Advancements in Process chemistry – Screening, automation and innovation

Andrew Kukor earned his Ph.D. under Prof. Jason Hein at The University of British Columbia in 2023, working on key crystallization projects including the development of METTLER TOLEDO’s EasyFrit and its application towards dynamic enantioselective crystallizations. He then joined Takeda’s Synthetic Molecule Process Development (SMPD) department as an Automation Scientist, supporting DirectInject-LC and other PAT tools for data-rich experimentation while also conducting high-throughput experiments and designing new robotic workflows to help lead SMPD into the future of laboratory experimentation.

Neil Hawbaker earned his Ph.D. under Prof. Donna Blackmond at The Scripps Research Institute, focusing on reaction kinetics and mechanistic studies. He then spent several years at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), supporting environmental remediation programs for toxic chemical contaminants. Afterward, he joined Scale-up Systems, where he supported the development of kinetic modeling software for the optimization of pharmaceutical reactions and processes. He is currently a Senior Process Modeler in Takeda's Synthetic Molecule Process Development (SMPD) department, where he develops mechanistic and data-driven models to advance process understanding, scale-up, and digital process development across Takeda's small molecule portfolio.

Hailing from Lima, Peru, Alonso joined the Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) organization at Lilly in 2019 after completing his PhD studies in Organic Chemistry at the University of Michigan with Prof. Pavel Nagorny and Prof. Paul Zimmerman. During his graduate studies he worked on the development and application of novel acetal containing ligands for asymmetric transition metal catalysis, as well as quantum-chemical mechanistic investigations of phosphoric acid-catalyzed acetalizations. Currently a Sr. Advisor-Chemistry, Alonso has worked on the process development and optimization for several projects spanning from early development to post-approval modifications, including peptide assets as well as anti-cancer small-molecules such as selpercatinib, pirtobrutinib, imlunestrant. In parallel, Alonso leads the SMDD Data-Rich Experimentation Team and is highly enthusiastic about cultivating a data-rich and automation-centric culture in SMDD.

Yexenia is a Principal Scientist in Pfizer’s Chemical Research & Development (CRD) organization, where she is part of the Development Process Chemistry team. She specializes in designing and optimizing scalable chemical processes that support programs from early clinical development through commercial manufacturing. Earned her PhD in Chemistry from Texas A&M University and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania. With seven years of experience as a process chemist, she has contributed across the pharmaceutical landscape, including roles at GSK and contract research organizations.

Bilal Hoblos is a Principal Scientist in the Chemical Process Development department at Bristol Myers Squibb. Prior to joining BMS in August 2021, he completed his PhD at Temple University in the group of Prof. Sarah Wengryniuk, where he focused on the total synthesis of natural products using novel hypervalent iodine-mediated ring expansion methodology. Since joining BMS, he has gained experience across early- and commercial-stage development of small molecules and biomolecules, with the primary goals of delivering robust processes and high-quality intermediates and APIs. He has also been active in enabling automation within the department, working to expand the use of automated platforms to accelerate process development and improve data quality

Jeremy Dai is a Principal Scientist in Drug Substance Technologies at Amgen, where he leads medium-throughput experimentation (MTE), a capability that integrates automated platforms with experimental design, data processing, and visualization. Prior to automation initiatives, he held process development roles supporting a range of development and commercial programs, including Lumakras, AMG 193, Otezla and MariTide. His contributions have spanned process development, process characterization, lifecycle management, technology transfer, and manufacturing support. He earned a Ph.D. under Prof. Chao-Jun Li at McGill University and completed an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Stephen L. Buchwald at MIT, where his academic research focused broadly on catalytic reaction development and synthetic methodology.