Innovation in Lipids and LNP Formulations
Prof. Karine Andrieux, Professor, University of Paris-Cité – France
Karine Andrieux is Professor at the University of Paris-Cité. Co-Director of the Master 2 in Pharmaceutical Technology and the European Master’s (EMJMD) in Nanomedicine for Drug Delivery.
Expertise fields: Nanomedicine, polymeric nanoparticles and functionalized liposomes for tissue targeting – Interaction with biological barriers: placenta and blood-brain barrier – Characterization of nanocarriers.
Key discoveries: Polymeric nanoparticles for treating Alzheimer’s disease, lipid nanoparticles for treating cerebral ischemia, primary culture model of the rat blood-brain barrier, in vitro and ex vivo tools and models for studying the interactions of liposomes and lipoplexes with the human placenta.
She holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technologies at the University of Paris-Sud in 2000.
Dr Manon Berger, University of Liège – Belgium
Manon Berger, PhD, graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Liège in 2019 and obtained her PhD in October 2023 from the same institution. Her doctoral research, entitled “Development of lipid nanoparticles based on PEG alternatives for efficient siRNA delivery”, focused on the optimization of lipoplexes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), with particular emphasis on innovative PEG alternatives to improve nucleic acid delivery. Her PhD research received the PhD Award from the Société Française de Nanomédecine (SF Nano) and a Thesis Prize of the Académie Nationale de Pharmacie.
She subsequently held a position as Research and Teaching Assistant at Université Paris Cité, Faculty of Pharmacy, where she combined academic teaching in Pharmacotechnical Sciences (Galenic Unit) with research activities at the UTCBS laboratory.
Since September 2024, she has been a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liège, within the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, in the Development of Nanomedicine team led by Prof. Géraldine Piel. She is part of the coordination unit of the GT4Health consortium, which brings together 11 PhD candidates developing innovative gene therapy strategies.
Dr Sophie Hammer, Technical and Strategic Marketing Manager, Evonik – Germany
Dr Sophie Hammer is a Senior Manager Strategic & Technical Marketing at Evonik, a leading CDMO for parenteral applications. She is the technical point of contact for prospective clients for LNP-based drugs.
In her role she focuses on technical assessments and strategic collaborations to advance the development of innovative mRNA-based medicines.
Before joining Evonik in 2023 she worked in another global specialty chemical company and served in key positions such as product expert, project manager and product manager. Sophie studied Biomedical Chemistry at the University of Mainz, Germany, and holds a PhD degree in Polymer Chemistry. She is a (co)-author of multiple peer-reviewed publications.
Dr Steffen Meyer, Senior Director Business development, Ethris – Germany
Steffen Meyer is the Senior Director of Business Development at Ethris, a Munich-based biotech company focused on advancing mRNA therapeutics for respiratory diseases. In his role, he supports strategic partnerships and collaborations that foster the development of new mRNA-based medicines. Since joining Ethris in 2015, he has worked in various scientific and leadership roles, including Project Lead, Director of Discovery Biology, and Group Leader of Protein Science & Analytics, before moving into business development. He holds a PhD in Biotechnology and has gained research experience in both academic and industrial settings.
George-William Smith, Senior Business Manager, Evonik – Germany
George is a Senior Business Manager at Evonik, where he plays a key role in enhancing customer engagement and promoting the company’s CDMO services. These offerings feature state-of-the-art technologies and products designed for advanced parenteral drug delivery.
With more than thirty years of experience in the healthcare sector, as a Chemist George has held a variety of technical and commercial positions at leading global organizations including Catalent, Lonza, GSK, and Evonik.
He brings deep expertise in driving strategic business growth, strengthening client partnerships, leading successful negotiations, and applying his extensive knowledge of polymeric drug formulations, liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, and specialized lipid manufacturing.
Guided by a strong passion for innovation and quality, George is committed to delivering exceptional solutions that address the complex needs of clients and ultimately patients across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.