CEPI at the 20th Annual Non-Dilutive Funding Summit
The 20th Non-Dilutive Funding Summit brought together hundreds of life science industry leaders with representatives from some of the leading funding agencies including DARPA, CDMRP, ATI, NHLBI, NSCEB, NIA and more, giving attendees the opportunity to learn more in-depth about what non-dilutive funding opportunities are available and relevant for their R&D directly from the funding agencies.
Additionally, the 2024 FreeMind Elite honorees took to the stage to present about their companies research and pipelines and their journey to securing non-dilutive funding.
This free summit is hosted by the FreeMind Group. FreeMind helps companies secure non-dilutive funding for life science R&D and wins over $100 million each year for clients. Follow us on LinkedIn or get our newsletter for news about non-dilutive funding opportunities, announcements about conferences with the best partnering, and discounts for those conferences.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is a global partnership launched in 2017 to accelerate the development of vaccines and other countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases. It focuses on diseases with pandemic potential, particularly those lacking adequate market incentives for vaccine development, such as Lassa fever, Nipah virus, and MERS-CoV. CEPI played a critical role in funding and supporting COVID-19 vaccine development during the pandemic. By fostering collaborations among governments, academia, industry, and non-profits, CEPI aims to improve global health security and ensure equitable access to life-saving vaccines. Its mission includes preparedness, rapid response, and resilience against future epidemics.
Dr. Rebecca Farkas, Director of R&D Innovation
Dr. Rebecca Farkas is the Director of R&D Innovations at CEPI, the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, where she oversees the identification and advancement of scientific innovations aimed at developing a vaccine within 100 days of an outbreak. Prior to joining CEPI, she served as Director of Scientific Collaborations for Vaccines at GSK for five years, where she led search and evaluation and the development of strategic R&D partnerships with U.S. universities and government agencies. Dr. Farkas helped drive the development and implementation of GSK’s pandemic strategy, including the negotiation and launch of GSK’S Operation Warp Speed contract. From 2015-2017, Dr. Farkas forged strategic partnerships with U.S. east coast universities and local industry leaders as Associate Director for Partnering & Strategy at MedImmune/AstraZeneca.
Before joining industry, Dr. Farkas spent 12 years at the NIH in a variety of roles spanning program management and science policy. Recognizing the need for a new paradigm to drive innovation in neuroscience drug discovery, she envisioned, created, and directed an NIH-funded “virtual biotech” that de-risked academic assets to attract industry investment. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Farkas initiated a strategic plan and research program to develop medical countermeasures for chemical threats.
Dr. Farkas holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from Stanford and a B.A. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale.
