Moderated by:
Filipa Antunes – Executive Director, Business Development (Europe & Emerging Markets), Discovery, Development & CMC at Pharmaron
Filipa Atunes is Executive Director of Business Development at Pharmaron UK, leading the Discovery, Development & CMC business development organisation across Europe and emerging markets, including Australia, the Middle East and South America. Based in the UK, she partners with biotech and pharmaceutical clients to shape and deliver integrated programmes spanning early discovery through preclinical development and CMC, leveraging Pharmaron’s global capabilities and end-to-end platforms.
In her role, Filipa focuses on building long-term strategic collaborations, aligning the right scientific expertise to each programme, and creating flexible engagement models that accelerate decision-making and timelines. She works closely with cross-functional leaders across discovery, DMPK/bioanalysis, biosciences, process chemistry, and GMP API and drug product to ensure seamless execution and an excellent client experience. Filipa holds a Ph.D. and an MBA from the University of Nottingham.
Speakers:
Kati Rasanen, PhD – Independent Consultant
Kati R?s?nen holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and a PhD in Cancer Biology. She
has also recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Administrative Sciences, specializing
in Leadership Psychology.
After completing her first degree, Kati worked at the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton,
United Kingdom. Following her PhD, she completed her postdoctoral training at the Wistar
Institute in Philadelphia. She then transitioned to industry, holding positions as Senior
Scientist, Team Leader, and Director at Biosceptre International in Cambridge, UK; Orion
Pharma in Finland; and Sotio Biotech in Czechia, respectively.
Kati currently runs her own consulting company, supporting start-ups, biotech, and
pharmaceutical companies in drug discovery and development programs.
Quigyu Cui, PhD – Group Leader, in vivo Pharmacokinetics and Bioanalysis at Pharmaron
Qingyu Cui earned a Bachelor’s degree from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2012–2016). In 2016, supported by the China Scholarship Council and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, she participated in the “Innovative Talent Joint Training Program with International Partners” and pursued advanced studies in natural product drug discovery at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, earning a Master’s degree in December 2017. She subsequently returned to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine to complete her PhD training under the supervision of Professor Weidong Li, majoring in Chinese Medicine Resources and Development, and graduated with a PhD in 2021.
Since July 2021, Qingyu has been with Pharmaron’s In Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Bioanalysis Department, where she currently serves as Group Leader. Her team specializes in pharmacokinetic and bioanalytical studies for large-molecule therapeutics (including XDCs, antibodies, and fusion proteins) at the drug discovery stage, supporting drug discovery and development programs.
Tuomas Tervahauta, M.Sc. – Senior Scientist at Orion Pharma
Tuomas Tervahauta got his master’s degree in pharmacy from University of Helsinki in 2014. After graduation, Tuomas started working as research scientist at Orion Pharma.
His master’s thesis work was done at Orion Pharma and was about prodrug strategies that can be utilized in drug development. As ADCs could be considered as a type of prodrug, Tuomas ended up working with ADCs in 2019.
Currently Tuomas is working as Senior Scientist at Orion Pharma and has recently started as PhD student in University of Helsinki. His PhD thesis work focuses on lysosomal transporters in cancer and their possible role in intracellular payload disposition.
