Wendy Petka, Ph.D., J.D.

Wendy Petka understands the importance of healthcare advocacy having lost many family members to heart disease and she knows firsthand the difficulties in finding the right medical care. Her early life experiences combined with her interest in science has led her to a robust career in the biotechnology sector that has spanned over 30-years in both science and legal disciplines, as well as patient advocacy. Today, Wendy is a trusted legal executive and business partner engaging in all aspects of protecting innovation throughout a product pipeline and works closely with cross-functional teams to bring safe and effective medicines to patients. Wendy currently serves as Head of Intellectual Property and Legal at Outpace Bio and previously served as Vice President of Intellectual Property at Horizon Therapeutics. Prior to that she held various legal roles in multiple biotechnology companies, including Sangamo Therapeutics, Theravance Biopharma, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Prior to her in-house counsel roles, Wendy worked at Fish & Neave LLP while earning a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. Wendy holds a Ph.D. and a M.S. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, and earned a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Chatham College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.