The Future of Nicotine: Science, Perception & Consumer Reality

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Sanova 

Sarah has broad experience supporting clients through the full regulated product life cycle, including product development, regulatory submissions, and postmarket.  

Sarah works closely with clients to plan and submit premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) and modified risk tobacco product applications (MRTPAs) across various nicotine product categories, including novel, emerging delivery systems. She combines her extensive industry experience, scientific expertise, and business acumen to navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and provide practical solutions to regulatory challenges. Sarah supports regulatory strategy across all scientific areas including product design, manufacturing, and nonclinical and clinical study programs.  She specializes in helping clients create and navigate multi-product regulatory strategies and product line extensions. These strategies leverage existing scientific evidence through use of supplemental PMTAs (sPMTAs) and tobacco product master files (TPMFs) to minimize regulatory costs and timelines.  She also supports preparation for Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) meetings.

Beth G. Oliva represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and trade associations in regulatory, litigation and legislative matters and has spent nearly twenty years representing the tobacco and nicotine industry. She handles a wide range of regulatory issues before the Food and Drug Administration, as well as other U.S. federal and state agencies.  While she represents clients at all levels of the distribution chain, she specifically represents manufacturers from research and design through product commercialization as well as through their life cycle on the US market.  Beth also has extensive experience with state and federal government affairs and routinely drafts legislation, testifies in front of state legislatures and negotiates.  In addition, Beth has significant experience working with scientific issues. She has worked with scientific and medical personnel in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Middle East to advise product manufacturers on regulatory and duty-of-care issues. Further, Beth has worked with scientific consultants, expert witnesses, and scientific literature both to support regulatory submissions and to prepare defenses in domestic and international product liability litigation. Beth serves on the Board of Directors for the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), the Board of Directors of the Nicotine Resource Consortium (NRC), and the Organization of Women in Nicotine and Tobacco (OWNiT) and is the Chair of the Global Forum for Nicotine and Tobacco (GTNF).

Founder and Chief Research Officer, Applied Research and Analysis Company (ARAC)

Dr. Jessica Zdinak is Chief Research Officer at Applied Research and Analysis Company, a leading U.S. based behavioral science research organization. She received a Master of Science in Experimental Psychology, and a Ph.D. In Social Psychology & Statistics. She has dedicated two decades to working as a behavioral scientist in a variety of settings, including academic, federal government, public health, and various industries.  

Dr. Zdinak now devotes her time leading a growing team of scientists and executives at ARAC, where she focuses on bringing expertise in psychology, statistics, and behavior change to tobacco harm reduction. Her team approaches behavioral science research using a triangular method - focusing on the role of the consumer or end user, the regulator's perspective, and rigorous scientific methods - all while ensuring clients' business objectives are met.

Her scientific approach to research has proven successful through successful MRTP and PMT product authorizations across a variety of studies, including label and claim development and comprehension, human factors/usability testing, and clinical behavioral switching studies, actual use, TPPI, and post-market surveillance systems. Zdinak’s goal is to improve people's lives, whether that is one smoker at a time, or through the relationships she builds with colleagues, clients, family and friends.

Victoria Taverner is a Scientist with Sanova, providing global scientific and strategic support for regulatory submissions in the tobacco harm reduction sector. Victoria has more than 15 years of experience in regulatory support, tobacco science, and product stewardship and is well-versed in the scientific and regulatory requirements of the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), with work spanning risk assessment, product characterisation, and next-generation nicotine products. 

Prior to joining Sanova, Victoria worked for Imperial Brands PLC where she led scientific programmes supporting regulatory submissions, product compliance, and product safety, translating complex scientific data into evidence to inform regulatory decision-making and innovation. She has a Master’s degree in Toxicology from the University of Surrey and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Leicester.

Director of Business Relations & Operations
Ki Bio Inc.

Liz Frank is the Director of Business Relations & Operations at Ki Bio Inc., where she plays an integral role in the company's strategic operations as it advances toward commercialization. She leads business development, external partnerships, investor relations, and cross-functional initiatives that support Ki Bio's growth strategy and execution. Liz partners with company leadership to drive priorities, strengthen organizational infrastructure, and position the company for scale. She also leads the company's Series A fundraising efforts, engaging with current and prospective investors as Ki Bio continues to grow.

Prior to joining Ki Bio, Liz spent 14 years at the University of Southern California where she helped establish the university's New York office and expand its East Coast fundraising presence. She held leadership roles in major and principal gifts, developing relationships with stakeholders to support institutional growth. Her experience launching new initiatives and advancing organizational priorities informs her work advancing Ki Bio's commercialization efforts.