The Q&A Stage is the ultimate destination for unscripted sessions with notable industry experts. This unique format allows registrants to engage directly with speakers, gaining insights and answers on a wide range of topics.

One of the foremost thought leaders in stem cell science, Dr. Robert A.J. Signer earned his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at the University of California Los Angeles. Previously, he worked alongside Dr. Sean Morrison as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He has published multiple high-profile papers in top-tier scientific journals, including Nature, Cell, eLife, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Blood, and Genes and Development. Dr. Signer has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Janet Rowley Award from the International Society for Experimental Hematology and the Distinguished International Young Investigator Award in Stem Cell Research.

Sandeep Patel, PhD, is the former inaugural Director of BARDA’s Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures (DRIVe), within the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS), where he built and led a team that managed over $700M in funding in translational sciences and early stage companies to enhance our preparedness for future health security threats. Previously, Sandeep was a key figure in the Immediate Office of the HHS Secretary, where he founded and led a public-private partnership, KidneyX, that catalyzed the development of breakthrough therapies for kidney disease. He also spearheaded the Presidential Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative, aimed at reforming the nation's organ transplant system, getting more patients off dialysis, and increasing focus to prevent kidney failure. He led HHS' program to use novel methods, including incentive prizes and crowdsourcing, to solve complex health problems across the family of HHS agencies. He is the recipient of the American Society of Nephrology's President's Medal, and a Secretary's Distinguished Service award. Prior to that he was a scientific analyst for Thomson Reuters, scientist for an SBIR-backed startup, and a Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences.