Maximizing process control and efficiency in CAR-T cell manufacturing

Jason Isaacson is a scientist in the Cell and Gene Therapy business on the Cell Therapy Innovations team at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He is responsible for development and optimization of end-to-end cell therapy workflow solutions that integrate Thermo Fisher’s closed, automated instrumentation platforms. Prior to this role, Jason has gained experience across many industrial environments from large pharma, to small biotech and startups. His extensive experience in research includes 10 years developing HIV small molecule inhibitors, 7 years developing small molecule inhibitors for various oncology targets, and 7 years working with T cell and natural killer cell therapy development.

Mina Ahmadi, PhD is an R&D lead scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific where she focuses on developing end-to-end closed and automated viral and non-viral cell therapy workflows. Dr. Ahmadi received her PhD in Molecular Genetics from McGill University, Canada. After her PhD, she joined as Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Canada.

Russ spent a decade at the bench in a variety of biotech roles doing drug discovery, analytical chemistry, and diagnostic development before transitioning into marketing and commercial roles for the last 11 years. He was previously the Senior Technical Specialist for Stem Cells/Regenerative Medicine at Thermo Fisher Scientific before joining the Cell and Gene Therapy team as the Senior Manager for Strategic Collaborations. In this role, he works to connect developers with Cell Therapy Innovations (CTI) partners across Thermo Fisher Scientific to accelerate CGT programs externally. This includes access to a dedicated team of process development scientists who will adopt customer processes onto our closed and automated workflows, provide early access to innovations from Thermo Fisher’s R&D teams, and support across all divisions to complete Thermo Fisher Scientific’s commitment from innovation to clinic.

Evan Zynda has been with Thermo Fisher Scientific for almost 8 years. He serves as a Senior Scientist in R&D for the department of Cell Culture and Cellular Medicine, and the align team in cell therapy process development and product development. He first began studying T cell biology in 2005 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, where he received a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics and Biochemistry. During his academic years, he elucidated mechanisms by which tumor cells evade the immune system. He went on to apply this knowledge in drug development and cell therapy manufacturing.