is doing the heavy lifting to incorporate models into routine use in pharma, helping to reduce our reliance on animals in drug testing. She is also advocating for more diverse human representation in these systems and believes that DEI work should start at the bench in preclinical drug development. She welcomes collaboration and precompetitive joint development on these topics.

Dr Philip Hewitt is currently the Director of early Investigative Toxicology in the Chemical and Preclinical Safety Department of Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. He is currently responsible for early cytotoxicity screening, hepatotoxicity methods, biomarker monitoring, CYP induction studies, genotoxicity testing and cytokine screening. Alongside the routine screening, and mechanistic assays, he is leading the Merck assessment of more advanced cell models/MPS for safety testing and potential animal replacement.

Phil originally trained as a Medical Biochemist at the University of Birmingham (1986-1989) and subsequently received his PhD at Imperial College, London, where he was first “introduced” to in vitro models (dermal). After a short post-doctoral placement at The University of California, San Francisco (Department of Dermatology) in 1998 he started a permanent position in the Institute of Toxicology at Merck KGaA in Germany, where he established the Molecular Toxicology Group. Phil has since focused on understanding, evaluating and implementing more complex/advanced cell models into routine testing. This has been achieved through multiple collaborations (internal/external), as well as student projects (Master’s and PhD). Phil is also currently the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board to the newly formed International MPS Society.