Policy Champion – Greater Los Angeles Policy Committee Co-Chairs

First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself: Where you work and how long you’ve been a committee co-chair.

Julia Bradsher: I am the President and CEO at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), an independent non-profit biomedical research institute that has been in Pasadena, CA for over 70 years. I just became the committee co-chair of the Greater Los Angeles Policy Committee.

Matthew Welsh: I recently became a committee co-chair but have been working with Biocom California and specifically the Los Angeles office for about eight years now. I am currently Director of State Government Affairs at Lundbeck which is a pharmaceutical company focused solely on brain health and delivering medicines for patients suffering from various brain diseases such as schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s, migraine, etc. Previously, I worked on the Government Affairs team at Amgen, a biotech company doing research in various therapeutic areas with headquarters is in the Los Angeles area.

What led you to becoming a co-chair for the Los Angeles Policy Committee? What is your role at your company that led to your involvement in this committee?

JB: I started working with Biocom California on local regulatory matters about 3 years ago. As HMRI was navigating the city, county and state regulatory issues that are important to us, it became clear that working with Biocom California would help us to have a voice. We are a relatively small organization and having the increased bandwidth through our membership at Biocom California helped tremendously. I’ve spent the majority of my career addressing public policy in some form or fashion. It is very fitting that I would help with the ongoing efforts of Biocom California in addressing public policy matters.
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MW: I believe the broad range of work I have done with Biocom California has led to me becoming a co-chair of the Greater Los Angeles Policy Committee. I work with the Biocom California state government affairs team on state policy and lobbying up in Sacramento. Here in Los Angeles, I have also worked with the LA team on a lot of local issues since I reside here and have worked with companies based here.

What do you take away from the committee that you can take back to your company?

JB: Our ability to fulfill our mission of improving human health outcomes through biomedical research is directly impacted by the regulatory environment in which we operate. Having influence and voice to public policies that directly impact our ability to fulfill our mission is critical. As I co-chair this committee, bringing back to HMRI the knowledge and insights from the Greater Los Angeles Policy Committee will be critical as we navigate issues around the development of our property, seek and obtain permits, and as we continue to grow and develop the next generation of scientists through our education programs.

MW: It is incredibly helpful to hear the needs and goals of other companies and organizations within the committee, especially given the diversity of companies that are part of the committee. We have startups, midsize, all the way to large companies, and with very different missions while at the same time having one shared goal – to save lives. It is great to hear initiatives that other companies are working on and taking them back to your internal team as you try to find your own successes.

How does the committee help with aspects of regional policy for you or for other members of the committee?

JB: When HMRI was dealing with a specific regulatory reporting issue related to hazardous materials, Biocom California directly helped us in navigating a change in local requirements that enabled harmonization with state requirements. This decreased the burden on our operations staff and ultimately decreased the costs of maintaining compliance. The committee helps by keeping us informed and engaged at the local level.

MW: The committee provides a space for members to come together and share ideas on how to improve our industry in the region. Everyone in Los Angeles has reason to want this committee to succeed. It would help provide much needed jobs to the local economy. It would bring innovation that could potentially lead to life-saving medicines. And it helps create a cluster that attracts talent to the region which only helps companies achieve success.

What policies have you been engaged in, and which ones would you like to engage in more in the future through this policy’s work?

JB: I’ve been involved in land use matters here in Pasadena, permit and inspection matters, and workforce development. I would like to more deeply engage in workforce development and also continue to engage in the expansion of the life sciences industry in greater LA and in Southern California.

MW: I have helped educate local elected leaders on the importance of our industry and ways they can grow it in the region. While I was at Amgen, we worked directly with the county to help form an organization whose primary goal was to encourage local leaders to attract more biotech companies to the region through policy, and to help keep them here before they are absorbed by larger companies based in other clusters around the state and country. We worked very hard to shine a light on the fact that there are many important companies that already exist here and that the city and county should be trying to build on this rather than lose it.

How do you feel this committee brings together those working in life science policy in the LA region in a way they wouldn’t normally connect?

JB: This committee and Biocom California has created a mechanism for all of us in the life sciences to recognize and take action on our common challenges rather than seeing each other as competitors. Together, we can make a difference in the ability of each of our organizations, whether for profit or nonprofit, to fulfill our mission and to grow, develop, and thrive right here.

MW: Los Angeles has many strengths, but like any city it has its weaknesses. Our vast geography can be considered both – however, in the case of companies interacting with each other it can make it quite difficult. Providing a venue for representatives to come together to brainstorm ideas and execute shared goals and objectives is an incredibly vital role of this committee. It provides a voice for smaller organizations that may not have the resources dedicated to policy. It connects individuals with local policymakers that are making important decisions that impact their companies every day.

Learn more about our Greater Los Angeles Policy Committee here.

View all Policy Champions.