2026 Global Inspire Award WinnersHonoring leaders advancing science, policy, and patient care worldwide
Each year, the Inspire Awards recognize the individuals, organizations, and teams whose work is transforming health and driving meaningful impact across the life sciences ecosystem.
← Back to DIA CelebrateGlobal Inspire Award Honorees
Noubar Afeyan, PhD
Founder & CEO, Flagship Pioneering
As Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, you've reshaped how breakthrough science is built and brought to scale. By founding companies like Moderna and backing bold, unproven ideas, you've accelerated platform technologies and therapies that are now impacting millions worldwide.
Peter Marks, PhD, MD
Eli Lilly and Company
During his tenure at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he advanced regulatory science for biologics, vaccines, and emerging therapies, helping deliver life-saving innovations with both rigor and urgency. Now at Eli Lilly, he continues to translate scientific discovery into real-world impact, strengthening global health preparedness and response.
Novo Nordisk
Organization
By advancing GLP-1 science into a therapy that delivers significant and sustained weight reduction, Novo Nordisk has helped redefine what is possible for patients who have long faced limited options.
Emily Whitehead
Emily Whitehead Foundation
Her journey from patient to advocate has inspired countless families and reshaped conversations across the healthcare community. As one of the first pediatric patients to receive CAR T-cell therapy, her story brought visibility and urgency to breakthrough science.
Personalized Gene Editing Pioneers
The care team responsible for Baby KJ, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The development and delivery of the world's first CRISPR gene-editing therapy for baby KJ in 2025 stands as a remarkable example of innovation in action.
Additional Recognition
2026 Inspire Award Honorees
Amalia Alexe
Novartis
Recognizes the author(s) of the most accessed and downloaded article published in our peer-reviewed journal, Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science (TIRS), in the preceding year.
Read the Article →Regulations Governing Medicines for Maternal and Neonatal Health: A Landscape Assessment — over 12,500 downloads.
Sanjay Bagani, MPharm
Xogene
Consistently driving engagement while advancing knowledge and thought leadership within their DIA Membership Community.
Americas Awards
America's Inspire Award Winners
Venkatraman "Bala" Balasubramanian, PhD, MBA
VB Insights, LLC
Recognizes the "members of the year" who have consistently provided outstanding service as DIA volunteers and who have contributed to the advancement of DIA's mission.
Reyaz Mussaleen, PharmD Candidate
St. John's University
Recognizes DIA member students or young professionals who have made meaningful contributions to DIA.
Induction
2026 DIA Fellows
Kihito Takahashi, MD
Vice President, Head of R&D/Medical Affairs & CMO
Swedish Orphan Biovitrium (SOBI)
Max Wegner, PharmD, RPH
Senior Vice President, Head Regulatory Affairs
Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals, Germany
Join us at DIA Celebrate
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM · National Constitution Center, Philadelphia