At Mirada, we understand the difficulty of educating customers when the conversation or call plan may change at a moment’s notice. We plan and execute our strategic approach to facilitate dynamic conversations.

Founders

Corinne Cusumano, Phd

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Corinne has more than seven years of pharmaceutical consulting experience and three years of pharmaceutical patent prosecution experience. Corinne has significant experience in the therapeutic areas of oncology, women’s health, neurology, immunology, rare diseases, and infectious diseases. She leads consulting projects involving the development of field-facing presentations and in-depth qualitative and quantitative market research. She has had experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications for novel agents, diagnostics, and treatments. With a PhD in microbiology, Dr. Cusumano leverages her critical thinking skills with her consulting and IP experience to develop tailored client solutions. 

Josh Garcia, MS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Josh has nearly 15 years of pharmaceutical consulting experience across a wide range of practice areas, including medical affairs resource development, training, and strategy; US and global market access; and market research. Josh has a depth of experience in the therapeutic areas of oncology, neurology, immunology, supportive care, women’s health, medical aesthetics, and more. With a background in biochemistry and organic chemistry, Josh has grounded his consulting career on his scientific acumen and cultivated a passion for helping clients solve the problems that keep them up at night. 

Staff

Renee Allison, PharmD, MPH

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

Renee brings extensive experience in health system pharmacy, regulatory affairs, and the life sciences sector. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Cedarville University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Renee is dedicated to leveraging her expertise to improve accessible healthcare and drive innovation in medicine, providing valuable insights and innovative solutions to clients and patients.

Blake Bruene, PharmD

CONSULTANT

Blake has five years of experience as a Clinical Research Associate monitoring clinical trials in oncology before obtaining his PharmD from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Blake’s expertise extends to clinical trials, medical and regulatory affairs, pediatrics, oncology, and population health. With a deep understanding of regulatory processes and the healthcare sector, he drives innovation, optimizes pharmaceutical strategies, and fosters industry collaborations. 

Jae Chang, PharmD

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

With a diverse background spanning medical affairs, pharmaceutical marketing, and pharmacy practice in hospitals and the community, Jae brings a multifaceted approach to the healthcare industry. Combined with his expertise in pharmacy and relevant industry experiences, Jae provides a unique blend of skills and knowledge for tailored client solutions. 

Katie Henley, PhD

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Katie is passionate about clear, accurate, and engaging scientific communication. With ten years of experience conducting research and teaching in health and biomedical sciences, she has created deliverables for a variety of audiences, including scientists, healthcare professionals, patients, students, and the general public. Before joining Mirada, she led pharmaceutical client teams in the authoring of clinical research and regulatory documents as a regulatory medical writer and consultant. With a PhD in rehabilitation science, Katie combines her scientific acumen with scientific storytelling and educational skills to provide unique solutions for client communication needs.

Aki Yoneda Kau, PhD

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Aki has been a senior consultant with Mirada for three years. She has developed a unique skill set cultivated through years of biomedical research and enjoys using her artistic aptitude to bring creative innovations to her clients’ needs. Before joining Mirada, Dr. Kau worked in academia and startups for 12 years, specializing in infectious diseases and oncology. 

Derek Kellar, PhD

ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Derek has over three years of experience in consulting with Mirada Life Sciences and more than six years of experience in scientific research. During the past decade, he has developed expertise in many areas, including—but not limited to—oncology, neuroscience, clinical trials, medical imaging, and immunology. With a PhD in Integrated Physiology and Pharmacology, Dr. Kellar utilizes his knowledge of the scientific process behind drug development to deliver insightful solutions to the gamut of challenges that clients may encounter. 

Maneesh Kumar, MD, PhD

ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

During his second year of medical school, Maneesh realized that his passion was in the science of medicine, not the practice of medicine. He took a leave to get a PhD in Free Radical and Radiation Biology and later returned to medical school for his MD. After a postdoc in neuroscience, he began his professional career in nonprofit – focusing on how to use philanthropic dollars to move research forward, faster. Dr. Kumar uses his clinical training and experiences in grantmaking and as an MSL, along with his deep and broad scientific knowledge, to craft compelling stories.

Eric Miller, PhD

DIRECTOR

Eric has over ten years of pharmaceutical consulting experience and seven years of therapeutic start-up and management experience. His primary areas of expertise include oncology, immunology, rare diseases, medical devices, and early-stage therapeutic development. Eric’s consulting expertise ranges from competitive intelligence, in-depth market research, advisory boards, and product, market, and strategic assessments. With a PhD in biochemistry, Dr. Miller leverages his scientific background, entrepreneurial experience, and consulting knowledge to provide valuable insight and support for clients across the entire therapeutic lifecycle, from bench to bedside. 

Zaki Naqvi, MS

ANALYST

Zaki combines extensive clinical research experience in ophthalmology and immunology with a Master’s in Biotechnology to deliver innovative solutions to clients. Zaki excels in integrating research insights with operational efficiency. This diverse skill set ensures a seamless approach to advancing and optimizing drug development.

Emily Rhoads

ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Emily Rhoads has over 15 years of pharmaceutical development experience with industry-leading companies, including nine years of translational and clinical R&D and over six years of medical affairs consulting.  Emily’s areas of expertise include oncology/hematology, translational science/medicine, companion diagnostics/precision medicine, and additional experience in immunology, women’s health, and neuroscience. 

With a deep, hands-on research background in molecular pathology and extensive experience in cross-functional clinical oncology and precision medicine, Emily utilizes strategic and critical thinking to collaboratively develop and deliver scientifically sound and integrated training materials, field resources, and communication solutions for medical affairs and clinical/cross-functional teams. 

Consulting specialties include advisory board project management, KOL engagement, and executive summary reports; pipeline evidence generation; HEOR strategy and gaps analysis and workshop management; competitive landscape analyses; biomarker/companion diagnostic strategy; medical affairs resource and training development and strategy; and launch-support materials.

Benjamin Seitzman, PhD

CONSULTANT

Benjamin has 2 years of pharmaceutical consulting experience and more than 10 years of biomedical research experience. Benjamin has significant experience in oncology, neurology, radiation oncology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and medical devices with consulting projects involving the development of field-facing presentations, internal training resources, in-depth US and global market research, as well as technical analysis of novel diagnostics and treatments across multiple therapeutic areas. With a PhD in neuroscience, Dr. Seitzman leverages his critical thinking skills with his consulting and scientific experience to develop tailored client solutions. 

Sarah Weineck

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Sarah has over five years of pharmaceutical consulting experience. Sarah has developed medical education resources and commercial training materials in oncology, neurology, medical aesthetics, and rare diseases. With expertise in patient care and navigating the US healthcare system for optimal outcomes, Sarah provides solutions for clients that keep patients in mind. 

Alyson Wolk, PhD

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Alyson brings her knowledge of science and biotechnology to Mirada’s clients and helps them prepare for whatever is next in their drug development journey. Before this role, she worked in regulatory medical writing and honed her expertise in the regulatory requirements for drug development. She is actively pursuing RAC credentials from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. Dr. Wolk was an academic researcher prior to her time in pharmaceutical, medical writing, and consulting. She worked on multidisciplinary research collaborations at top institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, and Duke University. She thrives on creative and rigorous teams and always aims to contribute to advancements in human health.