Life Sciences Workforce Conference

2026 Life Sciences Workforce Conference

MassBioEd’s Annual Life Science Workforce Conference brings together representatives from the life sciences industry, academic institutions, training providers, government and community to explore key issues and strategies in building a strong life science workforce in Massachusetts.

The 2026 Life Sciences Workforce Conference: Building Talent Pathways in a Dynamic Time: Massachusetts Prepares the Future Workforce will be held on

June 4th at Boston University, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM



Featured Speakers

Annaliesa S. Anderson, PhD, Senior Vice President, Chief Vaccines Officer, Pfizer

Dr. Annaliesa S. Anderson is Senior Vice President and Chief Vaccines Officer at Pfizer. With over 30 years in pharmaceuticals, she leads global vaccine research, development, and medical affairs, advancing programs from early discovery through post-licensure—including candidates for C. difficile, Lyme disease, Group B Strep, and more. Dr. Anderson earned her PhD in biological sciences from the University of Warwick and has contributed to the development of numerous licensed vaccines, including for HPV at Merck and for pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, COVID-19, and RSV at Pfizer. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, she co-led the development of an antiviral therapy for COVID-19. Dr. Anderson has co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and holds an extensive patent portfolio. In 2024, she was named among the Top 20 Women in Biopharma by Endpoints. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Society of Medicine, and serves on multiple scientific and policy advisory boards.

Yvonne Hao, Chief Operating Officer and General Partner, Flagship Pioneering

Yvonne Hao joined Flagship Pioneering in 2025 as Chief Operating Officer and General Partner. In this role she leads key functional pillars that support Flagship and its ecosystem of companies, including HR and Talent, Legal and IP, IT/Digital, Communications, Government and Regulatory Affairs, and Facilities/Real Estate. Yvonne also contributes to strategic initiatives and serves on Flagship’s Resource Allocation Committee. In addition, she works alongside Flagship’s Growth Partners to help steward the firm’s later-stage companies, drawing on her experience in company building, operating, and investing.

Yvonne was most recently the Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for the State of Massachusetts. Prior to her role in public service, Yvonne has had more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive, including as Co-founder, Managing Director and Advisor at investment firm Cove Hill Partners and as an Operating Partner at Pillar Ventures. Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of PillPack, where she led the company’s sale to Amazon in 2018. She is also a former Operating Partner at Bain Capital, where she held interim CEO and COO roles, served on boards, and worked closely with portfolio companies. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership roles at Honeywell and McKinsey & Company.

Yvonne has been a Board Director of companies such as CarGurus, Flywire, Gentherm, ZipRecruiter, and Bose. She also has been involved in the community, and was the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Beth Israel Lahey Health, and is a Trustee Emeriti of her alma mater, Williams College.

Yvonne earned a B.A. in economics and Asian studies from Williams College and an M.Phil. in Development/Economics from the University of Cambridge.

Lauren Jones, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development

Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones brings over two decades of experience working in local and state government, non-profits, and the private sector, with a particular focus on workforce development. Prior to joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Jones served as Executive Vice President of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and led the organization’s workforce development policy and strategy. She previously led the Massachusetts market for the non-profit Apprenti, where she worked with companies to cultivate and diversify tech talent through registered apprenticeships. She also created and led the Business Strategy Unit for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s Office of Economic Development, supporting business attraction and employer engagement in the city of Boston. Prior to that, she held several roles in the Patrick-Murray Administration, including Communications Director for the Executive Office of Labor & Workforce Development, Policy & Communications Director for former Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, and Senior Program Manager of the Economic Development Incentive Program in the Office of Business Development.  

As Executive Vice President of the Roundtable, Jones was the Co-Chair of the Workforce Solutions Group and served on the Board for the Massachusetts Workforce Association, the Executive Committee for the Alliance for Vocational Technical Education, the Board of Advisors for the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, the Boston Private Industry Council, and previously served on the Future of Work Commission. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Providence College. She lives in Boston.  

Faisal M. Khan, PhD, Corporate Vice President, Artificial Intelligence and Analytics, Novo Nordisk

Faisal M. Khan, Ph.D. is the Corporate Vice President for Artificial Intelligence and Analytics at Novo Nordisk. His team focuses on the applications of AI and data science throughout the drug discovery and development lifecycle. His interests focus on the intersections of data science, digital health, biostatistics, bioimaging, personalized medicine, and healthcare delivery. His career has encompassed all aspects of healthcare and biomedical analytics, including diagnostics, devices, clinical trials/therapeutics, and payers/insurance. Dr. Khan has worked or consulted across academia and industry with both startups and Fortune-50 companies. He has over 100 published papers, abstracts, and patents on the applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence for healthcare and the life sciences.

Sunny Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer, MassBioEd

CEO, Sunny Schwartz leads the strategic vision for MassBioEd’s education and workforce development efforts. Sunny is proud to lead MassBioEd into its third decade of growing and developing talent in the Massachusetts life sciences workforce, which in turn develops innovations that save and improve lives. Under Sunny’s leadership and with an amazing team, MassBioEd has tripled in size since 2019 when Sunny joined the organization, adding innovative workforce development programs such as the Life Sciences Apprenticeship Program, College to Career, and the Life Sciences Career Hub while focusing BioTeach on high needs school districts though the ACCESS Program. In her previous positions, Sunny served as President & CEO of the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, charged with leading workforce development policy and partnership building for a 20-city region, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian American Civic Association, a direct service education and training provider, and Program Development Manager at Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public state agency under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Sunny has been a leader in the education and workforce development fields in Massachusetts since 2000, building partnerships to provide employers with a highly skilled workforce and expanding access to great careers for low-income residents. Sunny also has experience in community organizing and social work. Sunny holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. 




Conference Planning Committee

Jason Carter, Alnylam | Lauren Celano, Propel Careers | Mike Convicer, Biogen | Monique Cooper, Gordon College | Jim Curley, Boston University | Andrea Dropkin-Mackey, Blueprint Medicines | Josh Finkelstein, Boston University | Sasha Goldman, Northeastern University | Jennifer Hanselman, Clark University | Ali Joyce, Ultragenyx | Ross Marshall | Jill Macoska, UMass Boston | Yolanda McLean, Alnylam | Michelle Montenieri, Bristol Myers Squibb | Ryan Mudawar, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center | Pam Obando, Pfizer | Melina Reid, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiative | Katie Ruggieri, Massasoit Community College