Accelerating Science Forum: Longevity and compliance in cell and gene therapies

Dr. Priya Chockalingam holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and, with over 20 years of experience in translational medicine, bioanalytics, biomarkers, and diagnostics, she currently serves as the VP and Head of Clinical Bioanalytics & Translational Sciences at Beam Therapeutics. In this role, she oversees a team that collaborates across research and development, focusing on bioanalytical, biomarker, and translational strategies, with a strong emphasis on implementing these approaches for a diverse range of clinical programs. These programs encompass areas such as hematology, immunology, oncology, and rare genetic diseases, and involve cutting-edge technologies like base editing, auto/allo cell therapies, and innovative delivery methods like lipid nanoparticles (LNP).

r. Torsten Wuestefeld is currently associate professor of molecular metabolism at the Lee Jong Chan School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University with a joint appointment as group leader of the Laboratory of In Vivo Genetics and Gene Therapy at the Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR. He is also the scientific co-founder of LERNA Biopharma formerly known as Cargene Therapeutics, a Singaporean biotech company developing siRNA therapies for liver disease. Dr. Torsten Wuestefeld graduated with a Diploma (Master of Science) from the Department of Biology at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany and obtained his Doktor rerum naturalium (PhD) from the Department of Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. While pursuing his doctoral studies, he conducted research on signal transduction pathways during liver regeneration at the Medical School Hannover, Germany. He has more than 20 years of experience dissecting liver biology. Through in vivo functional genetics he identified important regulators of liver regeneration & disease. He was the first to describe MKK4 as a master regulator of liver regeneration. Based on his research a MKK4 specific kinase inhibitor was developed and passed phase 1 clinical trial last year. Currently he is developing among other things nucleic acid therapeutics for liver disease.