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Matador Insights: Biotechnology and Health Tech
September 16 at 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Matador Insights is a series of alumni-led panels designed to inspire and educate students exploring career paths in the biotechnology and health industry. These sessions provide valuable insights from professionals as they share their journey in the industry.
Meet the Speakers!
Elaine Brena,
Senior Manager, Organizational Effectiveness, Learning & Performance, Change Management, and Communication, Amgen
Elaine Brena is a transformational Leader in Pharma/Biotech, specializing in Learning Strategy, Compliance Training, Change Management, Learning Operations, and Talent Development. She receieved her Bachelors and Master’s degree from CSUN.
Hafridha Hadi-Bradford,
Process Development Senior Associate, Amgen
Hafridha Hadi-Bradford is a Process Development Senior Associate at Amgen, a company that develops medicines to help people with serious health conditions. Her current role focuses on ways to detect residual DNA to ensure clearance and safety of Amgen’s products. Hafridha received a B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry here at California State University, Northridge, where she researched the interactions of DNA repair proteins in Dr. Fischhaber’s lab within the Biochemistry department. She now applies her background in biology and chemistry to support the development of medicines through careful testing and analysis.
Ragy Kerolos,
Senior Scientific Support, Thermo Fisher / Amgen
Ragy is a first-generation college student, first-generation immigrant from Egypt who came to the US in 10th grade. Studied undergraduate degree at CSUN from 2018-2022 as a medical technology/biotechnology B.S major with a minor in chemistry. Taught CHEM 100 courses as an SI leader in his senior year at CSUN (2021-2022). He has been working at Amgen through a service level agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2022 as a Sr. Scientific Support in downstream drug substance manufacturing. Since then, he worked in multiple drugs in clinical trials post phase 1 and commercial advancements such as REPATHA, TEPEZZA, PAVBLU, MariTide, and many others. While working at Amgen he was enrolled into a part-time master’s program at CSUCI from 2023-2025. Graduated with an M.S in biotechnology/bioinformatics from CSUCI in May 2025.
Dr. Hana Moshivaziri
Technical Program Manager, Medtronic
Hana Moshirvaziri, a Technical Program Manager at Medtronic, holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Computational Mathematics. Her expertise lies in integrating state-of-the-art mathematical algorithms in medical technologies, towards advancement of human health. Dr. Moshirvaziri’s mission is to use breakthrough knowledge to make pivotal changes in patients’ daily lives. In the last 15 years, she has worked in a variety of roles in world-class medical device companies such as Philips Healthcare and Medtronic. She teaches Biomedical Signals and Systems Analysis in the CSULB Biomedical Engineering Department. Her research themes are bio-signal processing, data analysis, and advanced algorithm simulations. In her free time, Hana leads an international writing team documenting life stories of a person who has lived with scleroderma and survived a long-term coma.
Carlos Maldonado,
Biomedical Engineer, Medtronic
Carlos is a 1st generation Mexican American and a native to the San Fernando Valley where he has attended public school from preschool to university. He grew up in the west end of the valley in West Hills. His parents received a personal loan from the realtor who helped them buy this house because he supported their dreams of their children attending good schools and building their own American dream. Today he holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from UCSB and a Masters in Material Science Engineering from CSUN. Professionally, he is a Biomedical Engineer who works in the research and prototyping of the chemistry involved in new biosensors with the goal to support the health of people living with Diabetes. He is motivated by the hope that his work will someday alleviate some burden and improve the quality of life of someone fighting for their health. And in improving their quality of care also improving the quality of life for the people who support them.
Al Khella,
Director of Operations, Medtronic
Al Khella earned both his bachelor’s (’03) and master’s (’05) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). During his eight years at CSUN, he served as President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and contributed to the university’s racecar program as part of his senior design project. Al began his career at 3M Drug Delivery in Northridge, where he supported the manufacture of transdermal patches for patients with angina. There, he honed his technical and leadership skills, quickly taking on greater responsibilities. In 2018, he joined Medtronic Diabetes, located on CSUN’s north campus, to lead a team of engineers in manufacturing continuous glucose monitoring sensors. His scope of responsibility grew rapidly, culminating in his role as plant manager overseeing a workforce of 800 employees and $1 billion in annual sales revenue. Recently, Al transitioned into R&D, where he is helping to develop a novel implantable pump for the treatment of diabetes. Beyond his professional work, Al is dedicated to supporting the next generation of engineers. He serves as an Industry Advisor for CSUN’s Manufacturing and Systems Engineering Department and as a design judge for the annual engineering competition. At home, Al enjoys spending time with his wife, Carla, and their two young daughters, exploring family favorites such as Universal Studios and the Santa Barbara Zoo.
