NCBiotech Summit 2026 - Eastern Region
NCBiotech will celebrate NC Life Sciences Week during the week of Sep. 14-18, 2026. The week will culminate with NCBiotech's annual Life Sciences Summit in Greenville on Sep. 17, 2026. The event will focus on economic development, research, innovation, and workforce development.
The Eastern Region of North Carolina is well known for its concentration of biopharma manufacturing, impressive training infrastructure, and innovative workforce development programs.
Join us and discover how the Eastern Region is advancing life sciences innovation and developing solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges. The program will provide business insights and inspiration for attendees from across the state.
Visit our summit speaker bios page to learn more about each speaker. For more information, view the detailed summit agenda.
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Agenda
9:30 a.m. | Registration and networking
10:00 a.m. | Opening sessions
Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Mark Phillips, NCBiotech
- Chris Buddo, East Carolina University
- Master of Ceremonies: Sharon Paynter, East Carolina University; Senior Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, East Carolina University; Member, Board of Directors, NCBiotech
Presentation of Proclamations
- Secretary Lee Lilley, North Carolina Department of Commerce
- Mayor P.J. Connelly, City of Greenville
- Janis Gallagher, Manger, Pitt County
State of Life Sciences: North Carolina and the Eastern Region
- Doug Edgeton, President and CEO, NCBiotech
- Mary Beth Thomas, NCBiotech
Research Impacts on Eastern North Carolina: Opportunities for Collaboration and Innovation
- (moderator) John Cavanagh, East Carolina University
- Tim Alcorn, The Latham Biopharm Group
- Jason Buskirk, ECU Health
- Stefan Clemens, East Carolina University
- Malcolm Meyn, Amalgent Therapeutics, Inc.
- Mike Muglia, East Carolina University
11:30 a.m. | Lunch and keynote
Keynote Introductory Remarks
- Doug Edgeton, President and CEO, NCBiotech
Charles Hamner Lunch Keynote Presentation: ECU Health Becoming the Model for Rural Healthcare
- Mike Waldrum, MD, MSc, MBA, President and CEO, ECU Health and Dean, ECU Brody School of Medicine
1:30 p.m. | Afternoon sessions
Workforce Development Session: How NCGrads2Work is Creatively Meeting Industry Workforce Needs
- (moderator) Monica Lassiter, NCBiotech
- Carlin Blakely, Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Natalie Evans, DH Conley High School
- Micah Geiger, Catalent Pharma Solutions
- Kiriayani Woolard, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Economic Development Session: Strategic Alignment for Regional Readiness Success
- (moderator) Laura Rowley, Ph.D., NCBiotech
- Kelly Andrews, Pitt County Economic Development
- Jennifer Lantz, Wilson Economic Development Council
- Krizay Elenitoba-Johnson, Nipro Medical
- Pete Goodridge, Johnson & Johnson – Innovative Medicine
3:30 p.m. | Closing sessions
The Power of AI and Immersive Technology on Pharma Manufacturing Operations
- Gerald Logan, Director, Technical Operations of Augmented Execution Systems (AES), Thermo Fisher Scientific
Statewide Synergies: Life Sciences Across North Carolina
- (moderator) Mark Phillips, Vice President, Statewide Operations and Executive Director, Eastern Region
- Randall Johnson, Executive Director, Southeastern Region
- Nancy Johnston, Executive Director, Piedmont-Triad Region
- Corie Curtis, Executive Director, Greater Charlotte Region
- Laura Rowley, Ph.D., Vice President, Life Science Economic Development
- Sara Imhof, Ph.D., Vice President, Focused Initiative Team
5:00 p.m. | Networking at ECU TowneBank Tower
Directions/Parking
Parking is available at 501 East 10th Street, Greenville, NC 27858. At check-in, scan a QR code and enter your license plate number to validate parking.
Registration
Registration is now closed.
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East Carolina University
Main Campus Student Center
501 E. 10th St.
Greenville, NC 27858
Starts at $100