Program » Panel Discussions
TB POC Dx Target Product Profile (TPP) Panel
Claudia Denkinger, Ph.D.
Heidelberg University Hospital, GERMANY
Claudia Denkinger holds a MD, MSc and DTMH from the Julius-Maximilians University, Germany, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Her research has focused on diagnostics development and clinical trialling. She has contributed to over 150 publications in the field and has been awarded the Gertrud Meissner Award of the European Society of Mycobacteriology for her contribution to TB research. She led the tuberculosis program at FIND, a WHO collaborating center for TB Diagnostics over 5 years. Since May 2019, Claudia is leading the Division of Tropical Medicine, Center of Infectious Diseases, at the Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany, where she continues her research work on accelerating the development, assessment and implementation of Global Health relevant diagnostic solutions.
David Dolinger, Ph.D.
PhAST, USA
Dr. David L. Dolinger has over 35 years of industry experience in the development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) assay from design and development to launch and commercialization. As a Peace Corps volunteer in rural South Korea working in tuberculosis control in the late '70's, he saw firsthand the pressing need for high quality informative diagnostics as part of an integrated care management solution. Because of these experiences, he pursued a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Temple University School of Medicine followed by post-doctoral training in Molecular Genetics at Princeton University.
Dr. Dolinger has held leadership positions in all aspects of the IVD Industry, including Research and Development, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs. Highlights of his career have involved work with the Human Genome Project through a company that he founded in Jackson, Wyoming (Phenogenex, LLC) and Product Development at Visible Genetics, where he part of the team that developed and commercialized the first US-FDA cleared sequencing-based molecular assay for rapid identification of HIV-1 resistant mutations. During his career he has been involved in the commercialization of diagnostic products which have had an impact in both high-income (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in the areas of HIV-1, HCV, HBV, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He has also recently been involved in the development of SARS-CoV-2 detection assays and the implementation of testing strategies in multiple LMICs. He is currently working with a start-up, PhAST Diagnostics, for the development of a low-cost robust system for the automated detection of bacterial infections and associated antimicrobial susceptibility for deployment in low resource settings.
Women's Cervical Cancer Screening Panel
Bridget Lumbwe, M.S.
UNC-Global Projects, LLC, ZAMBIA
Bridget Lumbwe is a Program Manager at Global Projects Zambia and oversees multiple research projects involving cervical cancer early detection and prevention across several cancer screening clinics in Zambia. She is an experienced Medical Scientist with Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, a Masters in Biotechnology and a Masters with Distinction in Cytology and Histopathology.
Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Tulane University, USA
Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Director of the Tulane Health Office for Latin America (HOLA) in Lima, Peru, where she has been based permanently since 2004. She is a Peruvian-American social scientist working with interdisciplinary teams, applying both qualitative and quantitative research methods to improve knowledge on adoption of health practices/programs, at both the individual and organizational level (health care systems). Her current work applies implementation science and systems thinking approaches to translate evidence into practice, by examining the current cervical cancer screening and treatment process and moving towards a more efficient HPV based screening and follow up with thermal ablation or hospital referrals in the rainforest city of Iquitos to reduce cervical cancer. Her work incorporates elements of community-based participatory research, systems thinking, implementation science, and bi-directional knowledge transfer.
Natalia Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Purdue University, USA
Dr. Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the Department of Public Health and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Her interdisciplinary translational research program lies at the intersection of Public Health and Biomedical Engineering, and centers on the design of health technologies and tailored implementation strategies to address health disparities in underserved communities. She seeks to understand and improve upon mechanisms for uptake and adoption of innovative technologies to empower community health workforces, strengthen health systems, and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Dr. Rodriguez is a Biomedical Engineer by training and holds Bachelors degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology from MIT, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, and an MPH in Global Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her postdoctoral training at the World Health Organization in the Medical Devices Unit providing technical support to the elaboration of the WHO List of Priority Medical Devices for Cancer Management and the Zika virus diagnostic landscape analysis during the 2016 Zika Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Celina Schocken, M.S.
Women's Health and Strategy Consultant, USA
Celina Schocken is a senior advisor on women's health, development and introduction of new technologies, and health systems. She advises companies and foundations on technology and program adoption throughout the world. Ms. Schocken advises organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Roche Diagnostics, Atila Biosystems, the Children's Innovation Fund Foundation (CIFF) and others on medical device introduction, reproductive and sexual health, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS, telehealth and technology. She is advising on ways organizations can use technology to address healthcare challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She is also a member of the Board of MobileODT, and co-founder and advisor to TogetHER for Health, a global partnership fighting cervical cancer.
Previously, Ms. Schocken was the CEO of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, a public private partnership focused on cervical and breast cancer. Ms. Schocken was Director of Policy and Advocacy at Merck for Mothers, and Director of International Organizations at Population Services International (PSI). She was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Schocken received her juris doctor and master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's in business administration from New York University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC Paris. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago.
Claudia Denkinger, Ph.D.Heidelberg University Hospital, GERMANY
Claudia Denkinger holds a MD, MSc and DTMH from the Julius-Maximilians University, Germany, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Her research has focused on diagnostics development and clinical trialling. She has contributed to over 150 publications in the field and has been awarded the Gertrud Meissner Award of the European Society of Mycobacteriology for her contribution to TB research. She led the tuberculosis program at FIND, a WHO collaborating center for TB Diagnostics over 5 years. Since May 2019, Claudia is leading the Division of Tropical Medicine, Center of Infectious Diseases, at the Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany, where she continues her research work on accelerating the development, assessment and implementation of Global Health relevant diagnostic solutions.
David Dolinger, Ph.D.PhAST, USA
Dr. David L. Dolinger has over 35 years of industry experience in the development of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) assay from design and development to launch and commercialization. As a Peace Corps volunteer in rural South Korea working in tuberculosis control in the late '70's, he saw firsthand the pressing need for high quality informative diagnostics as part of an integrated care management solution. Because of these experiences, he pursued a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Temple University School of Medicine followed by post-doctoral training in Molecular Genetics at Princeton University.
Dr. Dolinger has held leadership positions in all aspects of the IVD Industry, including Research and Development, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs. Highlights of his career have involved work with the Human Genome Project through a company that he founded in Jackson, Wyoming (Phenogenex, LLC) and Product Development at Visible Genetics, where he part of the team that developed and commercialized the first US-FDA cleared sequencing-based molecular assay for rapid identification of HIV-1 resistant mutations. During his career he has been involved in the commercialization of diagnostic products which have had an impact in both high-income (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in the areas of HIV-1, HCV, HBV, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He has also recently been involved in the development of SARS-CoV-2 detection assays and the implementation of testing strategies in multiple LMICs. He is currently working with a start-up, PhAST Diagnostics, for the development of a low-cost robust system for the automated detection of bacterial infections and associated antimicrobial susceptibility for deployment in low resource settings.
Women's Cervical Cancer Screening Panel
Bridget Lumbwe, M.S.UNC-Global Projects, LLC, ZAMBIA
Bridget Lumbwe is a Program Manager at Global Projects Zambia and oversees multiple research projects involving cervical cancer early detection and prevention across several cancer screening clinics in Zambia. She is an experienced Medical Scientist with Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, a Masters in Biotechnology and a Masters with Distinction in Cytology and Histopathology.
Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Ph.D., M.P.H.Tulane University, USA
Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Director of the Tulane Health Office for Latin America (HOLA) in Lima, Peru, where she has been based permanently since 2004. She is a Peruvian-American social scientist working with interdisciplinary teams, applying both qualitative and quantitative research methods to improve knowledge on adoption of health practices/programs, at both the individual and organizational level (health care systems). Her current work applies implementation science and systems thinking approaches to translate evidence into practice, by examining the current cervical cancer screening and treatment process and moving towards a more efficient HPV based screening and follow up with thermal ablation or hospital referrals in the rainforest city of Iquitos to reduce cervical cancer. Her work incorporates elements of community-based participatory research, systems thinking, implementation science, and bi-directional knowledge transfer.
Natalia Rodriguez, Ph.D.Purdue University, USA
Dr. Rodriguez is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the Department of Public Health and the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Her interdisciplinary translational research program lies at the intersection of Public Health and Biomedical Engineering, and centers on the design of health technologies and tailored implementation strategies to address health disparities in underserved communities. She seeks to understand and improve upon mechanisms for uptake and adoption of innovative technologies to empower community health workforces, strengthen health systems, and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Dr. Rodriguez is a Biomedical Engineer by training and holds Bachelors degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology from MIT, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, and an MPH in Global Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her postdoctoral training at the World Health Organization in the Medical Devices Unit providing technical support to the elaboration of the WHO List of Priority Medical Devices for Cancer Management and the Zika virus diagnostic landscape analysis during the 2016 Zika Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Celina Schocken, M.S.Women's Health and Strategy Consultant, USA
Celina Schocken is a senior advisor on women's health, development and introduction of new technologies, and health systems. She advises companies and foundations on technology and program adoption throughout the world. Ms. Schocken advises organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Roche Diagnostics, Atila Biosystems, the Children's Innovation Fund Foundation (CIFF) and others on medical device introduction, reproductive and sexual health, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS, telehealth and technology. She is advising on ways organizations can use technology to address healthcare challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She is also a member of the Board of MobileODT, and co-founder and advisor to TogetHER for Health, a global partnership fighting cervical cancer.
Previously, Ms. Schocken was the CEO of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, a public private partnership focused on cervical and breast cancer. Ms. Schocken was Director of Policy and Advocacy at Merck for Mothers, and Director of International Organizations at Population Services International (PSI). She was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Schocken received her juris doctor and master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's in business administration from New York University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC Paris. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago.