![Headshot - Laura Alquist[46]](https://web.azenta.com/hubfs/Headshot%20-%20Laura%20Alquist%5B46%5D.jpeg)
Laura Alquist
Vice President and Head of Global Manufacturing, Kite, a Gilead Company
Laura Alquist is Vice President and Head of Global Manufacturing at Kite, a Gilead Company, where she leads a multi-site, global network of T-cell therapy and viral vector facilities responsible for manufacturing Kite’s cell therapy products.
Employees at Kite manufacturing locations ensure successful production and delivery of innovative CAR T-cell therapies to patients around the world with industry-leading turnaround times. The team works collaboratively with other Technical Operations functions (i.e., Process Development, Quality, Supply Chain), as well as Clinical Operations, Commercial, and IT to anticipate and meet patient demand for Kite’s cell therapy products.
Laura joined Kite in 2016, serving in a variety of positions where she helped design and optimize end-to-end operations and processes. She was instrumental in shaping and scaling Kite’s global operations as the company’s reach and network expanded, and as the number of regulatory geographies and demand for commercial products grew. Most recently, Laura led the Global Supply Chain organization in managing logistics, labeling, and packaging engineering, inventory management, sourcing and procurement, supply and operations planning, master data governance, sales and operations, and business systems.
Prior to joining Kite, Laura spent 20 years at Amgen in a range of global and operational roles of increasing responsibility across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, and IT.
Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from California Lutheran University and is APICS certified in Supply Chain operations.
Panelist: Albert Ribickas
Assistant Director of Cell Therapy Facility Operations, Moffitt Cancer Center
Al Ribickas is the Assistant Director of Cell Therapy Facility Operations at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. He is board certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathology as a Medical Technologist, a Specialist in Blood Banking, and as a Hemapheresis Practioner. Al has worked on the production of various cellular therapies clinical trial products, and the implementation of commercial FDA approved products.
Panelist: Patrick Hanley, PhD
Director of the Cellular Therapy Program at Children’s National Hospital
Dr. Hanley, Chief and Director of the Cellular Therapy Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Children's National Hospital and George Washington University, has 16 years of experience translating 550+ cellular therapy products across 25 protocols into clinical practice. He's VP-North America of ISCT, on its board, and co-founded the Early Stage Professionals committee. Dr. Hanley is the commissioning editor of Cytotherapy and a board member of FACT. He advises various cell and gene therapy biotech companies and, in his free time, engages with scientists and Bills fans on Twitter, enjoys soccer, cycling, cooking, and traveling.
Co-host: Tom Whitehead
Co-Founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation
Tom Whitehead is a keynote speaker, author, and co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for pediatric cancer immunotherapy research. Tom and his wife Kari founded the Emily Whitehead Foundation in honor of their daughter Emily who was diagnosed at age five with an aggressive form of leukemia that failed to respond to chemotherapy. As a last hope, Emily was enrolled in a clinical trial and became the first pediatric patient in the world to receive CAR T-cell therapy. The therapy worked and Emily is now 11 years cancer free and considered cured.
Co-host: Olga Bukatova
Assoc. Dir, Biz Development CGT at Azenta Life Sciences
With a decade-long commitment to advancing GMP manufacturing technologies for Cell and Gene Therapies, Olga Bukatova’s expertise spans critical domains, including process automation, cryopreservation and thawing, isolator technologies, and aseptic fill & finish. Throughout her career, Olga focused on delivery of these transformative treatments to patients, working with start-ups, public organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and their CDMOs. As a member of the ISCT cold chain working group, she keeps on addressing the multifaceted challenges within the CGT landscape.
July 2024 - Dr. Puri - Attacking Solid Tumors: TIL Revolution and Next Generation Advanced Therapies
June 2024 - Dr. Mukherjee - Bridging the Global Access Gap to Advanced Therapies
May 2024 - Dr. Forte - Shaping Tomorrow’s Standards of Care: Improving Patient Access to Advanced Therapies
April 2024 - Dr. Hege - Trailblazing Paths in Cancer Immunotherapy
March 2024 - Dr. Lederberger - Off the Beaten Path: Lessons in Decentralized Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing
February 2024 - Dr. Levine - What's Next in Cell and Gene Therapies: Anticipating the Next Advanced Therapy Breakthroughs
December 2023 - Dr. Warkentin - The Journey Toward Standardization in the Advancement of Cell Therapy
November 2023- Dr. Grupp - Reflecting on the Past Decade of Treating Patients with Advanced Therapies
