The Society of Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), announces the appointment of Madeline M. Farley, PhD, as its new Scientific Director, effective January 19.
Farley joins SLAS after serving as Chief Scientific Officer, Biochemistry & Bioanalytical Division at Genesis Drug Discovery & Development (GD3) in Township, NJ, as well as Managing Director for PharmOptima, a GD3 subsidiary. As Chief Scientific Officer, she led teams across three U.S. laboratory sites, built the Ocular Center of Excellence and oversaw regulated and exploratory bioanalysis.
“I’m excited to join SLAS and work with a community committed to advancing scientific discovery through collaboration, innovation and rigor. I’m looking forward to supporting professional development through strong training and resources that empower scientists across disciplines and career stages,” says Farley.
As SLAS Scientific Director, Farley will provide strategic leadership for the Society’s scientific programs, advancing its mission, fostering innovation and supporting the growth of its global community. She will oversee content across SLAS educational conferences, webinars and programming and support its two peer-reviewed journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. She will also serve as a scientific liaison, building relationships with related disciplines and industries to ensure programs and resources remain accurate and relevant.
Emily Yamasaki, PhD, who has been serving as SLAS Interim Scientific Director since April 2025, will transition to Assistant Scientific Director.
Farley earned her PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston, TX), where she served as a Graduate Research Associate. She then completed postdoctoral fellowships in pathology at McGovern Medical School and neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine.
She began her industry career as a Senior Research Scientist in Biochemistry at PharmOptima, mentoring junior scientists, developing animal use protocols and designing and executing bioanalytical assays. She later progressed into leadership roles at GD3.
“Madeline is an outstanding addition to our team, and her expertise will help us deliver even greater value to our members, partners and SLAS’s life sciences community,” says SLAS CEO Vicki Loise.
With more than fifteen years of experience spanning academic research and preclinical development, Farley has built a strong record of publishing, conference participation and professional service, including serving as president and vice president of the Baylor College of Medicine Postdoctoral Association.
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SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.
SLAS Discovery: Advancing the Science of Drug Discovery, Editor-in-Chief Robert M. Campbell, Ph.D., Grove Biopharma, Inc., Chicago, IL (USA).
SLAS Technology: Translating Life Sciences Innovation, Editor-in-Chief Edward Kai-Hua Chow, PhD, KYAN Technologies, Los Angeles, CA (USA).
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