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Ahmed Mohamed
Senior Director, Early Innovation PartneringJohnson & Johnson Innovation
Aled Charles
DirectorRentschler BiopharmaBiography
Aled is the Process Development Director of Rentschler Biopharma’s ATMP business, leading the process and analytical development teams to develop analytics and processes for clients to bring advanced therapies to patients. Aled has over twenty years of experience in the biotech and cell and gene therapy field, spanning roles in manufacturing, process development and senior leadership.
Prior to Rentschler Biopharma, Aled worked for AstraZeneca for twelve years in the biopharmaceutical development department focusing on the purification scale up and tech transfer of assets through the business ranging from biologics, peptides and viral vectors. Aled led the early material supply team and was also responsible for the global IgG purification platform. Aled has also held CMC roles working with exosomes and bacteriophage where he had responsibility for developing and scaling up processes for clinical production and has supported successful clinical manufacturing campaigns.
Aled holds a BSc degree in Chemistry from the University of Bristol.
Alessandro Linciano
Site MS&T Head, Technology LeadNovartis Cell & Gene Therapies
Alexander Natz
Secretary GeneralEUCOPEBiography
Alexander Natz is the Secretary General of the European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE) in Brussels and advises innovative pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including start-ups, in regulatory and pricing & reimbursement matters from the EU law and German law perspective.
From 2008 to 2013, he was Head of the Brussels Office of Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie e.V. (BPI). Before, he worked as a lawyer at Sträter Law Firm in Germany with a special focus on managed entry agreements and licensing of pharmaceuticals. Dr. Natz has also worked in the field of competition law with the European Commission and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Amir Hefni
Chief Executive OfficerResolution TherapeuticsBiography
Amir Hefni is the CEO of Resolution Therapeutics. Since being appointed in August 2023, Amir has worked with the team to take Resolution’s lead asset into clinic, and most recently the Company has been granted MHRA approval to commence a Phase I/II EMERALD study. Prior to joining Resolution, he was the Global Head of Cell and Gene Therapy at Novartis and had end to end responsibility for the platform. Previously, he was a Global Asset Head in Oncology at Ipsen and spent most of his career at Bristol-Myers Squibb with senior positions across US Oncology, General Management and Strategy & Operations for key markets. Amir holds a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology from King’s College London and an MBA from Warwick Business School.
Amol Ketkar
Chief Manufacturing & Technical Operations OfficerResolution TherapeuticsBiography
Amol Ketkar, Chief Manufacturing and Technical Operations Officer (CMTO), Resolution Therapeutics. As CMTO, Amol covers all aspects of CMC and his group develops and manufactures macrophage-based therapies while ensuring compliance and developing regulatory strategies to deliver these products.
Amol has over 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Most recently, he was at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where he worked for approximately 21 years in various roles. Amol’s role in GSK was as Vice-President, Product Development and Supply for GSK’s Cell and Gene Therapy CMC group. Prior to that, Amol held positions of increasing responsibility within GSK’s Biopharm group and worked across the development lifecycle from pre-candidate selection to post commercial support.
Amol has a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bombay, Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from The Ohio State University, and post-doctoral training from University of Iowa.
Amy Walker
COO4 Base Bio
Angela Vollstedt
Global Director, Cell & Gene Therapies Portfolio ManagementNovartisBiography
Angela Vollstedt, a seasoned professional in the pharmaceutical industry, boasts an impressive 15+ year international career marked by notable achievements. Her expertise encompasses leading pharmaceutical drug research and development, life-cycle management, and commercial manufacturing. Angela thrives on challenges and is deeply committed to driving operational excellence and innovation within fast-paced environments that demand strong business acumen and impeccable time management.
With a genuine passion for organizational growth, Angela has successfully collaborated with research scientists and executive leadership to translate cutting-edge scientific discoveries into tangible healthcare advancements. Her exceptional abilities in building robust relationships and fostering a healthy work environment have allowed her to leverage emotional intelligence and strategic thinking to facilitate constructive decision-making and open communication with C-suite executives and stakeholders at all levels.
Angela’s accomplishments in the fields of biologics, as well as cell and gene therapies research & development, are commendable. She has demonstrated a remarkable track record in delivering new medical products from early clinical development to market authorization applications and life-cycle management, while effectively managing multi-million-dollar budgets. Additionally, she has excelled in leading high-performing commercial manufacturing teams, ensuring timely customer satisfaction and preparing for successful health authority audits.
Anna Koptina
Head of Regulatory AffairsElicera Therapeutics AB
Anthony Davies
CEO & FounderDark Horse Consulting GroupBiography
Anthony founded Dark Horse Consulting in 2014, bringing 20+ years of leadership experience in product, process and manufacturing development to cell and gene therapy companies in need. Anthony has a proven track record in managing pharmaceutical pipelines, is a skilled liaison with international regulatory agencies, and has an intense familiarity with a wide range of biologics, and cell and gene therapies. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and chair of national and international conferences and seminars, noted for his provocative, thoughtful and sometimes contrarian presentations.
Anthony Davies
Chief Executive Officer & Managing DirectorDark Horse Consulting Group
Antonio Mazariello
FounderAzoth DynamicsBiography
Transformational coach and leader with more than 38 years of experience across pharmaceuticals, biopharma, chemicals, and supply chain sectors.
Recognized for pioneering technology adoption, introducing practical applications like the Internet and founding the first virtual university. Integrated ecological footprint in 2000 into corporate reports.
With more than 20 years of coaching, nurtured teams and individuals to professional success.
Dedicated to empowering women through initiatives like "Women-Riser," fostering growth and collaboration.
Seasoned strategist, leading 100+ business deals and executing a $100M project.
Founder of Azoth Dynamics, advancing AI in coaching and consultancy to pioneer new frontiers. Driven by a passion for continuous learning, dedicated to unlocking potential and driving success.
Antonio Salgado
Coordinating Investigator ICVS, Former President of the Portugese Society for Stem Cells & Cellular TherapyUniversity of Minho
Arthur Sagoskin
Chief Executive OfficerMygogenesis LLCBiography
Arthur Sagoskin MD FACOG is a Co-Founder and CEO of Mygogenesis LLC tm.
Dr. Sagoskin is a Reproductive Endocrinologist with extensive expertise in developing the current IVF practice in the US. Prior to starting Mygogenesis LLC, he was managing partner, and co-founder of the largest Fertility/IVF practice in the U.S, Shady Grove Fertility, helping over hundreds of thousands of families with their fertility needs. Also, he was on the forefront of minimally invasive surgery. He received an M.D. from Drexel University College of Medicine (formally the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann Medical College) in Philadelphia , PA, and his Resident was at Lehigh Valley Health Network, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where he served as Chief Resident.
Additionally, He was Clinical Assistant Professor- Department Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Chief Medical Information Officer SGF, and Medical Director of Ambulatory Surgical Center at SGF.. He served in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corp ,as a Lieutenant and Chief of the Department of OB-GYN in, Talequah ,OK. There he was also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Dept of OBGYN at the University of Oklahoma Medical School.
Aurélie Mahalatchimy
CNRS Permanent Researcher-in-LawUMR DICE CERIC, Aix-Marseille University - CNRSBiography
Aurélie Mahalatchimy is a legal scholar (PhD in law), permanent researcher at CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), affiliated to UMR 7318 DICE-CERIC, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France. Her main research interest is the European law of biomedical innovations, mainly health products and uses of human genes (including gene editing), cells and tissues (ATMPs), and their ethical/societal aspects. She is Deputy coordinator and WP4 leader of the H2020 ‘European Consortium for Communicating Gene and Cell Therapy Information’ (2021-2025). She is currently the coordinator of the I-BioLex project on ‘Fragmentation and defragmentation of the law on biomedical innovations’ (2021-2024), and in charge of legal aspects in the Organact project on ‘Organoids in Action: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Social Science’ (2022-2026), both funded by the French National Agency for Research. She is also co-chair of the European Association of Health Law’s Interest Group on Supranational Biolaw. Her full CV and publications are available here.
Barbara Bonamssa
Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) alternate member for the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA)Italian Medicines AgencyBiography
Dr. Barbara Bonamassa holds a 3-year Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and a 2-year Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Italy. Further to undergraduate studies, she obtained her PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology at the same University. She has then joined several national laboratories and the University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy (PA, USA) as a postdoctoral researcher supported by national and international fellowships.
Her focus has been the study of gene expression regulation, the development of viral and non-viral gene delivery/transfer techniques as well as the identification of genes that code for therapeutic proteins and the unravelling of their mechanisms of action.
After earning a II level master degree in Drug Regulatory Affairs and an Advanced study course degree in Statistical Methods for the Biomedical Research and Practice, from the University of Rome “Sapienza” (Italy), she has joined the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA). There, she holds a position as an executive biologist, serving as quality assessor for biological medicinal products with emphasis on ATMPs and Italian Alternate Member at the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Further, at AIFA, she is the technical-scientific secretariat coordinator supporting the Italian Ethics Committee for clinical trials with investigational ATMPs. Currently, she is also a quality assessor for biotherapeutic products within the World Health Organization (WHO) Prequalification Team – Medicines Assessment Team (PQT/MED).
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Beatrice Mainoli
MDIPO-Porto
Boris Greber
Head of Research & DevelopmentCatalent Cell & Gene TherapyBiography
Boris joined Catalent in 2021 following the acquisition of RheinCell Therapeutics, where he played a key role in implementing the in-house GMP iPS cell workflow, culminating in the company's manufacturing authorization. At Catalent, he now leads iPSC research and process development activities. Under his leadership, his team has recently developed innovative protocols for iPSC gene editing and differentiation.
Before entering industry, Boris headed an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, Germany. Pluripotent stem cells have been the central focus of his professional career, as evidenced by his authorship of over 70 peer-reviewed publications in the field.
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Boro Dropulic
Executive DirectorCaring Cross
Boro Dropulic
Executive DirectorCaring CrossBiography
Boro received his PhD from the University of Western Australia and his MBA from the Johns Hopkins University (JHU). He has been in the gene therapy field since the late 1980s.
After a Fogarty Fellowship at the NIH, he joined the faculty at JHU where he worked on developing Lentiviral vectors as delivery systems for gene therapy. After 4 years in academia, he founded his first company ViRxSys and led the team that first demonstrated the safety of Lentiviral vectors in humans with his UPenn colleagues. Later he founded Lentigen, which first developed the Lentiviral vector used to produce Kymriah®, the first FDA-approved gene therapy product.
Later, Boro saw an opportunity to integrate Lentiviral vector technology with closed-system automated cell processing devices to enable distributive place-of-care manufacturing at hospitals, potentially improving the affordability and accessibility of gene therapy products like CAR-T cells. He therefore spearheaded the acquisition of Lentigen by Miltenyi Biotec in 2014 and led the development of a global place-of-care network of clinical centers that were able to successfully manufacture CAR-T cell products and demonstrate their therapeutic benefits in clinical trials.
Seeing a need for improved business models to support the affordability and accessibility of gene therapy products, Boro co-founded Caring Cross a 501 (c)(3) non-profit and serves as the Executive Director. He also is the CEO of Vector BioMed, a public benefit corporation that was spun-out of Caring Cross to provide affordable GMP Lentiviral vector manufacturing services to the gene therapy scientific community.
Carol Knevelman
Vice-President, Technical ExcellenceOxford BiomedicaBiography
Carol is the Vice President of Technical Excellence at Oxford Biomedica. Her main responsibility is definition and execution of strategic technical programs and initiatives to support the delivery of OXB capabilities across the global organisation. Prior to this, Carol led the Process Development function on activities encompassing platform process design and scale-up, and commercialisation for cell and gene therapy applications. Carol has an Eng.D in Biochemical Engineering from University College London
Carolina Garcia Rizo
PartnerEvexia bioFundBiography
Board Member and Part-time CBO
Cédrick Rousseaux
Innovation, Analytical & Process Development DirectorSK pharmtecoBiography
Cédrick Rousseaux held several positions in Tech transfer and Process Development since he joined the company in 2015. Cédrick has worked in the medical device field for more than 15 years before joining SK pharmteco and held several jobs in cGMP manufacturing as well as in analytical or process tech transfer. Cedrick holds a Cellular and Molecular Engineering master’s degree from Lille University.
Chaminda Salgado
CMC LeaderCEPI (Coalition for Pandemic Preparedness)
Chris Barkey
Chief Executive OfficerSwissfinity Group
Chris williams
Chief Business OfficerAutolusBiography
In February 2024 Dr Chris Williams was promoted to Chief Business Officer. Chris was part of the team that founded Autolus in 2014 and he initially served on the Company’s board as a Non-Executive Director. In 2016, Chris transitioned into the Company to establish Autolus’ business development function.
Previously he worked at UCL Business where he led the establishment of strategic collaborations, licensing deals, new companies, and financing transactions across a portfolio of cell and gene therapies in oncology and rare diseases. Prior to that he served as non-executive director of Orchard Therapeutics, another company he founded during his tenure at UCL Business, and has worked in business development roles at Thiologics, Canbex and Eli Lilly.
He has also worked in research roles at GSK, Inpharmatica and Imperial College London and holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College London.
Christine Günther
Managing Director, Cell Factory Modena ITEvotec GmbH MünchenBiography
Christine is a seasoned executive in the development, manufacturing and translation of Cell Therapies from early stage through clinical development until market reach in Europe. She joined Evotec International GmbH in 2021 as Executive Vice President, Head of Global Cell Therapy Translation & Medical Director. Recently she was appointed as Site Head of Evotec´s Cell Manufacturing site in Modena (IT). Her focus is the integrated development of cell therapy and the building of partnerships with Pharma/ Biotech.
Christine brings more than 30 years of experience in clinical and translational Cell Therapy, both in the allogeneic and autologous field, complemented by the iPSC-focus at Evotec. From 2008 to 2020 she served as CEO and Medical Director at Apceth, Cell & Gene therapy (Munich, GER, now Minaris Regenerative Medicine) building the Biotech from start-up to a profitable CDMO and research company. The company developed the worldwide first clinical study with genetically modified stem cells (MSC). Apceth was acquired by Hitachi Chemical in 2019 and integrated into a global CDMO network. Prior to that she served as Medical Director and Qualified Person at a non-profit organization for stem cell donation and cord blood transplantation.
Christine has a strong medical background as Senior Hematologist/ Oncologist working in academic Hospitals and the University Hospital in Munich with a focus on hematologic stem cell transplantation and adoptive cell therapy (1988-2002).
She holds a medical license from University of Munich and performed her PhD in experimental Hematology at the Helmholtz Society (Munich). She worked over 10 years as certified Qualified Person, and contributed in task forces and associations to the progress of Cell Therapy.
Clare Blue
Senior CMC ConsultanteXmoor PharmaBiography
Clare Blue holds a degree and PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Clare has over 17 years CMC industry experience in the development and manufacture of gene therapy / biologics products, from pre-clinical to commercial. She had a lead role in defining the CMC, regulatory and analytical strategies of a start-up gene therapy company with success taking an ocular AAV product to pivotal / Phase 3 trials, together with extensive experience supporting the technical development of various clinical and pre-clinic products in the ocular and CNS space. She provides expert advice to external industry forums and advisory boards to facilitate the advancement of ATMPs. In her current role as Senior CMC Translation Consultant at eXmoor Pharma, Clare provides cell and gene therapy translational, manufacturing and CMC consultancy services to Clients globally.
Clauda Andretta
Strategic AdvisorSichem BioBiography
Former neuroscience researcher turned Biopharma executive, Claudia Andretta is a strategic advisor operating in the Life Science industry across stakeholders in early to mid-phase deals.
She’s the founder and CEO of Sichem Bio, a boutique advisory firm based in France; in practice, she’s a freelance investment broker, executive-level strategist, speaker and content creator. Her main areas of expertise are cell & gene therapy for neuroscience and rare diseases, with a focus on bioproduction and drug delivery technologies.
Claudio Santos
Chief Executive OfficerGyala Therapeutics SLBiography
Claudio Santos, PhD has a background in biomedical research, drug discovery, technology transfer and venture capital investment. He is the founding CEO of Gyala Therapeutics, raising over 7m € in funding since the company was created and leading operations, strategy and business development activities. Claudio is also an Venture Partner at the VC fund Invivo Partners and previously worked as a Chief Business Officer at Bioncotech Therapeutics (Spain), Director of Strategic Planning at Adorx Therapeutics (UK) and Investment Associate at Sixth Element Capital (UK).