2025 Clinical Trials Conference Agenda
8:30 to 9 a.m.
Registration and Refreshments
Morning Session
9:15 to 9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Dr. Donald Guy Generals
President, Community College of Philadelphia
Dr. Donald Guy Generals
President, Community College of Philadelphia
9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Margaret von Mehren, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Dr. von Mehren serves as the Chief of the Division of Sarcoma Medical Oncology and Vice Chair of the Department of Hematology/Oncology. She is the Physician Director of the Clinical Trials Office and the Associate Director of Clinical Research, as well as a Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology. Additionally, she is a panel member of the NCCN Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Panel and the NCCN Soft Tissue Sarcoma Panel.
Dr. von Mehren serves as the Chief of the Division of Sarcoma Medical Oncology and Vice Chair of the Department of Hematology/Oncology. She is the Physician Director of the Clinical Trials Office and the Associate Director of Clinical Research, as well as a Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology. Additionally, she is a panel member of the NCCN Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Panel and the NCCN Soft Tissue Sarcoma Panel.
10:20 to 10:40 a.m.
Speaker: Dr. Monique Howard, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Howard serves as the Senior Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health at the University of Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of experience in public health, she has dedicated her career to advancing women’s health. She has led a range of organizations, including a statewide AIDS service organization focused on women in New Jersey, a maternal and child health organization in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Department of Women’s Health, and, most recently, WOAR, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center (formerly Women Organized Against Rape).
Dr. Howard serves as the Senior Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health at the University of Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of experience in public health, she has dedicated her career to advancing women’s health. She has led a range of organizations, including a statewide AIDS service organization focused on women in New Jersey, a maternal and child health organization in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Department of Women’s Health, and, most recently, WOAR, Philadelphia’s only rape crisis center (formerly Women Organized Against Rape).
10:40 to 10:50 a.m.
Break
10:55 to 11:15 a.m.
Speaker: Jenny Heisserman, M.S., M.B.A, Thomas Jefferson University
Mrs. Heisserman is the Director of Business Operations for the Jefferson Clinical Research Institute. Her responsibilities include negotiating clinical trial budgets, managing finances, overseeing contracting, and ensuring compliance with clinical research billing standards.
Mrs. Heisserman is the Director of Business Operations for the Jefferson Clinical Research Institute. Her responsibilities include negotiating clinical trial budgets, managing finances, overseeing contracting, and ensuring compliance with clinical research billing standards.
11:20 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
Speaker, Katherine Taylor, MBA, Merck
Currently, Ms. Taylor leads the enterprise Shared Service Center (eSSC), a support team working out of a 100-seat WeWork coworking space in Philadelphia’s City Center. The eSSC functions as a hub for attracting, hiring, and developing a skills-first, diverse workforce, prioritizing capability and potential over formal educational requirements, such as a four-year degree. It is also one of the company’s largest sources of candidates for the OneTen program, advancing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. With over 27 years of experience, Kathy has managed clinical trial quality and strategic implementation of quality-by-design principles. Previously, she was the Head of Risk Evaluation & Adaptive Integrated Monitoring (REAIM), where she led initiatives for continuous improvement, advancing risk-based quality management (RBQM) through advanced analytics.
Currently, Ms. Taylor leads the enterprise Shared Service Center (eSSC), a support team working out of a 100-seat WeWork coworking space in Philadelphia’s City Center. The eSSC functions as a hub for attracting, hiring, and developing a skills-first, diverse workforce, prioritizing capability and potential over formal educational requirements, such as a four-year degree. It is also one of the company’s largest sources of candidates for the OneTen program, advancing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. With over 27 years of experience, Kathy has managed clinical trial quality and strategic implementation of quality-by-design principles. Previously, she was the Head of Risk Evaluation & Adaptive Integrated Monitoring (REAIM), where she led initiatives for continuous improvement, advancing risk-based quality management (RBQM) through advanced analytics.
11:45 to 12:05 p.m.
Panel and Discussion
12:05 to 1:35 p.m.
Lunch, survey
12:35 to 1:25 p.m.
Education & Job fair (Winnet Lobby, Ground Floor)
Afternoon Session
1:30 to 2:15pm
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Pam Weiss, MD, MSCE, Children Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Weiss is a distinguished pediatric rheumatologist at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with specialized expertise in clinical epidemiology. Her work centers on pharmacoepidemiology and clinical outcomes for children with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Dr. Weiss has pioneered the development of response and outcome measures for youth with SpA and established classification criteria for axial disease in juvenile SpA. With over fifteen years of experience leading clinical research, including multicenter and international collaborations, she has contributed significantly to the field. Dr. Weiss also serves on Steering Committees, Advisory Boards, and Data Monitoring Committees for pediatric clinical trials.
Dr. Weiss is a distinguished pediatric rheumatologist at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with specialized expertise in clinical epidemiology. Her work centers on pharmacoepidemiology and clinical outcomes for children with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Dr. Weiss has pioneered the development of response and outcome measures for youth with SpA and established classification criteria for axial disease in juvenile SpA. With over fifteen years of experience leading clinical research, including multicenter and international collaborations, she has contributed significantly to the field. Dr. Weiss also serves on Steering Committees, Advisory Boards, and Data Monitoring Committees for pediatric clinical trials.
2:20 to 2:40 p.m.
Speaker: Amanda Baer ,MB, MBA University Of Pennsylvania
Currently, Ms. Baer is the Senior Director of Clinical Research Operations and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. With 19 years of experience collaborating with teams across the University on diverse clinical research projects, she leads a dedicated Clinical Trials Unit of 16 staff members who manage and execute clinical studies across Penn Medicine. Additionally, she oversees a Clinical Trials Finance Unit of six staff members responsible for pre-award and post-award budgeting for over 100 faculty members.
Currently, Ms. Baer is the Senior Director of Clinical Research Operations and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. With 19 years of experience collaborating with teams across the University on diverse clinical research projects, she leads a dedicated Clinical Trials Unit of 16 staff members who manage and execute clinical studies across Penn Medicine. Additionally, she oversees a Clinical Trials Finance Unit of six staff members responsible for pre-award and post-award budgeting for over 100 faculty members.
2:45 to 2:55 p.m.
Break
3:00 to 3:20 p.m.
Speaker; Kartik V. Shenoy, MD, Temple University
Dr. Shenoy serves as the Associate Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University
Dr. Shenoy serves as the Associate Program Director for the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University
3:25 to 3:45 p.m.
Speaker: Lydia Jones, CCP Student
Currently, Ms. Jones is a pre-physician assistant student at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). She earned her bachelor’s degree from Rider University in 2019 and became a certified medical assistant through CCP in 2024. Presently, she works as a clinical research assistant with the Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD) Program at Children Hospital of Philadelphia. As a future PA-C, she aims to specialize in pediatric primary care and otolaryngology.
Currently, Ms. Jones is a pre-physician assistant student at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). She earned her bachelor’s degree from Rider University in 2019 and became a certified medical assistant through CCP in 2024. Presently, she works as a clinical research assistant with the Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD) Program at Children Hospital of Philadelphia. As a future PA-C, she aims to specialize in pediatric primary care and otolaryngology.
3:50 to 4:40 p.m.
Panel and Discussion, Closing remarks, Survey