Manjula Donepudi

Senior Vice President, Business Development at Evotec

Speaker

Manjula Donepudi is a business development, transactions, and alliance management professional with 20 years of experience advancing early-stage innovation through partnerships between industry and academia. She began her career in academic technology transfer at two leading New York City institutions, driven by a passion for translating scientific discoveries into therapies that improve patient outcomes.

During her time in academic technology transfer, Manjula managed a broad range of activities, including intellectual property portfolio strategy, contract negotiation, and alliance management. She played a key role in fostering industry-academia collaborations and supporting programs from early-stage research through clinical development.

In 2018, Manjula joined Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI), where she led alliance management for a diverse portfolio of collaborations spanning academic institutions, biotechnology companies, and industry partners. Her work focused on building and managing strategic partnerships that accelerated the development of innovative therapeutic programs.

Since May 2023, Manjula has been with Evotec, where she leads a US based business development teawm, helping to establish and expand strategic partnerships within the life sciences ecosystem.

A scientist by training, Manjula earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago and completed postdoctoral research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.