Anna Liza Castro-Malek

Anna Liza Castro-Malek is an accomplished clinical research and pharmaceutical operations leader currently serving as Associate Director, Clinical and Budget Lead at Astellas Pharma US in Glendale Heights, Illinois. She has built a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades in clinical trials, specializing in global clinical site budgeting, contracts negotiation, and study start-up operations. Her expertise covers Investigator Site Budget development across Phases I–IV and non-interventional studies in therapeutic areas such as oncology, nephrology, infectious disease, ophthalmology, urology, rare diseases, gene therapy, and pain management.

Throughout her career, Anna has led and developed global teams responsible for clinical budgets and contracting functions, helping streamline processes that improve trial efficiency, financial forecasting, and site activation timelines. She is highly experienced in negotiating site budgets and ensuring compliance with international standards, including ICH-GCP guidelines, fair market value principles, and global research reimbursement practices. Known for her ability to collaborate across clinical teams, CROs, and external stakeholders, she has played a key role in strengthening operational consistency and compliance in complex multinational studies.

Beyond her technical and leadership expertise, Anna is also recognized for her commitment to mentorship, ethical leadership, and team development. She has built and scaled internal functions at Astellas, mentored emerging leaders across regions including Japan, and actively supports organizational culture focused on trust, accountability, and growth. Outside of her professional work, she contributes to community initiatives through board service with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago and supports programs that promote access to sports and education initiatives in the Philippines.