Julie Allickson, PhD

• Michael S. and Mary Sue Shannon Director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Regenerative Medicine

• Otto Bremer Trust Director, Biomanufacturing and Product Development, Center for Regenerative Medicine

• Vice chair of Cord Blood Association Quality Standards Committee and Member of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy & American Association of Blood Banks

Dr. Allickson joins Mayo Clinic from Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, where she served as the chief manufacturing development center officer.  Dr. Allickson has 30 years of experience in clinical translation of cellular therapies and regenerative medicine products including business management and board directorship experience. Prior to the Institute, Dr. Allickson was the Vice President of Research and Development and Laboratory Operations for Cryo-Cell International Inc.

Dr. Allickson was part of the team to perform the first Bone Marrow Transplant at the University of Miami in 1990 and at Miami Children’s Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program. She has a Doctorate in Health Sciences- Clinical Immunology along with a Master’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She is one of the founding members of the International Society of Cellular Therapy and a member of the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).  Dr. Allickson is on the Board of Directors for AABB and IWEUS Capital along with Regenerative Medicine Outcomes Foundation as a scientific advisor, Editorial board of CELLR4, Vice Chair for Cord Blood Association Quality Committee, Technical Advisory Board for Tissue Engineered Products under ICCBBA, grant reviewer for state funded initiatives such as CIRM and serves on the ISCT Commercialization Committee.

David J. Mooney, PhD

• Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

• Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute

• Member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors

His laboratory designs biomaterials to promote regeneration and immunotherapy. His current projects focus on therapeutic angiogenesis, regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues, and cancer therapies. In 2009, Dave’s team developed the first vaccine ever to eliminate melanoma tumors in mice. It is a tiny bioengineered disc filled with tumor-specific antigens that can be inserted under the skin where it activates the immune system to destroy tumor cells. While typical tissue engineering involves growing cells outside the body, his novel approach reprograms cells that are already in the body. His inventions have been licensed by over 15 companies, leading to commercialized products.  He has founded companies and is active on industrial scientific advisory boards.

Martina Schuessler-Lenz, M.D.

• Federal Agency for vaccines and Biomedicines, Langen, Germany

• Chair, EMA Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT)

• Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, department haematology, cell-and gene therapy

In 2020, Dr. Martina Schuessler-Lenz was elected on her second mandate as the Chair of the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA). The CAT is the committee responsible for evaluating the quality, safety and efficacy of marketing authorisations of cell and gene therapies (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, ATMPs).

Dr Schuessler-Lenz graduated from medical school at Mainz University Hospital, Germany, and completed her clinical training in internal medicine in Berlin, New York and Mainz, before she joined the pharmaceutical industry and was responsible for several clinical drug development projects of anticancer agents.

Since 2005 she has been working as M.D. at the Paul-Ehrlich Institute in the Section of Advanced Therapies and Tissue Preparations, where she reviews Advanced Therapies in clinical trials and marketing authorizations, and provides advice to ATMP development and life cycle management. She is committed to facilitating the development of Advanced Therapies and focuses on providing guidance to academic developers of ATMPs.