Joe Collins
Vice President,Medical Intelligence and Patient Insights (MIPI) and Patient Insights and Solutions (PInS) teams
A little about me at work
I lead two of five teams within the Patient Centricity division, the Medical Intelligence and Patient Insights (MIPI) and Patient Insights and Solutions (PInS) teams. I have spent my career in pharma. I joined Astellas in March 2020. In addition to my time here, I have worked at Sanofi and Roche in a variety of different roles in patient centricity, commercial operations and in functions supporting research and development, and medical affairs.
A little about me at home
I grew up in the Philadelphia, in the Pennsylvania area, and now live in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with my wife Mauri and our five daughters. I enjoy spending time attending the different activities my kids are involved in, riding the peloton (maybe “enjoy” is too strong) and playing golf.
What I love about my job
I’m lucky to work with two great teams! We have a nice mix of people that have been with Astellas for many years and others that joined when I did. In addition to a variety with Astellas experience, the teams are made up of individuals with diverse educational and work experience backgrounds in pharmacy, medicine, science, business, consulting, market research and health economics. All of these areas link to the patient and these backgrounds and experiences provide a great foundation for the patient-centered work we do every day!
What gets me up every day
Gathering, analyzing and understanding the experience of patients during their disease journey is critically important, as I think most would agree. Equally as important is the ability to take these insights and operationalize them within Astellas, from the earliest stages of research to commercialization of products. This is exciting to me! Patients are helping shape the products Astellas is developing from beginning to end!
Alexandre Jaballah
Associate Director, Risk-Benefit Opportunity (RBO) Assessments
A little about me at work
I am a pharmacist by training with a background in health economics. Since 2016, I have worked in the healthcare industry in various roles, focusing on the generation and incorporation of patient insights into drug development. I joined Astellas in May 2020, where I lead the competitive intelligence function within the MIPI team.
A little about me at home
I was born and raised in Paris and moved to the US in 2018, first to Boston and later to New York City, where I currently reside with my fiancée. In my free time, I love to travel, either going back home to visit family and friends, or discovering new places locally and around the world.
What I love about my job
My favorite part of my job is having the opportunity to work on a great variety of projects across multiple indications and therapeutic areas. Every day brings something new, which allows me to keep learning. I am also thrilled to be part of the Patient Centricity division, where I can contribute to a fast-growing function within Astellas and a key area of focus for the pharmaceutical industry.
What gets me up every day
The most rewarding part of my job is the sense of purpose that it provides: at Astellas and in Patient Centricity, we are doing important work to improve the lives of patients. It indeed feels that we have a real impact by making a difference in their lives. I am grateful to be part of a team and a company where patient perspectives are vital to every phase of drug development.
Peter Joo
Senior Director, Medical Value and Strategy, MIPI
A little about me at work
We work with our colleagues in early research to provide a broader context for the product under development by incorporating the perspectives of the patient and the healthcare provider. We also provide some high-level insights into the competitive field as well as the value of the product. I was a physician working as an Internal Medicine/Pediatric Hospitalist for 20 years prior to coming to Astellas. I hope to bring that bedside perspective to all our work here.
A little about me at home
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago; in fact, the high school I attended is just a few exits down the highway from the Astellas headquarters. I still live close by with my wife, two kids and our dog.
What I love about my job
For most of my adult life, I have had a crazy work schedule. Night or day, weekend or weekday - it really didn't matter. When I first joined Astellas, I couldn't believe that I would now have every weekend off!
What gets me up every day
Leaving direct patient care was tough and I still miss the one-on-one interactions with the patients, but I love that we have the privilege to work on a grander scale and improve the lives of whole populations of patients.
Wendy Latash
Director, Patient Centricity, MIPI
A little about me at work
I work with my MIPI colleagues to provide a deep understanding of the patient experience in various diseases, primarily supporting early research and development teams. My efforts to bring the patient perspective to the medicines Astellas develops focuses on understanding epidemiology, patient care and access to patient care, patients’ health journeys, use of healthcare services and the costs involved, and providing a market overview. I bring a deep scientific perspective to our team and can integrate that with the patient perspective we discover through our research.
A little about me at home
I live in the Chicagoland area with my husband, daughter and our Doberman Rosie. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, playing the flute and piano, crafting, and volunteering in my local community.
What I love about my job
The amazing people I get to work with! My colleagues are talented, compassionate, hard-working people who I learn from every day. They inspire me to challenge myself and to improve and think differently. I also love the nature of my work. I get to explore the technical science, diving deep to find out everything I can about a disease, and then combine that knowledge with a strategic approach to establish what we do with that information. I find this find very fulfilling.
What gets me up every day
My mantra is “science with a purpose”. I have always been a person deeply interested and curious about medicine and the conditions that affect our society. This has come home to me with varying family experiences with chronic and acute diseases, including cancer, dementia, heart disease and menopause to name a few. I have a post-it note with the names of people close to me who suffer or have succumbed to their conditions. It’s for them and for the vision of a better health quality of life for my daughter that I do what I do, every single day.
Fawn Leigh
Senior Director, Medical Value & Strategy, MIPI
A little about me at work
I conduct opportunity assessments on indications of interest, addressing scientific rational, unmet need, epidemiology, competitive landscape and market considerations. We bring the patient’s voice into these considerations, as well as the medical perspective. I’m a pediatric neurologist with a focus in neuromuscular disorders, with two decades of clinical experience, and I have been involved in clinical research and drug development.
A little about me at home
I’m a Chicago native and I really love being in Chicago, being closer to family and dear friends. I enjoy spending time on the lake, especially kayaking. There are also many events across the many communities in the city, which is great because I can meet people from different backgrounds, explore different cuisine, and learn about other cultures.
What I love about my job
Each project has been unique. I always look forward to the kick-off meeting when we connect with the project to hear about what they have been working on and I love the evolution of content development through interactions with patients and physicians.
What gets me up every day
I’m always inspired by the patients (and families); their resilience and strength amidst uncertainty, as they face a diagnosis and/or fight against time. Being part of a team to help find better solutions, and, ultimately, therapies to improve the lives of patients, gets me up every day to try my best to do my part in moving things forward.
Matthew Staid
MIPI Fellow
A little about me at work
I graduated from pharmacy school and began my career at Astellas in 2022 as a Medical Intelligence and Patient Insights (MIPI) fellow. My role primarily consists of supporting the project teams through secondary research for their disease state(s) of interest. Previously, I worked in a molecular pharmacology lab which focused on inflammatory skin diseases.
A little about me at home
I currently live in Boston where I love to stay active and go for runs along the water. I’m also fortunate to have my parents and brothers nearby, so we can spend quality time together cheering for the Boston sports teams!
What I love about my job
I’m really grateful for my fellowship at Astellas, which has provided a tremendous amount of support to the patient community. Patient centricity has the privilege to speak with and learn from patients and their caregivers on a regular basis. These conversations along with the guidance from my team have been invaluable to my personal growth and future impact in the pharmaceutical industry.
What gets me up every day
Everyday I have the opportunity to learn! Patients, caregivers, physicians, and my team have all been incredibly insightful, which has helped me support the change at Astellas to a patient-centric drug development process.
Alicia Weeks
MD Senior Director, Patient Centricity, MIPI
A little about me at work
I lead teams through the creation and presentation of MIPI analyses. These include in-depth investigations of a range of factors relating to care and treatment, including patient needs, physician perspectives, and disease pathophysiology, as well as current standard of care, epidemiology, market assessment and the competitive landscape. We also provide clinical development and regulatory guidance to our internal colleagues as part of the MIPI analysis process. I have worked within the pharmaceutical sector for around 10 years, starting off in manufacturing as a chemical engineer, and, more recently, in clinical development within cardio-metabolic-renal and hepatology. Before moving into the industry, I spent almost four years as a stockbroker.
A little about me at home
I live in Springboro, Ohio, which is about an hour north of Cincinnati in the USA. My fiancé Michael and I are dog lovers, and have four fur children, three of which are Australian Shepherds. They bring us so much joy and, although daily vacuuming is required, we wouldn't change a thing!
What I love about my job
What I love most about my job is being able to match the patients' unmet needs to the promising investigational drug we are developing. Knowing that the work we do will be able to make a real difference to people’s lives makes it the job of a lifetime.
What gets me up every day
Working at Astellas means I am part of the never-ending quest for knowledge – and that I am in a position to use that knowledge to improve patients' lives. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and makes everything worthwhile.
Valencia Wilson
Director, Patient Centricity, MIPI
A little about me at work
I provide an exam-room perspective and analysis in support of research and development decision-making. I have previously worked in manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and marketing.
A little about me at home
I live in North Suburban Chicago. I have a two-year-old daughter and two dogs (ages 14 and 3). I enjoy golf, water sports and traveling. I also completed the Chicago marathon and have a black belt in karate. My ‘passion project’ is increasing diversity in clinical trials.
What I love about my job
I love interviewing patients and hearing first-hand what their needs are, their challenges and hearing how they persevere.
What gets me up every day
The work we do at Astellas is a fundamental path forward to make healthcare accessible for everyone and relevant for all.