Speakers
Live Streamed Keynote Session 1
Expanding Your Medical Writing Skills in Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) and Real-World Evidence (RWE): What is driving this need for more experienced HEOR and RWE writers.
Tom Drake, MA, CMPP
Tom has been involved in medical communications for over thirty-five years. In 1990 Tom founded and
launched the healthcare trade journal, Product Management Today (PMT). As PMT’s editorial director,
he worked with several of the founders of International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes
Research (ISPOR). Tom has been involved in most areas of medical communications including Health
Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), Real-World Evidence (RWE), Patient Reported Outcomes
(PRO), global publication planning, continuing medical education and digital and web-based
communications. Tom is an active member of several healthcare associations, including: AMWA, ISMPP,
and ISPOR.
In 2014 Tom launched the Global Outcomes Group, an independent healthcare communications agency
to meet the growing needs in Value communications including: HEOR/RWE/PRO for the bio/pharma and
medical device industries.
Bio and picture credit: Tom Drake, MA, CMPP
Live Streamed Session 2
The Power of Emotional Intelligence: Unlocking Your Potential for Success
Gretchen Griffin, MS, MBA
Gretchen Griffin is an experienced medical writing leader with 25+years of pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO experience. She has a growth mindset and a passion for pharmaceutical R&D, medical writing, strategy, and Regulatory Affairs. She is skilled in regulatory and clinical
document development, and starting/building writing departments. Gretchen is a life-long learner with a Masters of Science focused in Regulatory Science from The Johns Hopkins
University and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She has developed and delivered numerous presentations and roundtables for DIA, AMWA, and other industry and leadership conferences.
Bio and picture credit: Gretchen Griffin, MS, MBA
Live Streamed Session 4
Cybersecurity for Small Businesses
Timm Johnson
Mr. Johnson is the Director of the Mason Small Business Development Center and provides business counseling and mentoring for Virginia entrepreneurs and small business owners. Since 2009, he has counseled over 1200 clients providing advice on launching, financing, marketing, and selling their business. Mr. Johnson is a practiced entrepreneur with over 30 years of finance and operations experience for technology and services growth companies in the commercial and government sectors. In addition, he is a founding director of Mason Venture Mentors, a provider of business advisory services to start-up technology companies. Through Venture Mentors, he has played leadership roles in several companies including Nexus Technology Services LLC, Visionary Consulting Partners, LLC, and Next Breath, a division of the Aptar Group, Inc.
Bio and picture credit:
Session 5
Panel Discussion on Modern AI Applications in Medical Writing
Swati Dadhich, PhD
Dr. Dadhich has been a medical writer since 2018. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, studying transcription initiation and its links to cancer. She transitioned to a Technology Transfer Internship with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke where she negotiated and wrote various collaborative research agreements. From there, she worked as a contractor for the National Cancer Institute developing clinical documents and IND submissions. She is currently a Senior Medical Writing Scientist in Integrated Data Analytics and Reporting for Janssen Research and Development.
Bio and picture credit: Swati Dadhich
Faris Naimi, MSc
Mr. Naimi combines his passion for communication with his background in the sciences as part of his multifaceted career as a medical writer. A dedicated Toastmaster, he continually hones his communication skills, applying them in various professional settings. As a writer and project coordinator at the United States Pharmacopeia, Mr. Naimi oversees science communication strategies. His role as communications manager at AMWA-MAC involves engaging with members and ensuring information is conveyed effectively and understandably. His approach to communication is rooted in a deep commitment to clarity, understanding, and accessibility.
Bio and picture credit: Faris Naimi, MSc
Barry Johnson, PhD, BSN, RN, MWC
Dr. Johnson is a medical writer working as a contractor for the National Cancer Institute. He earned his PhD in Molecular & Cell Biology in 2007 from UMBC researching molecular mechanisms of retroviral replication and sparking an interest in drug development. He transitioned to a postdoctoral fellowship with the NIH’s HIV Drug Resistance Program where he performed preclinical studies of novel antiviral agents. To gain clinical experience, Dr. Johnson returned to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Salisbury University in 2016 and worked as an RN in Hematology/Oncology for several years. In 2022, he earned the Medical Writer Certified (MWC®) credential through AMWA and continues to explore new ways to develop his skills and engage with other medical communication professionals.
Bio and picture credit: Barry Johnson, PhD, BSN, RN, MWC
Roundtables
#1 Balancing Market Strategy and Scientific Validity
Roundtable leader: Bradley Wetzell, PhD, MWC
Pending
#2 AI Applications in Medicine and Research
Roundtable leader: Barry Johnson, PhD, BSN, RN, MWC
See bio above.
#3 Beyond Writing: Leveraging Digital Intelligence to Sustain and Expand Your Business
Roundtable leader: Vedangana Saini, PhD
Vedangana Saini is a medical writer, neuroscientist, and founder of Intelligible Scientific Writing LLC. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and a medical writing and editing certificate from the University of Chicago. Vedi specializes in writing journal manuscripts, supporting writing for continuing medical education (CME) through outcomes reporting and journal-based CME, and writing for patient education. Additionally, Vedi has served as an editor and peer reviewer for scientific journals. Vedi loves to coach graduate students and postdocs on the nits and grits of the medical writing business. She lives in Columbia, MD, with her husband, two kids and a dog.
Bio and picture credit: Vedangana Saini, PhD
#3 FDA Assessment Aid: Content Authoring
Swati Dadhich, PhD
See bio above.
#2 Improving Verbal Communication in the Digital Age
Roundtable leader: Faris Naimi, MSc
See bio above.
