Dr. Marisela Rodriguez, PhD, is a drug development strategist with over 25 years of experience spanning academic, government, and pharmaceutical sectors. 

At BioNTech, she managed a €150M+ R&D portfolio in infectious disease, and led over 100 subject matter experts across multidisciplinary drug development teams focused on global health threats, including HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Prior to joining BioNTech, she contributed to global health initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where she played a critical role in influenza research and vaccine strain selection.

Today, Dr. Rodriguez is the Founder of Emerging Pharma Discovery (EPD) Consulting, where she helps emerging biotech startups make the right choices on their drug and platform development journey. Because fundamentally, that is what strategy is: making clear choices about what you will and will not do. Her expertise spans drug discovery through Phase I, applying proven strategic frameworks to enable smarter decisions, lower R&D costs, and streamline the path to the clinic.