DIA to Celebrate 9 Life Sciences Leaders at DIA 2025 Global Annual Meeting in Washington

DIA, a global non-profit organization of life sciences professionals, will induct four Fellows of DIA and recognize six recipients of Global Inspire Awards and America’s Inspire Awards on June 15 as part of the DIA 2025 Global Annual Meeting — including Emer Cooke, Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), who is receiving both honors.

Fellows of DIA are long-serving members recognized for their sustained dedication to advancing healthcare. The Global Inspire Awards recognize honorees who have made outstanding improvements to global health while adhering to DIA's mission.

"These distinguished individuals have made enduring contributions to the life sciences reflecting DIA's values and purpose," said Marwan Fathallah, DIA's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Their work in regulatory science, research, and global collaboration exemplifies the spirit of innovation that drives our mission forward."

Cooke has been the EMA's Executive Director and the Chair of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) since November 2020. She has more than 30 years of experience in international regulatory affairs, including four years as the director responsible for medical product-related regulatory activities at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr. Robert M. Califf, who served as the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from February 2016 to January 2017 and February 2022 to January 2025, is also being recognized as a Fellow of DIA. A nationally recognized expert in cardiovascular medicine and health outcomes research, he has led many landmark clinical trials and is one of the most frequently cited authors in biomedical science. Dr. Califf became a Member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2016.

Dr. Michael Rosenblatt and Dr. Hironobu Saito are also being named Fellows of DIA. Rosenblatt, a Senior Partner at Flagship Pioneering and the Immediate Past Chair of DIA's Board of Directors, has advanced biopharmaceutical research and development throughout his career. He was previously Merck's Chief Medical Officer and the Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine. Saito, a Specially Appointed Professor at Tottori University's Chromosome Engineering Research Center, spent 35 years in drug development at Daiichi Sankyo and has contributed to DIA Japan for more than two decades.

In addition to Cooke, who will be presented with the Global Award for Outstanding Contribution to Health, six members of the health and life sciences community will receive Global Inspire Awards:

— Kazumichi Kobayashi, Executive Deputy President at Otsuka Medical Device, will be honored with the Global Connector Award for advancing DIA's mission and promoting global collaborations. Kobayashi, who has served in various senior positions in research and development at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., previously led DIA Japan and chaired the DIA Advisory Council of Japan.

— Cary Smithson will receive the Community Engagement Award as a DIA Community Chair who consistently drives engagement while advancing knowledge and thought leadership. Smithson, a Managing Partner at LeapAhead Solutions, leads DIA's Regulatory Affairs Community and Regulatory Information Management (RIM) Intelligent Automation Team, and co-leads its RIM Working Group.

—Jennifer B. Christian will be named the Author of the Year, an award given to individuals whose article made the greatest impact on readership based on the number of downloads reported by Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science (TIRS) in the preceding issue year. Her article, co-authored with Mehmet Burcu, Cyntia B. Manzano-Salgado, Anne M. Butler, "A Framework for Extension Studies Using Real-World Data to Examine Long-Term Safety and Effectiveness," was downloaded more than 12,400 times.

Global Inspire Award recipients, except for the Author of the Year, must be nominated by two active DIA members to be considered candidates. They undergo a thorough review process before a committee of Fellows of DIA selects the winners.

DIA will also recognize the regional Inspire Awards winners from the Americas:

— David Fryrear, Chief Quality Officer at Astellas Pharma, will receive the Excellence in Service Award as a DIA volunteer who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the organization's mission. He previously held senior roles at AbbVie and Eli Lilly and Company and spent much of his career developing and improving quality systems.

— Elma Abdulbaki, a PharmD student at the University of Illinois at Chicago and President of the DIA National Student Board, will be honored with the Leader of Tomorrow Award for her outstanding contributions as a young professional in the healthcare field.

In addition to these awards and recognitions, there will be a performance by Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter Aloe Blacc. Renowned physician, epidemiologist, and global health leader Dr. Larry Brilliant will keynote at the event.

Tickets for the awards ceremony are available to the public for the first time and can be purchased by clicking here. These honors will be presented in conjunction with the DIA 2025 Global Annual Meeting, the world's preeminent multidisciplinary life sciences forum held June 15-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington.

Click here to register or view the DIA 2025 event program. Media members may request credentials by emailing diaglobal@gregoryfca.com.

About DIA
DIA is a leading global non-profit life science membership association that drives collaboration in drug, device, and diagnostics development in pursuit of a healthier world. Founded in 1964 with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in Europe and Asia, DIA provides unparalleled networking opportunities, educational resources, scientific research publications, and professional development programs to members in more than 80 countries.

Learn more at DIAglobal.org, and connect with DIA on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

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