Dr. Francesca Ceddia is a distinguished medical professional and the current Chief Medical Affairs Officer at Moderna. In her role, she is responsible for leading, developing, and executing the company's global medical and evidence generation strategy, shaping the future of Moderna's pipeline across infectious diseases, oncology, and rare diseases.
A medical doctor by training, Francesca specialized in respiratory diseases at the University of Siena, Italy. After practicing general medicine and pulmonology, she transitioned into the pharmaceutical sector, where she has since held a range of roles encompassing Clinical, Vaccine Development and Medical Affairs.
Francesca has worked in several therapeutic areas, and her work has been instrumental in leading the development of various vaccine candidates. She has been deeply involved in the medical strategy across numerous infectious disease areas, with a particular emphasis on combination vaccines. More recently, Francesca has been dedicated to addressing vaccination gaps across all age groups.
In the face of new variants and lower public acceptance of vaccination, it’s imperative that we take stock of lessons learned from previous seasons and examine key barriers to uptake as we prepare for this fall and winter – from adjusting approval timelines at the federal level, to implementing programs to address vaccine complacency, convenience and confidence.