BE READY has launched its Innovation Advisory Panel (IAP)
Eight international experts join BE READY’s new Innovation Advisory Panel to help move pandemic preparedness research faster into innovation and policy.
BE READY has established its Innovation Advisory Panel (IAP). The panel brings together eight international experts, each contributing insight from their own field, with one shared goal: to speed up innovation across the pandemic preparedness research and innovation ecosystem.
What the IAP will do
The IAP will identify key needs in the pandemic preparedness ecosystem and advise BE READY on how to speed up innovation. It will give the Partnership strategic advice on turning research results into innovation, so they are taken up by industry, end users and policymakers.
The panel will also advise on and contribute to BE READY’s innovation events, such as round tables and hackathons, and provide input to the Joint Transnational Calls (JTC).
Areas of expertise
The panel covers the following areas:
- Pandemic preparedness biomedical research, with a focus on translation
- Clinical research and clinical development
- Public-private partnerships in biomedical research
- Data, computing, AI and digital technology
- Regulatory frameworks
- Health economics, reimbursement and economic assessment
- Health technology assessment (HTA)
- Business development, market access and entrepreneurship
- Intellectual property (IP), including the legal identification and exploitation of IP
- Policymaking and policy implementation
For the panel’s first composition, BE READY prioritised the following areas: translation-focused biomedical research, clinical research and development, public-private partnerships, regulatory frameworks, health technology assessment, business development and market access, and intellectual property.
Meet the panel
Kai Dallmeier
Professor of Virology at KU Leuven and co-founder of AstriVax, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on virus-driven cancers. He brings both virology research expertise and entrepreneurial experience to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-dallmeier-639725ba/
Katarina Foss-Solbrekk
Expert adviser in data governance at the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, based in the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health at the University of Oxford, and postdoctoral fellow at CeBIL (Collaborative Research Program in Bioscience Innovation Law). She brings expertise in data governance and intellectual property to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-foss-solbrekk
Julian Perelman
Professor at the NOVA National School of Public Health (NOVA NSPH), where his research focuses on the economic evaluation of health programmes and policies. He is also Vice-President of the Portuguese Commission for Health Technology Assessment (CATS). He brings expertise in health technology assessment, health economics and policymaking to the IAP. https://www.ensp.unl.pt/en/docente/julian-perelman-2/
Shashank R. Pinnapireddy
Transformational R&D leader; Team Lead, European Vaccines Hub (EVH) – Manufacturing & Regulatory Preparedness, driving vaccine manufacturing scale‑up and regulatory readiness for pandemic and public‑health initiatives.He brings technical and translational experience in vaccines, gene therapy, ATMPs and nanoparticle-based delivery systems, translating biomedical research into scalable healthcare innovations and policy‑ready solutions to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinnapireddy/
Olga Pleguezuelos
Vaccine Product Development, Technical & Scientific Consultant: experienced immunologist and project manager leading candidate vaccines from discovery to early clinical stage. She brings forth experience in translational biomedical research, research development planning and clinical research to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-olga-pleguezuelos-80476b29/
Orsolya (Uschi) Symmons
Programme Manager for Health and Biotechnology at the European Innovation Council (EIC). She was previously Research & Innovation Manager at COCIR, where she coordinated activities on research, innovation, funding and the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). She brings knowledge of public-private partnerships in biomedical research, clinical research and regulatory frameworks to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/osymmons/
Fran Van Heuverswyn
Project Manager at Immunity for Health as well as life sciences professional with background in immunology, vaccinology, and strategic stakeholder engagement. She brings experience in connecting academia, industry and public partners, facilitating collaboration and supporting the translation and uptake of scientific knowledge into innovation in vaccines and Immunotherapeutics to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-van-heuverswyn-331a7035/
Saul Walker
Director of Public Partnerships at CEPI, leading collaboration with international and regional partners to advance shared objectives on rapid vaccine development and equitable access for emerging epidemic and pandemic pathogens. Previously worked for 17 years at the UK Department for International Development and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in several senior policy and health policy roles, including leading UK support to the Ebola outbreak in Eastern DRC in 2019 – 2020 and UK international support for Covid19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. He brings knowledge on international health policy and public-private partnerships in biomedical research to the IAP. https://www.linkedin.com/in/saulwalker/