Kamelia Behnia
About Kamelia Behnia
Kamelia Behnia is a Principal Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb and a DMPK Manager at GSK, with over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics.
Title
Kamelia Behnia holds the position of Principal Scientist. She currently works as a DMPK Manager/Group Leader at GSK in Collegeville, PA, and a Principal Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb in Hopewell, NJ.
Education and Expertise
Kamelia Behnia has an extensive educational background in pharmaceutical sciences and drug metabolism. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy from Istanbul University School of Pharmacy (1986-1990). She then received a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Northeastern University (1990-1992), followed by a Ph.D. in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics from Northeastern University (1992-1996). She completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard University Medical School (1996-1998), specializing in drug metabolism.
Professional Background and Experience
Kamelia Behnia has over 15 years of experience in leading discovery projects within the pharmaceutical industry. She specializes in setting strategic directions for transitioning small molecules or biologics to clinical development. Her expertise includes regulatory filings, preparing IND and IB documents, conducting FDA-responsive studies, and preparing global submission plans in collaboration with regulatory managers. She has extensive experience in supporting drug development from discovery to clinical stages in areas such as immunology, oncology, immuno-oncology, and inflammation.
Key Responsibilities and Skills
Kamelia Behnia leads a multidisciplinary team of ADME scientists with expertise in pharmacokinetics, toxicology, pharmaceutics, and bioanalytical sciences. She designs and conducts drug-drug interaction studies, prepares human pharmacokinetic reports for IND submissions, and interprets outcomes for lead candidates. Additionally, she performs due diligence and asset evaluation for licensing opportunities and manages cross-functional programs internally and through alliances. Her role also involves responding to FDA inquiries on lead clinical candidates.
Industry Contributions
Kamelia Behnia contributes to the pharmaceutical industry by supporting the development of small and large molecules from discovery to clinical development. Her work involves managing cross-functional programs in collaboration with other experts and global regulatory managers. She brings value to her role by focusing on critical therapeutic areas such as immunology, oncology, immuno-oncology, and inflammation, ensuring the successful transition of compounds through various stages of development.