Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening appoints new scientific director; confirms board

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening has appointed Madeline M. Farley as its scientific director and confirmed three board appointments for terms beginning in January 2026, strengthening its scientific leadership and governance as laboratory automation and screening sciences continue to expand across the life sciences

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) has appointed Dr. Madeline M. Farley as scientific director – in January 2026 – reinforcing its senior leadership team across education, publishing and scientific strategy at a time of sustained growth in laboratory automation, screening technologies and data-driven life sciences research.

Farley has joined the SLAS from Genesis Drug Discovery and Development in Township, New Jersey, where she served as chief scientific officer for the Biochemistry and Bioanalytical Division. Farley was concurrently the managing director of PharmOptima, a subsidiary of the same organisation.

In that post, she led multidisciplinary scientific teams across three laboratory sites in the United States, established the organisation’s Ocular Center of Excellence and oversaw regulated bioanalysis alongside exploratory research programmes. With responsibilities including method development, assay validation and long-term scientific planning Farley oversaw multiple therapeutic areas, spanning both discovery and preclinical development.

“I’m excited to join SLAS and work with a community committed to advancing scientific discovery through collaboration, innovation and rigour,” said Farley.

“I’m looking forward to support professional development through strong training and resources that empower scientists across disciplines and career stages,” she added.

In her role as scientific director, Farley has assumed responsibility for strategic leadership across the SLAS’ scientific programmes. Her remit includes advancing the organisation’s mission, supporting innovation in laboratory science and also stewardship of initiatives designed to serve a global and multidisciplinary membership.

Farley will oversee scientific content delivered through educational conferences, webinars and related programming, and will support the SLAS’ two peer-reviewed journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. She will also act as a scientific liaison to adjacent disciplines and industries, to ensure that SLAS activities remain accurate, relevant and aligned with developments across the life sciences sector.

Dr. Emily Yamasaki, who served as interim scientific director from April 2025, has transitioned to the role of assistant scientific director, providing continuity and institutional knowledge within the SLAS’ scientific leadership.

Farley earned her doctorate in cellular and molecular neuroscience from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, USA, where she worked as a graduate research associate. She subsequently completed postdoctoral fellowships in pathology at McGovern Medical School and in neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, both also in Houston. This academic training underpinned a career that has bridged fundamental neuroscience, translational research and applied bioanalytical science.

She began her industry career as a senior research scientist in biochemistry at PharmOptima, where her responsibilities included mentorship of early-career scientists, development of animal use protocols and design and execution of complex bioanalytical assays. She later progressed into senior leadership roles within Genesis Drug Discovery and Development, contributing to organisational growth and expansion of scientific capability across several programmes.

“Madeline is an outstanding addition to our team, and her expertise will help us deliver even greater value to our members, partners and SLAS’ life sciences community,” said Vicki Loise, SLAS’ chief executive officer of the.

Alongside the scientific director appointment, SLAS announced the addition of three board members to serve four-year terms beginning on 1 January 2026, further strengthening the organisation’s governance and strategic oversight.

Dr. Melanie Leveridge has been appointed from AstraZeneca in the UK, where she is its vice president of Assays, Profiling and Cell Sciences. In that role, she leads teams across the firm’s Cambridge site, as well as in Sweden and Boston, USA, and is responsible for cellular reagent generation, assay development, compound profiling and mechanism of action studies to progress AstraZeneca’s discovery portfolio.

Leveridge’s involvement with the SLAS began in 2010, and she has since served as a conference speaker, scientific session chair, scientific track chair, member and chair of the Americas Scientific Program Committee, and chair of the SLAS International Conference and Exhibition in 2020. She has also acted as a reviewer for SLAS Discovery and as a judge for its Innovation Award, providing extensive familiarity with the SLAS’ activities and community.

Dr. Brinton Seashore-Ludlow has joined the board from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, where she works as a senior researcher with a focus on high-content screening in near-patient models. She also serves as head of the Assay Development and Screening team at Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, a national infrastructure that provides chemical biology services.

Seashore-Ludlow’s engagement with the SLAS has included service as vice-chair and chair of the European Scientific Planning Committee, scientific session chair at the SLAS Europe Conference and Exhibition in 2019, co-chair of SLAS Europe 2022 and participation in planning for SLAS Europe 2026. Her appointment brings leadership experience, deep technical expertise and an extensive European network.

Dr. Hervé Tiriac has been appointed from the University of California San Diego, where he is an assistant research scientist in the Department of Surgery. His laboratory has pioneered patient-derived three-dimensional cultures and multi-cellular co-culture platforms to investigate and overcome drug resistance in cancer.

Within the SLAS, he has co-organised symposia focused on three-dimensional modelling, served as a short course instructor, acted as associate and scientific track chair for international conferences, co-chaired the 2025 SLAS International Conference and Exhibition and served as an associate editor on the SLAS Discovery editorial board. He also sits on the Americas Scientific Program Committee and the Knowledge Content and Delivery Council, with a particular focus on supporting emerging technologies and diverse scientific voices.

SLAS’ board draws representatives from academia, industry and government, alongside developers and providers of laboratory automation technologies. It is responsible for strategic leadership and advises on the future direction of the organisation and its programmes. The newly appointed board members join the existing leadership team, which includes Melissa Crisp of Eli Lilly and Company, Madhu Lal-Nag of InSphero AG, Marybeth Burton of Merck, Zachary A. Gurard-Levin of Peapod Bio, David K. Jennions of Grail and Glauco R. Souza of Greiner Bio-One.

SLAS is an international professional organisation that brings together academic, industry and government researchers, alongside developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. Its mission is to advance life sciences discovery and technology through education, knowledge exchange and global community building.