Series: Every Moment Matters
This podcast series was made in collaboration with Charles River Labs.
February 4, 2026
Every Moment Matters: The Power of Study Director–Advisor Partnerships
February 4th, 2026
At Charles River Laboratories, scientific advisors and study directors have complementary roles in nonclinical drug development. Scientific advisors bring years of scientific and regulatory experience to program-level strategy, while study directors act as operational captains who execute individual studies under good laboratory practice. Close collaboration between the two plays a critical role in helping clients build coherent, IND-enabling safety packages. We spoke to Pramila Singh, senior principal scientific advisor at Charles River Laboratories, about how scientific advisor–study director collaborations are crucial for creating robust, regulatory-ready study designs, how they help prevent costly errors, and how they can accelerate development timelines.
Every Moment Matters: Getting Better Insights on Target and off Target Biology
January 21, 2026
Biologic drug development increasingly relies on sensitive, human relevant platforms capable of detecting both intended and unintended target engagement well before first in human studies.
Every Moment Matters: How Integrated Teams De-Risk the Path from Discovery to IND
January 14th, 2026
The journey from discovery to IND is rarely linear. It demands rigorous target validation, continuous regulatory engagement, and the use of translationally relevant models to effectively de risk programs before they advance.
Every Moment Matters: DMPK’s Role in Making Better Drugs and Better Decisions
January 7th, 2026
Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, often referred to as DMPK, is not just a box to check on the way to advancing an experimental therapy into the clinic. In reality, it is an essential part of determining whether a program can result in a safe, effective, and commercially viable medicine.
Every Moment Matters: Integrating AI into Drug Discovery
December 3rd, 2025
Charles River Laboratories is leveraging its deep discovery sciences expertise with advanced computational tools to accelerate drug development, improve safety, and reduce animal use. In this episode of our continuing series on discovery sciences with Charles River Labs, we explore the company’s use of the Logica AI platform and virtual control groups. We spoke to Charles River Labs Senior Science Director Alison Jones and Director of Digital Product Management, Discovery, and Safety Assessment Laura Lotfi, about how AI is accelerating the discovery process, how data is a differentiator, and the enduring role of human scientific judgment in therapeutic innovation.
Every Moment Matters: Transforming Discovery with Organoids
December 3rd, 2025
Organoids¬—miniaturized, three-dimensional, lab-grown, tissue cultures that mimic organs¬—can be used to improve drug discovery and safety testing by providing more predictive human biology models than traditional 2D cultures or animal testing. In this episode in our continuing series on discovery sciences with Charles River Laboratories, we explore the use organoids as powerful tools within the arsenal of New Approach Methodologies. We spoke to Charles River Labs Senior Research Leader Ludovico Buti, and Charles River Labs Chief Technology Officer for Discovery David Fischer, about the use of organoids, how Charles River is integrating these powerful tools into its work, and their potential to transform early discovery.
Every Moment Matters: How NAMs Are Rewriting the Rules of Antibody Discovery
November 19th, 2026
As we continue our Big4Bio occasional series on discovery and safety assessment with Charles River Labs, we explore new approach methodologies, or NAMs, and their integration with antibody discovery and development. We spoke to Charles River Laboratories’ Senior Principal Scientific Advisor Sarah Gould and Charles River Laboratories’ Scientific Business Director Omar Aziz about the evolving landscape of predictive toxicology, regulatory efforts to advance alternatives to animal testing, and the role of collaboration and strategy in accelerating therapeutic programs from concept to the clinic.
Every Moment Matters: Navigating the Complexities of Drug Discovery
November 6th, 2024
Discovery is a complex and high-risk process in drug development, as researchers strive to identify and advance promising therapeutic candidates. It requires scientific prowess, advanced technologies, and strategic vision to navigate through potential obstacles with agility. With this episode, Big4Bio is kicking off an occasional series on discovery sciences with Charles River Labs, which, over the past five years, has contributed to more than 80 percent of novel FDA-approved drugs. We spoke with Charles River Labs’ chief scientific officer of discovery Justin Bryans, and Charles River Labs’ vice president and chief scientific officer for discovery and safety assessments, Steve Bulera, about the challenges of drug discovery, why every moment matters, and the benefits of the collaborative approach Charles River takes in working with its partners.