Session Chair Profile
Ph.D., Director of Advanced Applications, NanoString Technologies
Biography
I focus on developing and applying NanoString platforms to address key research areas in immuno-oncology. As part of that mission, I work with academics, biopharmas, and clinicians to identify unmet needs in translational research and create novel products for transcriptional and proteomic profiling. I oversee the collaborations network for the company to help investigators utilize NanoString tools in their research with the goal of developing new biomarkers that can be deployed as clinical diagnostics. I am also active in the immuno-oncology research community to promote the science and application of cancer immunotherapy to improve patient outcomes. Prior to joining NanoString, I was a founder and director of research at Oncofactor Corp., a biotech focused on developing therapeutics which targeted novel immune checkpoints. I have a PhD in immunology from the University of Washington and a BS in biochemistry and English from Iowa State University.
Talk
Robust Transcriptomics to Inform Cellular Therapy During Manufacturing and Treatment
Session Abstract – PMWC 2020 Silicon Valley
CAR-T cell therapy has evolved from an arcane approach under study in a handful of academic centers to a commercialized immunotherapy that is now being integrated into standard cancer care. The session will highlight some of the recent scientific advances that have begun to define major mechanisms of resistance to CAR-T cell therapy in B cell malignancies and identify the challenges that need to be addressed if these agents are to find broader applications in other hematological cancers and solid tumors.
