Shane Ryan is the General Manager of Takeda in Ireland, a position he has held for over six years. Under his leadership, Takeda Ireland was recognised as the Life Science Company of the Year in 2024. Shane has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. He is a passionate advocate for the biopharmaceutical sector and the role it plays at the forefront of discovering, developing, and bringing life-changing medicines and innovations to patients, clinicians, and the communities that support them. In September 2024, he became the President of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, having previously served as Vice President and, prior to this, as a Director on the Board. Shane is also committed to ensuring the sector represents the diversity of the individuals, carers, and clinicians it serves and continuously volunteers his time to lead initiatives that drive this goal.

Appointed by the Taoiseach to this role in January 2025, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill previously served as Minister of State for European Affairs & Defence across the Departments of the Taoiseach, Foreign Affairs and Defence. Prior to that, she was Minister of State in the Department for Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance.

Minister Carroll MacNeill was re-elected as a TD for the Dún Laoghaire constituency in the 2024 General Election, having first been elected to the Dáil in 2020. She served on a number of Oireachtas Committees including the Public Accounts Committee, the Justice Committee and the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. She was also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.
Before entering elected politics, Minister Carroll MacNeill qualified as a Solicitor and Barrister.  She holds a PhD in public policy where her research interest was in political institutions and the judiciary.
Minister Carroll MacNeill has worked as a lawyer in the public service, both within the Oireachtas as Legal Adviser in the Office of the Leader of Fine Gael and within Government as Special Adviser in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in the Department of Justice and Equality and in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Jim McGrath is the Director of Commercial Policy for IPHA. A native of Tipperary, Jim spent over eight years at senior policymaking roles having been an advisor in three Government Departments and at the European Parliament. Prior to joining IPHA, he was public affairs director with corporate advisory firm Teneo where he led the public affairs practices of many of Ireland’s leading businesses including in the health and pharmaceutical sectors. He’s a passionate advocate of positive social impact businesses and purpose led commercial solutions to public policy challenges.

Professor Grainne O’Kane is a Gastrointestinal medical oncologist and the newly appointed Pat Smullen Chair in Pancreatic Cancer at St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin and University College Dublin. Professor O’Kane completed her medical and oncology training in Ireland prior to commencing a fellowship in GI/thoracic oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto in 2016. She joined the faculty as a Clinician Investigator and Assistant Professor at The University of Toronto in 2019 specialising in liver and pancreatic cancers. Her primary research has been in integrative molecular profiling of tumours for biomarker development and she is PI of a number of investigator initiated studies in HPB malignancies. In particular she has an interest in immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations prior to surgery and transplant for HCC. Dr O’Kane’s translational research in liver and pancreatic cancer has resulted in a number of awards from ASCO, ESMO and AACR and she has published over 100 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals.

Tony is the former Director General of the Health Service Executive (HSE). He was previously Chief Advisor to the HSE on implementing the National Cancer Control Strategy and Chairman of the National Cancer Registry Board. He was the founding CEO of the National Screening Service. Prior to the HSE, he was Chief Executive of the Irish Family Planning Association and the UK Family Planning Association. He is Adjunct Associate Professor with the Centre for Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin School of Medicine lecturing on health strategy. Tony serves on a number of health sector related boards in Ireland and internationally and is a member of the Beamtree Global Impact Committee. He contributes a regular health policy column to the Sunday Independent.

Bernard Mahon was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer in the summer of 2024.  Since then, he has campaigned for equity of access to innovative medicines.  Born in Hackney, London to Irish parents, he worked in Britain as a scientist assuring the safety of vaccines.  Since 1994, he has worked in Maynooth University and is currently Professor of Immunology & Cell Biology.  In addition to training many thousands of students, his research team have published scientific research on new cell therapies.  He is an afficionado of Northern Soul music and a keen mountaineer.

Miriam is a patient advocate focussed on improving access to clinical trials and best in class treatments for cancer patients in Ireland. Previously 25+ years in various technical and business systems roles in the beverage and packaging industry.

Cathal is a partner at Deloitte Ireland and leads the tax department’s Global Investment and Innovation Incentives service line. This includes Deloitte’s support and advisory services on R&D tax credits, as well as broader grants and incentives.

Cathal brings a wealth of experience to clients, offering advice on all forms of R&D and grant funding, R&D audit strategy, compliance requirements, and assisting companies in planning and implementing best-in-class processes and controls to manage their incentives. As both an electronic engineer and a chartered accountant, Cathal brings a unique dual skill set to assist Ireland’s globally recognised life sciences sector.
Cathal holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and is a Chartered Accountant (ACA) and Audit Certified by ICAI.

Prof. Donal Brennan graduated from University College Dublin School of Medicine in 2003. He was awarded a PhD in cancer biology by University College Dublin in 2008 and was awarded dual Memberships of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, MRCPI, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK, MRCOG.
During his specialist training, he also retained a post-doctoral position and is currently a fellow at the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. His main research interests are in biomarker development, tumour inflammation and obesity related carcinogenesis.
He has received several awards for his research and was awarded European Young Researcher of the Year in 2010. In 2012 he relocated to Brisbane, Australia to undertake subspecialist training in Gynaecological Oncology at the Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer which is the largest gynaecological cancer centre in Australia. He also completed a fellowship in General and Colorectal surgery at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
Prof. Brennan returned to work in Ireland in 2015 as a consultant gynaecological oncologist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. His main surgical interests are laparoscopic pelvic surgery and cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer.

International healthcare leader with a passion for enabling innovation to improve the lives of patients and the wider healthcare system.  Caitriona is Country President and Managing Director of Novartis Ireland, and is focused on strengthening and growing the company’s business in Ireland.  Caitriona enables exceptional performance by working collaboratively with external stakeholders and her teams.
Caitriona is also a Member of the Board of Directors and Strategy Group at the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) and was appointed by the Minister of Health to the National Clinical Trials Oversight Group, as Industry representative. Previously, Caitriona led 2 Business Units in the UK and held a number of European leadership positions, based in Switzerland.

Caitriona holds a PhD in Immunology from Trinity College Dublin, BSc in Biotechnology and postgraduate qualifications in management, marketing and leadership.  In 2024, the University of Galway awarded her the Alumni Award in Science, Engineering and Technology.   In her free time, Caitriona is an avid reader and loves to go sea swimming in Dublin Bay or in the West of Ireland.

Patrick was diagnosed with CLL in 2011, his Chemotherapy treatment was not successful and in 2013 Patrick joined a 5-year clinical trial in St James Hospital (2013 to 2018). In 2016 due to this new therapy, Patrick was in complete remission. Following the end of the clinical trial, Patrick joined the Cancer Trials Ireland Patients Consultants Committee which he now chairs. He is also a board member of Cancer Trials Ireland and advocates for the increased use of clinical trials in Ireland. Patrick is now retired and continues to advocate on behalf of patients.

Giulia Del Brenna is Head of the Unit of Food, Retail and Health at the Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs at European Commission since May 2024.
A graduate of Sciences Po Paris, she holds a Master in European Studies from ICADE Madrid and is an Official of the European Commission since 1996. Among other functions, she was Head of the Pharmaceutical, Food and Biotechnology industries Unit (2008 to 2011), Advisor responsible for Administration and Public Health issues in the Task Force for Greece (2011 to 2014), and Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas – Research, Science and Innovation (2014 to 2019). During the COVID-19 crisis, she advised the Clearing House for Medical Devices and the Task Force for up scaling of COVID-19 Vaccines Production. From March 2021 to April 2024, she led the “Strategy and regulation: single market and industrial policy” Unit in her present Directorate General.

Niall Faul brings over 20 years of leadership experience in sales to his role as Market Lead for Perrigo in Ireland. With an impressive 18-year tenure at Perrigo, he has driven 13 years of consecutive growth, showcasing his commitment to excellence. Niall is passionate about enhancing both customer and consumer experiences and is committed to building strong relationships to deliver quality, affordable self-care products to the market.

Sarah Mullahy is a second year medical student at the University of Galway living with Noonan Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder and is driven by a passion for healthcare and advocacy. She was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, called Noonan Syndrome when she was a toddler. Noonan Syndrome is multisystemic, affecting every system in the body and every aspect of life. Sarah has overcome significant challenges, including missing years of education, to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

Sarah’s unique perspective as both a patient and a medical professional inspires her work as an advocate for individuals with rare diseases. Sarah uses her voice to raise awareness about the systemic challenges and daily struggles faced by those in the rare disease community. She strives to create a more inclusive and understanding healthcare system and is dedicated to making a difference through empathy and education.

Richard Sloggett is the Founder and Programme Director of Future Health. He was previously a Senior Fellow at Westminster think tank Policy Exchange and from 2018-19 was Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Richard is a regular commentator in the national media on health and social care issues and has been named as one of the top 100 people in UK healthcare policy by the Health Service Journal.

During his time with the Secretary of State, Richard worked across Whitehall, the NHS and local government on major policy decisions including the NHS Long Term Plan, Life Sciences Strategy and the Prevention Green Paper.  Alongside his work at Future Health Richard is undertaking his doctoral thesis in preventative healthcare systems at Liverpool University.

Responsible for the Danish Life science strategy and the coming Danish strategy for personalized medicine as well as the innovation, AI and the prioritization agenda.

Sharon is an experienced leader with a deep commitment to customer satisfaction and a passion for excellence.  In January 2025, she took up the position of General Manager Allphar, part of Uniphar plc, serving the needs of Uniphar’s 200+ manufacturer clients.

Prior to this, Sharon spent 12 years with United Drug, where she was Head of Business Development and Secondary Care. In this capacity, Sharon consistently identified and capitalized on business opportunities, growing the business.

Well known across the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, Sharon’s career has spanned a variety of roles with multiple pharmaceutical companies, where she honed her skills in customer-focused strategies and her understanding of the supports and service levels that pharmaceutical manufacturers need in an increasingly complex market. Technically as well as commercially knowledgeable, Sharon holds an MSc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacology from Trinity College Dublin, a BSc in Science from University College Dublin, and a degree in Marketing from Technical University Dublin.

Sharon’s dedication to the pharmaceutical industry extends beyond her professional role; she has been an active committee member of the Pharmaceutical Managers of Ireland (PMI) for a number of years, currently serving as the Vice President of the organisation and has been appointed incoming President from April 2025, underlining her commitment to fostering collaboration and driving industry-wide advancements.

Mark is Executive Chairman and co-founder of HAON Life Sciences, a new biotech developing CanVas-001, a novel cell therapy for newborn brain injury, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

HAON’s CanVas platform, powered by endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), aims to offer vulnerable patients life changing therapies. HAON is also developing its off-the-shelf products for neurodegenerative diseases and rare blood disorders. Mark has over 10 years drug discovery experience serving as Chief Executive Officer of DS Biopharma and Chief Financial Officer of Afimmune.

Mark is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ireland), having qualified in Deloitte. A Commerce graduate from University College Dublin, he also holds a Master of Accounting from the Smurfit School of Business and a Diploma in Corporate Finance from the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Professor Panoskaltsis is a clinician-scientist with a niche interest in translational interdisciplinary research and personalised therapeutics, focused in myeloid neoplasms. She completed her MD at the University of Toronto (Canada), clinical training and American Board Certification in Internal Medicine, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the University of Rochester (USA) and a PhD in Immunology at Imperial College London (UK) where she remained as faculty until 2018. She has recently moved from Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology (USA) and is now Professor and Chair of Personalised Therapeutics at Trinity College Dublin and an Adjunct Principal Investigator at the National Institute for Bioprocessing and Training (NIBRT). She has an international reputation in cytokine release syndrome (with seminal publications based on her handling of the aftermath of the TGN1412 clinical trial in London, 2006), bone marrow organoid and haematopoietic cell cultures, and in silico modelling of personalised precision chemo-immunotherapy for leukaemia. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London), has received numerous awards for excellence in clinical care, research, entrepreneurship, and has several patents.

Jane Farrar is Professor of Ocular Genetics and Head of School of Genetics and Microbiology at TCD. She has a strong track record in the field of ocular disorders with research interests including elucidation of the genetic pathogenesis of hereditary and multifactorial eye disorders and development of novel gene therapies for these conditions predominantly employing adeno associated virus (AAV) for gene delivery. Jane has generated research funding in the order of €20 million from national and international funding agencies and has extensive publication and patent portfolios including licensed patents. Jane Farrar and colleagues have elucidated the genetic architecture of inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) in Ireland sequencing +2,500 cases and have explored novel gene-based medicines for some ocular disorders. Jane and team generated innovative therapeutic solutions for IRDs leading to a portfolio of granted patents and generation of a spin-out company, Genable Technologies, acquired by Spark Therapeutics, US (subsequently Roche). Her current research continues to have both strong fundamental and translational aspects deciphering modes of action of novel mutations causing ocular disease and targeting the role of perturbed cellular bioenergetics in ocular disorders, highlighting new therapeutic avenues and generating an associated patent portfolio. She has published +160 peer-reviewed papers, has supervised 27 PhD students and 4 MSc students. Jane has trained many post-doctoral scientists at the early stages of their careers, together with mentoring a significant number of senior research scientists and ophthalmology fellows. She has also been involved in many national and international scientific advisory boards (SAB), is on the Board of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and the Trinity Institute of Neuroscience, and contributes to review processes for many scientific journals and funding agencies.