We are excited to welcome Emily Nechvatal to the Westwood & Wilshire team. Emily has more than seven years of recruiting research experience, including more than two years dedicated to biotech and pharmaceutical recruiting research. Emily graduated with a BA in Public Relations from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. After graduation, she spent five years as an Analyst and Manager supporting all aspects of executive searches for Spencer Stuart in their Chicago Headquarters before moving to Bench International Search as a Research and Operations Manager in the areas of biotech and pharmaceutical recruiting.

Please feel free to reach out to Emily at her contact info below:

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At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Scott Wong has joined BioMarin as Medical Director, Drug Safety Surveillance. Dr. Wong joins BioMarin from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. where he served as Pharmacovigilance Physician. In addition to an M.D. from the University of Miami, Dr. Wong has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development throughout his entire career.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Katerina Leftheris has joined Pliant as Vice President, Chemistry. Dr. Leftheris joins Pliant from Celgene Corp. where she served as Senior Director, Sitehead, Discovery Chemistry. In addition to a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, Organic Chemistry, Dr. Leftheris has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Vitae Pharmaceuticals, and Celgene.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

George Jeha has joined BioMarin as Medical Director, Achondroplasia. Dr. Jeha joins BioMarin from Baylor College of Medicine where he served as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, as well as Texas Children’s Hospital and Ben Taub Hospital where he served as a Staff Physician. Dr. Jeha received an MD from the American University of Beirut, as well as Post-Doctoral Research Training at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he held positions of increasing related responsibility throughout his entire career.

The search was successfully led by Michael Cane at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Suman Machinani has joined Regeneron as Associate Medical Director, Immunology. Mr. Machinani joins Regeneron from Synlogic, Inc. where he served as Associate Medical Director. In addition to an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mr. Machinani has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Huntington Hospital, Boston Scientific, and Pfizer.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Arnelle Cohen has joined INC Research as Executive Director, Ophthalmology. Ms. Cohen joins INC Research from PAREXEL International where she served as Portfolio Director. In addition to an M.S. in Epidemiology from University of Massachusetts, Ms. Cohen has held positions of increasing related responsibility at BRI, INC. and QUINTILES, INC.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

We are excited to welcome Tamir Halaban to the Westwood & Wilshire team. Tamir started in retained executive search for the biotech industry in 2001, meeting the high standards of Amgen, Genentech, Eli Lilly, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and numerous equally demanding smaller sized companies. He is one of the foremost recruiters in the industry on physician level roles, particularly in the areas of hematology oncology, inflammation immunology, rare disease and other areas of critical need. In addition, Tamir has matched top talent for roles in discovery, biostatistics, regulatory and other functional areas specific to the life sciences. In 2010, his reputation for understanding the unique needs of each company combined with his collaborative communication style led to an expansion of his role to include account management.

Please feel free to reach out to Tamir at his contact info below:

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323 272 6152 x102 Direct
866 865 7401 x102 Toll Free


At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Monica Phadnis has joined INC Research as Executive Director, Clinical Development. Ms. Phadnis joins INC Research from EMD Serono where she served as Director, Clinical Operations Lead. In addition to a Health Careers Degree from Harvard University, Ms. Phadnis has held positions of increasing related responsibility at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Sanofi-Aventis, and Quintiles Translational Corporation.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Ben Hock has joined BioMarin as Director, Immunogenicity. Dr. Hock joins BioMarin from Amgen Inc. Medical Sciences where he held positions of increasing related responsibility as Scientist, Senior Scientist, and Principal Scientist in the Clinical Immunology Department. Dr. Hock received his Ph.D in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory University.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Russell Pagano has joined Baxter as Regulatory Affairs Lead. Dr. Pagano joins Baxter from Relay Life Science, LLC, where he served as the President. In addition to a PhD from Duke University, Dr. Pagano has held positions of increasing related responsibility at the Food & Drug Administration and BioMimetic Therapeutics, LLC / Wright Medical Technology Inc.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Toya McWilliams has joined Regeneron as Associate Director of Vivarium Operations and Veterinary Services. Dr. McWilliams joins Regeneron from Ayota International, LLC, where she served as Scientific Advisor. In addition to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. McWilliams has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, New York University Langone Medical Center, and AstraZeneca.

The search was successfully led by Alan Cullen at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Adebayo Lawal has joined BioMarin as Senior Medical Director, Gene Therapy. Dr. Lawal joins BioMarin from TEVA Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Senior Clinical Director for New Therapeutic Entities. Dr. Lawal has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Abbvie, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

The search was successfully led by Michael Cane at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Petra Duda has joined Ra Pharma as Director of Clinical Research (MD) – Neurology. Dr. Duda joins Ra Pharma from Sarepta Therapeutics, where she served as a Medical Director. In addition to a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Immunology and Biochemistry from the University of Bern, Dr. Duda has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Boehringer Ingelheim, Cantonal Hospital Chur, and Biogen Idec.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Mark Cosentino has joined BioMarin as Senior Director, Clinical Biospecimen Management. Dr. Cosentino joins BioMarin from Biogen, where he served as Biobank Director, Global Biomarker Discovery & Development. In addition to a Ph.D. in Biology from Cleveland State University, and a D.P.M. in Podiatry from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Cosentino has held positions of increasing related responsibility at the Food & Drug Administration, BBI Biotech Research Laboratories, and SAIC-Frederick.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Sharon Erickson has joined INC Research as Executive Director, Clinical Development, San Francisco. Mrs. Erickson joins INC Research from Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc., where she served as Senior Director, Program Management. In addition to an MBA from Colorado State University, Mrs. Erickson has held positions of increasing related responsibility at the University of California at San Francisco and Genentech.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Brian Swensen has joined Clinical Innovations as Director of Manufacturing. Mr. Swensen joins Clinical Innovations from Varian Medical Systems, where he served as Product Line Manager. In addition to a BS in Business Marketing from the University of Utah, Mr. Swensen has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Precision Assembly, Inc., Dentsply, and Sentinel Field Field Services, Inc.

The search was successfully led by Chris Tillman at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Emma McCullagh has joined BioMarin as Scientist II, NonClinical Pharmacology / Toxicology. Dr. McCullagh joins BioMarin from Medivation, Inc., where she served as Senior Scientist, Scientist II & Scientist I. In addition to a PH.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. McCullagh has held positions of increasing related responsibility throughout her time at Medivation, Inc.

The search was successfully led by Michael Cane at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Tatjana Odrljin has joined Takeda Pharmaceuticals as Senior Medical Director, Clinical Development, Zika. Dr. Odrljin joins Takeda from Shire, where she served as Global Clinical Development Lead (Medical Director), Fibrotic Disorders. In addition to an MD from the University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Dr. Odrljin has held positions of increasing related responsibility at Wyeth, Novartis, and Alexion.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.

Alan Cullen, President of Westwood & Wilshire, attended the J.P. Morgan 35th Annual Healthcare Conference 2017 in San Francisco at the Westin St. Francis Hotel last week (https://www.jpmorgan.com/global/healthcareconference). This year’s conference focused on investment trends and opportunities in life sciences within venture-stage growth and emerging public companies, as well as those poised for growth within the next year. “There is simply no other event that brings the biotech business community together like JPM.” -Alan Cullen, CEO, Westwood & Wilshire

Westwood & Wilshire is the premier provider of global talent for the Life Sciences industry. Our clients range from Venture Capital-backed portfolio start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Jose Capellan has joined Takeda Pharmaceuticals as Medical Director, Vaccine Business Unit. Dr. Capellan joins Takeda from related consulting roles at Bayer, Novartis, and Sanofi. Dr. Capellan holds an MD from University of Santo Tomas.

The search was successfully led by Julie McDonald at Westwood & Wilshire.

At Westwood & Wilshire, we recognize that people are an organization's top asset. We are passionate about delivering premier talent to the world’s most innovative companies. We are particularly focused on companies ranging from VC-backed start-ups to mid-sized commercial entities and our assignments range from C-Suite to mid-management. Based in Los Angeles, California with additional offices in Silicon Valley and Connecticut, we serve our clients on a local, national and global basis.