Corinne Cusumano, PhD

Corinne has more than seven years of pharmaceutical consulting experience and three years of pharmaceutical patent prosecution experience. Corinne has significant experience in the therapeutic areas of oncology, women’s health, neurology, immunology, rare diseases, and infectious diseases. She leads consulting projects involving the development of field-facing presentations and in-depth qualitative and quantitative market research. She has had experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications for novel agents, diagnostics, and treatments. With a PhD in microbiology, Dr. Cusumano leverages her critical thinking skills with her consulting and IP experience to develop tailored client solutions.

Josh Garcia, MS

Josh has nearly 15 years of pharmaceutical consulting experience across a wide range of practice areas, including medical affairs resource development, training, and strategy; US and global market access; and market research. Josh has a depth of experience in the therapeutic areas of oncology, neurology, immunology, supportive care, women’s health, medical aesthetics, and other related fields. With a background in biochemistry and organic chemistry, Josh has grounded his consulting career on his scientific acumen and cultivated a passion for helping clients solve the problems that keep them up at night.

Eric Miller, PhD

Eric has over ten years of experience in pharmaceutical consulting and seven years of experience in therapeutic start-up and management. His primary areas of expertise include oncology, immunology, rare diseases, medical devices, and early-stage therapeutic development. Eric’s consulting expertise ranges from competitive intelligence, in-depth market research, advisory boards, and product, market, and strategic assessments. With a PhD in biochemistry, Dr. Miller leverages his scientific background, entrepreneurial experience, and consulting knowledge to provide valuable insight and support for clients across the entire therapeutic lifecycle, from bench to bedside. 

Maneesh Kumar, MD, PhD

During his second year of medical school, Maneesh realized that his passion was in the science of medicine, not the practice of medicine. He took a leave to pursue a PhD in Free Radical and Radiation Biology and later returned to medical school to complete his MD. After a postdoc in neuroscience, he began his professional career in nonprofit – focusing on how to use philanthropic dollars to move research forward, faster. Dr. Kumar uses his clinical training and experiences in grantmaking and as an MSL, along with his deep and broad scientific knowledge, to craft compelling stories.

Derek Kellar, PhD

Derek has over three years of experience in consulting with Mirada Life Sciences and more than six years of experience in scientific research. During the past decade, he has developed expertise in many areas, including—but not limited to—oncology, neuroscience, clinical trials, medical imaging, and immunology. With a PhD in Integrated Physiology and Pharmacology, Dr. Kellar utilizes his knowledge of the scientific process behind drug development to deliver insightful solutions to the gamut of challenges that clients may encounter.

Emily Rhoads

Emily Rhoads has over 15 years of pharmaceutical development experience with industry-leading companies, including nine years of translational and clinical R&D and over six years of medical affairs consulting. Emily’s areas of expertise include oncology/hematology, translational science/medicine, companion diagnostics/precision medicine, as well as additional experience in immunology, women’s health, and neuroscience. 

With a deep, hands-on research background in molecular pathology and extensive experience in cross-functional clinical oncology and precision medicine, Emily utilizes strategic and critical thinking to collaboratively develop and deliver scientifically sound and integrated training materials, field resources, and communication solutions for medical affairs and clinical/cross-functional teams. 

Consulting specialties include advisory board project management, KOL engagement, and executive summary reports; pipeline evidence generation; HEOR strategy and gaps analysis and workshop management; competitive landscape analyses; biomarker/companion diagnostic strategy; medical affairs resource and training development and strategy; and launch-support materials.

Patricia Izbicki, PhD

Patricia is a clinical and cognitive neuroscientist with extensive experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, specializing in neurology, neuromodulation, fluid biomarkers, and precision medicine. Her expertise lies in neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. She has worked as a medical writer and medical science liaison in companies spanning from Fortune 500 to Silicon Valley start-ups.

Fun Fact: Patricia is a classical pianist and harpsichordist. She uniquely combines her scientific expertise and passion for music to enhance understanding of therapeutic interventions.

At Mirada Life Sciences, Patricia leverages her interdisciplinary experience to support innovative solutions in life sciences and healthcare.

Adrienne T. Perkins, PhD

Dr. Adrienne Perkins attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in Honors Integrative Biology. She went on to earn her PhD in Biological Sciences from Dartmouth College and pursued her postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. Adrienne began her career in clinical research in 2018 as a research project manager for a precision oncology program at Intermountain Healthcare. Previously, she served as an MSL at GRAIL focused on multi-cancer early detection, where she gained invaluable experience in medical affairs, developing educational content. Dr. Perkins joined Mirada in the fall of 2024 as an engagement manager. She spends her after-hours ballroom dancing, expanding her culinary repertoire, reading classical literature, or journaling about experiences and philosophies.

Katie Henley, PhD

Katie is passionate about clear, accurate, and engaging scientific communication. With ten years of experience conducting research and teaching in health and biomedical sciences, she has created deliverables for a variety of audiences, including scientists, healthcare professionals, patients, students, and the general public. Before joining Mirada, she led pharmaceutical client teams in the authoring of clinical research and regulatory documents as a regulatory medical writer and consultant. With a PhD in rehabilitation science, Katie combines her scientific acumen with scientific storytelling and educational skills to provide unique solutions for client communication needs.

Aki Yoneda Kau, PhD

Aki has been a senior consultant with Mirada for three years. She has developed a unique skill set cultivated through years of biomedical research and enjoys using her artistic aptitude to bring creative innovations to her clients’ needs. Before joining Mirada, Dr. Kau worked in academia and startups for 12 years, specializing in infectious diseases and oncology.

Benjamin Seitzman, PhD

Benjamin has 2 years of pharmaceutical consulting experience and more than 10 years of biomedical research experience. Benjamin has significant experience in oncology, neurology, radiation oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and medical devices with consulting projects involving the development of field-facing presentations, internal training resources, in-depth US and global market research, as well as technical analysis of novel diagnostics and treatments across multiple therapeutic areas. With a PhD in neuroscience, Dr. Seitzman leverages his critical thinking skills with his consulting and scientific experience to develop tailored client solutions.

Sarah Weineck

Sarah has over five years of experience in pharmaceutical consulting. Sarah has developed medical education resources and commercial training materials in oncology, neurology, medical aesthetics, and rare diseases. With expertise in patient care and navigating the US healthcare system for optimal outcomes, Sarah provides solutions for clients that keep patients in mind.

Renee Allison, PharmD, MPH

Renee brings extensive experience in health system pharmacy, regulatory affairs, and the life sciences sector. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Cedarville University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Renee is dedicated to leveraging her expertise to improve accessible healthcare and drive innovation in medicine, providing valuable insights and innovative solutions to clients and patients

Blake Bruene, PharmD

Blake has five years of experience as a Clinical Research Associate monitoring clinical trials in oncology before obtaining his PharmD from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Blake’s expertise extends to clinical trials, medical and regulatory affairs, pediatrics, oncology, and population health. With a deep understanding of regulatory processes and the healthcare sector, he drives innovation, optimizes pharmaceutical strategies, and fosters industry collaborations.

Jae Chang, PharmD

With a diverse background spanning medical affairs, pharmaceutical marketing, and pharmacy practice in hospitals and the community, Jae brings a multifaceted approach to the healthcare industry. Combined with his expertise in pharmacy and relevant industry experiences, Jae provides a unique blend of skills and knowledge for tailored client solutions.

Zerick Dunbar, PhD

Zerick is a resilient scientist with 10+ years of work experience and growing expertise in immunology, oncology, medical affairs, project management, and biomedical entrepreneurship. He is enthusiastic about positively impacting patient lives through his work. He enjoys assessing problems analytically while leveraging relationships and resources to build and effectively communicate solutions to address client needs.

Chas Pfeifer, PhD

Chas has 11 years of biomedical research experience that spans neuroscience, immunology, ophthalmology, and cognitive psychology disciplines, with 2 years of industry experience in preclinical drug development in ocular therapeutics. Passionate for developing pharmaceuticals and innovative technologies that deliver revolutionary treatments to patients, Dr. Pfeifer leverages his scientific knowledge, drug development insight, communication skills, and strategic problem-solving to generate agile solutions for clients.

Madeline Tara, MS

Madeline is a biomedical scientist with experience spanning oncology, pathology, and photobiology. She earned her M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Oncology from Loyola University Chicago, graduating magna cum laude, where her thesis research examined the heterogenic necrotic cell death pathways induced by UVB radiation. Passionate about scientific communication and translational research, Madeline is committed to optimizing pharmaceutical strategies and providing tailored solutions to clients and patients. She strives to integrate medical science with clinical applications to demonstrate therapeutic value and to advance patient care. Above all, she is motivated by the principle that patients can’t wait.