Marcus Gerhard studied medicine in Heidelberg and Hamburg and earned his MD in 1996. From 1997 to 2004 he completed his medical training leading to German medical board certification in internal medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Klinikum rechts der Isar. From 2006 he headed a research group in the Department of Internal Medicine at TUM, where he also acquired his postdoctoral teaching qualification (habilitation) in internal medicine in 2009. In 2010 he was appointed associate professor of medical microbiology and immunology at the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, a unit within TUM. He also serves as academic director of the TUM Venture Lab Healthcare, TUM`s biotech incubator.

The research work of Professor Gerhard explores how pathogens interact with the host in gastrointestinal infections. Professor Gerhard’s research group investigates the mechanisms that suppress the immune response of the host to allow the establishment of chronic infection as well as inflammatory factors involved in the development of cancer, in order to leverage this know-how for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Prof. Gerhard has published > 120 papers, many in prestigious journals such as Nature Medicine, Nature Microbiology, Gastroenterology, GUT, NEJM etc.

Claire holds a degree in agriculture and a PhD in biochemistry and has worked in the leadership of scientific associations for 20 years. She started her career within the UK Cambridge biotech cluster and was a co-founder and Manager of the Council of European BioRegions, a network of biotechnology clusters across Europe in Brussels, she also took on the role of SG for the European Biotechnology Network (EBN) in 2012, working across sectors, organisations and countries as part of the EBN mission to facilitate collaboration. 

In 2017, Claire became Director General of the globally-focussed Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) which she successfully led until November 2020 when she joined EuropaBio as Director General. In addition to her current role at EuropaBio, she is also the Chair of the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA) and Governing Board Member for the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). 

She has a driving interest in collaboration across the value chain to develop the business of science, and the role of internationally networked policies, programmes, skills, finance and infrastructures to create a strong landscape. 

Chris Bladen received his PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary in 2014. His thesis was based on using Electrophysiology and Molecular Biology to develop drugs and small molecules for Pain and Epilepsy research as well as other clinical purposes. He has a B.Sc. in Freshwater Chemistry and a degree in Environmental management and has extensive experience in both academia and industry. His previous work experience includes several years as an independent environmental consultant for the oil and gas industry in Alberta and several years working in the biopharma industry.  He has developed a world-wide collaborative network in the fields of Electrophysiology, Molecular Biology and Drug design. In addition to being CEO of Zymedyne therapeutics, he is currently an (Online) Lecturer at Macquarie University’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, where he teaches Pharmacology and conducts research into the therapeutic potential of Synthetic and Phyto Cannabinoids.

Iwona Cymerman is a scientist turned entrepreneur and VC. As Co-Founder and General Partner at AGX, she backs deep tech founders from Poland and neighboring markets at the earliest stages, helping transform breakthrough technologies into globally competitive companies.

Miruna brings over 19 years of investment expertise across direct equity, debt, and fund investments in Europe. She currently serves as an Investment Manager at the European Investment Fund (EIF), where she leads investments in venture capital and private equity funds, with a particular focus on life sciences and healthcare. Since joining EIF in 2016, Miruna has represented the organisation on the Advisory Boards of more than 30 funds across several geographies and strategies. Her prior experience includes roles in private equity with Advent International and UniCredit, as well as lending products with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Boldizsár Elek is VP of Scientific Operations at Turbine, whose Virtual Lab lets researchers test millions of ideas beyond the constraints of the physical lab. He leads Turbine’s Solutions department, translating simulations into delivery across pharma collaborations. Having previously headed Turbine’s pipeline strategy, he bridges computational biology, drug discovery, and commercial partnerships to bring AI-powered biomedical research closer to patients.

Anela brings 10+ years of experience in venture capital and management consulting. With a PhD in Neuroscience, she leads investments in innovative drug development and supports company building, portfolio management, and board governance. She is actively engaged in advancing the DACH biotech ecosystem.

Jiří Deml has more than 20 years of experience spanning the pharmaceutical industry, medicines regulation, academia, and innovation. Between 2008 and 2012, he served as Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs at the Czech State Institute for Drug Control and was a member of both the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and its Telematics Committee.

Previously, he spent 12 years at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, including as Marketing & Sales Director for Central and Eastern Europe, leading portfolio, regulatory, and marketing strategies across the region.

Jiří has also held leadership roles in academia and research, including at EATRIS-ERIC and CEITEC. He currently serves as Operational Director of the PharmAround Endowment Fund and works at Masaryk University as CZECRIN Operational Officer and Head of Business Development at the CREATIC Centre of Excellence. He also advises and supports innovative start-ups.

David Flores is Co-Founder, President & CEO of BioCentury Inc., and one of the panellists in the Global Trends Panel Discussion at Prague.bio Conference 2026.David has devoted more than 30 years to developing business intelligence services for biopharma executives and investors. He is the architect of BioCentury’s global platform of analysis, data and executive conferences.

In 2024, BayHelix, the association of life science business leaders in the U.S. and China, honored David with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his efforts championing cross-boarder collaboration and global drug development.

David has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO) at Northwestern University and served for many years on the Advisory Council of the Keck Graduate Institute of the Applied Life Sciences. He also has served as a member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Management Board.