At Gilead Sciences, Laura leads the US reimbursement policy team focused on driving access to innovative medicines across Gilead’s oncology and virology portfolio, including reimbursement strategies for Kite Pharma, a leader in the development of novel CAR T therapies. Laura joined Gilead Sciences in October 2019 after almost 5 years at AstraZeneca where she held progressive roles on the US and Global teams focused on policy, government affairs, and patient advocacy. For nearly a decade prior, Ms. Okpala served as a consultant and advisor within multiple small- to medium- sized consulting firms, supporting biopharmaceutical and device companies as well as hospitals and provider groups in developing and enacting proactive, data-driven policy strategies. Ms. Okpala holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Princeton University. She lives in Chevy Chase, DC and enjoys volunteering, traveling, and trying new local restaurants.