Ms. Axel is a highly skilled scientist with experience in academia (Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio, USA) and the pharmaceutical industry (Janssen/J&J in Belgium and USA). She has expertise in solid and hematologic tumors focusing on physiologically relevant models for tumor microenvironment and complex cell‐based assays to evaluate molecules with varying mechanisms of action. Moving from directing hypothesis driven biomarker research projects, internally and externally, Ms Axel transitioned to an operational role at Janssen executing biomarker strategies in clinical trials in early development. She graduated from Ohio State University with a BSc. in Molecular Genetics.