NCLifeSci Medical Device Luncheon and Forum

Zack Hornberger, senior director, digital health and imaging technology, AdvaMed

Hornberger supports industry alignment on artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and digital health policy. With more than a decade of experience spanning medical imaging devices, software-based technologies and regulatory engagement, his work focuses on cybersecurity, patient data, AI-enabled technologies and evolving FDA policy. Hornberger holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Tom Kaiser, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer, Avicenna Biosciences

Kaiser is physician-scientist dedicated to designing next generation medicines for rare diseases. Trained in mathematics, artificial intelligence, organic chemistry and clinical medicine, he brings a unique perspective on machine learning for drug design and development as well as general techniques in artificial intelligence. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the faculty of pharmaceutical medicine of the Royal College of Physicians. He is also an operating partner of DCVC Bio, a leading venture capital firm in San Francisco. Kaiser received his M.D. from the University of Oxford and also received Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University and a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Tulsa.

Todd Sharp, field CTO and principal technical executive advisor, global healthcare and life sciences team, Amazon Web Services 

Sharp serves customers and colleagues around the globe across both commercial and public sector industry segments. His experience includes digital innovation, clinical research, software development, security, AI/ML in healthcare and life sciences. Sharp has served missions including disaster and refugee response, national security, U.S. public sector clinical, research and revenue cycle operations. He has served leading U.S. and UN agencies, regional healthcare initiatives, top NIH ranked pediatric research enterprises, DoD health and human performance programs, as an adjunct instructor in graduate big data and analytics, as CIO/CISO on the frontlines of the pandemic across systems, as software development leader for EHR, ancillary and home healthcare, and life sciences, pharmaceutical and clinical research. He holds B.S. and M.S. from Georgia Tech including certificates and research experience in urban policy, economics, and international business.

Adam Zerda, Ph.D., vice president, international affairs, BD

Zerda leads global public affairs strategies to advance BD's enterprise priorities across trade, regulatory advocacy, and tax and support execution of the the business unit priorities within the regions by leveraging the numerous capabilities of BD’s public affairs function. In this role, he oversees regional teams in Asia, Latin America and Europe, ensuring alignment with business objectives and strengthening BD’s engagement with policymakers worldwide, and he leads an organization that is a strategic partner to BD’s regional leadership teams, the integrated supply chain organizations, regulatory affairs and global tax. Zerda joined BD’s public affairs organization in 2021 and has played an instrumental role in aligning the work of the public affairs team to the most critical business priorities. An engineer by training, he started his career with BD in 2007, and he subsequently held roles in R&D, strategy & business development and led the former AMR Program Office. Zerda holds a Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a B.S. in chemistry from Texas Christian University.