Our Scientific Advisory Board
The Scientific Advisory Board drives our commitment to advancing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) by developing scalable strategies for regulatory acceptance and implementation. Led by Dr. Namandjé Bumpus, the Scientific Advisory Board focuses on integrating NAMs technologies and compatible testing platforms across therapeutic, preventive, and chemical substances. These innovative approaches include in vitro models, in silico techniques, and in chemico methods, modern solutions designed to accelerate safe, effective treatments for patients.
Our Scientific Advisory Board Members
Thierry Basset , PharmD, MSc
Thierry Basset is Head of Laboratories at Charles River Discovery and Safety Assessment, where he leads scientific and operational strategies to advance drug development and safety evaluation. A Pharmacist and Biologist by training, Thierry brings specialized expertise in pharmacology, toxicology, and analytical sciences. With over 15 years of experience in clinical biology at a leading university hospital, he has made significant contributions to academic research in pharmacology, focusing on immunosuppressant and anticoagulant drugs, and has developed advanced in vitro models. Thierry is also a recognized expert in forensic toxicology.
Lauren Black, PhD
Lauren Black is a Distinguished Scientist at Charles River with 35 years of experience in drug development, specializing in first-in-human studies and accelerated translational research. A former FDA reviewer in CDER and CBER, she contributed to key guidance on human doses, and reviewed novel agents like oligos, gene therapy and monoclonals. Lauren held leadership roles on BIO’s BioSafe committee and served on multiple advisory panels focused on toxicology, regulatory strategy, high risk trials, and reduced animal use. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University and her PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
Justin Bryans, PhD
Justin Bryans joined Charles River Laboratories in 2022 as Chief Scientific Officer (Discovery) and works closely with a range of experts to develop Charles River’s science strategy, explore opportunities with existing and new clients, evaluate new areas of science and technology, and develop new approaches and platforms to strengthen the company’s offering. Justin trained as a medicinal chemist and has gained over 35 years of experience in drug discovery at several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including Parke-Davis and Pfizer. Prior to joining Charles River, he spent 16 years as Director of Drug Discovery at LifeArc, a UK-based not-for-profit organisation. Justin has worked across a broad range of therapeutic areas and modalities and is cited as an inventor on 50 patents, with approximately 40 papers published. Justin holds an honorary professorship at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and teaches on various aspects of drug discovery. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and sits on a range of advisory committees and panels.
Steven Bulera, PhD DABT
Steven Bulera is Corporate Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer of Discovery and Safety Assessment. He brings 30 years of research experience, including over a decade in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining Charles River, Steven served as Associate Director in the Department of Drug Safety Evaluation at Bristol-Myers Squibb for four years. Prior to that, he spent seven years with Pfizer Global Research & Development. Earlier in his career, Steven completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Henry Pitot at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.
Namandjé Bumpus, PhD
Namandjé Bumpus chairs Charles River’s Scientific Advisory Board, providing strategic guidance to advance Charles River’s commercial and regulatory initiatives focused on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the biopharmaceutical industry. Namandjé previously served at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, joining in 2022 as Chief Scientist and later as Principal Deputy Commissioner until December 2024. Before her tenure at the FDA, she was Professor and Director of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is a past president of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Ludovico Buti, PhD
Ludovico Buti, is a Senior Research Leader at Charles River with over a decade of experience in drug discovery across various therapeutic areas, including vaccines and oncology. He previously held research roles at MIT as a postdoctoral fellow and at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Oxford. At Charles River, Ludovico develops human-relevant models using iPSC-derived cells, organoids, and 3D systems to better replicate human physiology. These advanced models improve the predictive power of preclinical studies, helping assess safety and efficacy earlier and de-risk compounds before clinical development.
Samuel Chuang, BS, PhD
Samuel Chuang is the Executive Director of Scientific Advisory Services, providing scientific and regulatory expertise covering a variety of drug classes (small to large molecule, advanced therapies etc.,), therapeutic areas, routes of administration, and animal species. He also manages multidisciplinary research teams for multiple drug development programs from target identification and drug discovery to nonclinical safety programs through to market approval. Sam has a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, and a Bachelor of Science degree in honors Biology from the University of Western Ontario. He is also a member of the American Society of Toxicology and American College of Toxicology.
Colin S. Dunn , PhD
Colin S. Dunn, is Corporate Senior Vice President of Global Research Models and Services at Charles River, overseeing worldwide operations. He earned his Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in HIV-1 pathogenesis from Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. Colin’s career spans leadership roles in veterinary practice, virus diagnostics, and pharmaceutical research, including positions at the Institute for Animal Health and Pfizer. He joined Charles River in 2008 and has held senior leadership roles across Europe, Asia, and globally. Colin has also contributed to scientific and animal welfare initiatives, serving as Editor of Laboratory Animals and on panels for the UK Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council and NC3Rs.
Julie Frearson, PhD
Julie Frearson is Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, leading Charles River’s strategic venture fund and innovation partnerships, fostering collaboration across business units. She brings extensive experience in early-stage drug discovery from roles at Zeneca, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge Drug Discovery, BioFocus, and a faculty position in the Drug Discovery Unit of the University of Dundee. Julie has served as the Director of Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA) and on funding committees for the Medical Research Council, The Wellcome Trust, and Novo Foundation BioInnovation Institute, and regional BIO industry groups. She currently sits on multiple private and not-for-profit boards in the life sciences tools and drug development arena across the UK and US. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry from King’s College London, University of London and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications.
Matthew Hewitt, BA, PhD
Matthew Hewitt serves as Vice President, Technical Officer for the Manufacturing Business Division at Charles River, where he drives strategic vision and leads operational initiatives across Charles River’s Advanced Therapeutic CDMO sites, Biologics Testing, and Microbial Solutions global network. Previously, he headed R&D and Clinical Development for Lonza’s Personalized Medicine Business Unit, directed the Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment (TIME) program at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, and served as Associate Director of the Immunology group at the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program. Matthew earned his BA in Molecular Biology from Goucher College and his PhD in Biophysics and Physiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Mark Mintz
Mark Mintz is Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer & Global Shared Services at Charles River. Since joining the company in 2021, he has led technology and shared services to advance its strategic goals. With 30 years of experience in technology-enabled solutions and transformation, Mark specializes in building service organizations, delivering enterprise and digital software, and driving agile approaches. Before Charles River, he was a founding member of McKinsey & Company’s digital labs and a leader in enterprise architecture, guiding clients through large-scale digital and technology transformations. He also held roles at DoubleClick and Accenture. Mark holds a BS in Business Administration, Finance, and MIS from SUNY Albany.