Life Science in Connecticut: Trends, Talent, and the Road Ahead

Join us for an insightful panel bringing together industry leaders to examine the forces shaping Connecticut’s life sciences sector, including innovation trends, market dynamics, and emerging challenges. Panelists will explore what these developments mean for the future workforce—highlighting in‑demand skills, career pathways, and opportunities for students and faculty.

This is also a unique opportunity to network with industry leaders, academic leaders, and life science students.

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Agenda

Welcome & Introductions:

• Matt Caporale, Executive Director, Career Development, University of New Haven
• Jodie Gillon, President & CEO, BioCT: Overview of BioCT
• Paul Lavoie, Vice President of Innovation and Applied Technology: Overview of University of New Haven

Panel Discussion 

• State of the Biotech Sector
• Industry Structure: Key Issues and Opportunities
• Workforce Development: Pathways, Technical Skills, & Soft Skills
• Opportunities & Challenges

Audience Q&A

Closing 

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Moderator:

Matt Caporale, Executive Director, University of New Haven Career Development Center

At the University of New Haven, Matt leads the career development unit, including setting departmental mission, vision, and strategy for a centralized office that builds student career and application readiness into talent acquisition pipelines for industry. Matt’s approach blends traditional career development with modern staffing agency services to deliver curated candidates to industry partners, quickly. This vision has led to annual growth in student engagement, student outcomes, collaborative programs, and a #17 ranking from the Princeton Reviews for Top Career Services offices in the nation. Matt holds a Masters of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the State University of New York at Brockport. 

Panelists:

Jenna DiRito, PhD, COO & Co-founder, Revalia Bio

Jenna is a world-leading expert in human organ research operations. During her training she has perfused hundreds of kidneys, livers, and lungs to develop a better understanding of how to best preserve, assess and repair marginal organs that were declined for transplantation.  She received her PhD in Surgery from the University of Cambridge where she worked with the pioneers of normothermic kidney perfusion after earning her B.S. from Yale University. Dr. DiRito completed her postdoctoral training at Yale School of Medicine where she established and led a diverse team of organ perfusionists with the capacity to execute 100+ multi-day liver perfusions each year.  She received multiple honors including the 2021 Roy Calne Award for best manuscript in transplant science, the 2022 American Society of Transplantation Recovery and Preservation Rising Star Award, the 2022 and 2023 Cutting Edge of Transplantation Visionaries Awards, and was recently recognized on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30: Science list.

Jodie Gillon, President & CEO, BioCT

Jodie brings over 25 years of experience in large pharma & biotech having started her career in advocacy and hospitals, in the US and abroad. With vast expertise leading key functions, she is sought after as an advisor to Incubators and Innovation Centers, and as a consultant for biotech, AI, RWE, digital health, and non profit organizations. Jodie most recently served as the SVP of Corporate Affairs and Patient Advocacy at Peptilogics. She previously served as the Chief Patient Officer and Head of Clinical Affairs Affairs at Abeona Therapeutics. At Pfizer, Jodie was the Global Medical Lead, Patient Engagement, for the Rare Diseases Business Unit and the Director, Medical Communications.  Prior to Pfizer, Jodie was the Head of Patient Advocacy and Professional Affairs with Achillion Pharmaceuticals. Previously she served as the Head of the Chief Medical Office (CMO) of AstraZeneca and held additional roles as the Global Communications lead at Novartis, Director of Medical Education for Oridion Medical and as a Health Economist with the Israeli Center for Disease Control and Ministry of Health. She holds a Master’s of Public Health with a dual degree in Health Economics and Epidemiology from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a BSFS from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service.

Andrew Leverton, Campus Recruiter, Engineering, Medtronic

Andrew (UNH Alum – MA IO Psychology ’17) is a seasoned HR/Talent Acquisition professional bringing a decade of expertise in the medical device, aerospace, and retail industries. Over the last 8 years with Medtronic, Andrew has lead strategic nationwide hiring initiatives for Medtronic focused on based medical sales/clinical professionals, high impact project work, and is a local leader in the Medtronic Young Professionals ERG. Currently he leads Campus Recruitment for the Software Engineering functions, coordinates all intern programming for the North Haven, CT site, and maintains relationships with key partner universities in the Northeast.

Chad Smutney, BSME, Vice President Technology, MannKind

Chad joined MannKind in 2006 and immediately formed a technology development team chartered with advancing the pulmonary delivery of insulin using dry powders that feature Technosphere® technology. His work at MannKind has resulted in the DreamBoat® and Cricket® inhaler systems as well as several ancillary technologies such as BluHale® designed to ease user onboarding of dry powder products. Over the years, two FDA regulatory approvals for orally inhaled dry powders were achieved, one for Afrezza used in treatment of diabetes and one for Tyvaso DPI used in treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease. During the journey, Chad spearheaded many expansions involving facilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing capacity in MannKind’s Danbury plant. Most recently, Chad has focused on portfolio expansion at MannKind where several new products candidates are under development.

Jackson Weisman, Business Associate, Business Development, Advance CT

Jackson serves as a Business Associate on the Business Development team at AdvanceCT, Connecticut’s nonprofit economic development organization. He supports the recruitment of companies nationally and internationally, helping businesses expand in and relocate to Connecticut through access to talent, funding, facilities, state partnerships, and academic connections. Jackson focuses on aligning company needs with Connecticut’s strategic advantages across the state’s key sectors. A native of Fairfield, Connecticut, Jackson graduated from Trinity College.