Catherine D. Strader, PhD has more than 30 years of pharmaceutical R&D experience and has guided more than 50 compounds through drug discovery and development during her career. She has held executive leadership positions at both Merck and Schering-Plough, most recently as Chief Scientific Officer at Schering-Plough and as VP of External Discovery at Merck. In 2014, Catherine co-founded Synergy Partners, a consulting network that integrates the depth and breadth of experience required to effectively bring new discoveries to clinical proof-of-concept and beyond. She consults with biopharmaceutical and venture-backed companies on both the strategic and technical aspects of building and maintaining a pipeline, including translation of compounds through discovery and development, realization of an appropriate risk profile for the portfolio, and design of productive multi-partner collaborations. Catherine received her BS in chemistry from the University of Virginia and her PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, followed by postdoctoral training at Duke University. She is the author of more than 150 scientific publications. Catherine currently serves on numerous scientific advisory boards.