PEOPLE INTERVIEWED

  • Andrew Schaefer

    Andrew Schaefer, MBA
    Manager, Analytical Method Development & Validation, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing

    As Manager of Analytical Development & Validation at Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, Mr. Andrew Schaefer’s experience includes over a decade of pharmaceutical science involvement. Mr. Schaefer initiated some of the very first raw material testing strategies for commercialization efforts of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies.


    Mr. Schaefer earned a BS in Biology, a Masters in Business Administration focused on Analytics, and Certifications in Regulatory Affair. Mr. Schaefer is an expert in the unique raw materials control strategies necessary for Cell and Gene Therapies, publishing relevant work, speaking at forums, and collaborating with clients across the globe to bring programs to fruition.

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  • Stacie Fichthorn

    Stacie Fichthorn
    Senior Manager, Cell/Gene Therapy and Viral Clearance, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing

    As Senior Manager of Cell & Gene Therapy and Viral Clearance at Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, Ms. Stacie Fichthorn has over 20 years of leadership experience in biopharmaceutical analytical testing. In addition to her operational management responsibilities, Ms. Fichthorn also serves as the facilitator for Eurofins’ Global Council for CGT and chairs the Mentor Program at the Lancaster location. Ms. Fichthorn earned her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from Millersville University.
  • Berangere Tissot, Ph.D.

    Berangere Tissot, Ph.D.
    Director, Biochemistry Method Establishment and Biologics Characterization, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing

    As Director of Biochemistry Method Establishment and Biologics Characterization at Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, Dr. Bérangère Tissot leads a team devoted to the development and validation of complex biochemistry-based methods for the analysis of various Biologics and the characterization of complex Biopharmaceuticals using high-end technologies.


    Dr. Tissot completed her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in France in 2003. After several post-docs in Europe, Dr. Tissot joined a CRO dedicated to complex Biologics in Switzerland and moved to the United States to later take the role of General Manager of a cGMP CRO facility offering advanced analytical services for complex biopharmaceuticals, before joining Eurofins.

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  • Melanie Mansbach

    Melanie Mansbach
    Head of Cell Therapy Manufacturing, Lonza

    Melanie Mansbach is the Head of Cell Therapy Manufacturing at Lonza Houston. She has worked at Lonza for six years in various positions from Manager to Senior Director in Mammalian, Viral Vector and Cell Therapy Manufacturing Departments. Melanie has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy and a MBA and MS in Business Analytics from Indiana University.
  • Frank Bugg

    Frank Bugg
    Vice President, Site Head, Cell and Gene Therapy, Lonza

    Frank has over 15 years of pharmaceutical experience in many different roles including operations, manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance, manufacturing science and technology, validation, sales, and business development.


    For the past 5 years he has worked for Lonza, a large contract development and manufacturing organization. Most recently he is the site head for Lonza’s largest cell and gene manufacturing facility that offers development, clinical, and commercial manufacturing for viral vectors, autologous and allogenic cell therapies. Frank has spent time in multiple pharmaceutical modalities including radiopharmaceuticals, solid oral dosage, biologics, and cell and gene. As well as worked for many industry leaders such as Lonza, Novartis, and Cardinal Health. His passion has always centered around problem solving and challenging the status quo. Frank’s undergrad is in Biology from the Ohio State University and he also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.
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  • Mark Sawicki, Ph.D.

    Mark Sawicki, Ph.D.
    CEO, Cryoport Systems, Chief Scientific Officer, Cryoport, Inc.

    Mark Sawicki, President and CEO of Cryoport Systems, brings 15 years of business development and sales management experience, having consistently delivered on corporate revenue and market share goals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Sawicki holds a bachelor’s in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He also received graduate training at the Hauptman Woodard Medical Research Institute. Sawicki has authored a dozen scientific publications in drug discovery with a focus on oncology and immunology.
  • Rob Jones

    Rob Jones
    Vice President, Global BioServices, Cryoport Systems

    Rob Jones, Vice President – Global BioSevices of Cryoport Systems, is an accomplished supply chain executive with over 30 years of commercial development experience and 10 years’ experience in the blood transfusion industry. Rob established and managed the first commercial biorepository in the UK in 2004. He is now responsible for the strategic expansion of Cryoport’s Bioservices initiative and will oversee the introduction of a range of new services in the field of critical supply chain support.
  • Genae Wilburn

    Genae Wilburn
    Process Development Scientist, Catalent Cell and Gene Therapy

    Genae Wilburn has 14 years of CGT experience, and joined Catalent in 2021 after working for various CDMOs including KBI and PCT. She obtained her B.S. from the University of Florida and has extensive expertise with multiple cell types and technologies, gene editing, scaling up, and closed system automation.

  • Philip Wills, Ph.D.

    Philip Wills, Ph.D.
    Chief Commercial Officer, Catalent Cell and Gene Therapy

    Philip Wills, Chief Commercial Officer at Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy, is a veteran business executive and scientist with nearly two decades of contract manufacturing experience, primarily focused in viral vectors and other complex biologics. After joining Paragon in 2002, Philip held positions of increasing scope and responsibility, including appointments as the Principal Scientist and VP of Business Development. Philip obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Maryland Medical School.

  • George Buchman, Ph.D.

    George Buchman, Ph.D.
    Research Fellow, Product Development, Catalent Cell and Gene Therapy

    Dr. Buchman joined Catalent through its acquisition of Paragon Gene Therapy in 2019. He has more than 30 years of experience in the biotech industry and has held roles at companies including Life Technologies (now Thermo Fisher), Celera Genomics and GeneLogic. Dr. Buchman obtained a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Albright College, Reading, Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in biochemistry from University of Maryland.

  • Arthur Stril

    Arthur Stril
    Chief Business Officer, Cellectis

    Arthur Stril serves as Cellectis’ Chief Business Officer since September 2020, overseeing business development, strategy, and program management. Arthur began his career at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition, controlling global pharmaceutical mergers such as the Novartis/GSK and Sanofi/Boehringer Ingelheim asset swaps, Pfizer’s acquisition of Hospira, and Teva’s acquisition of Actavis Generics. He later became Head of the Hospital Financing unit at the French Ministry of Health, where he led a team responsible for the €80bn hospital budget. Arthur graduated from the École Normale Supérieure, Paris & Cambridge University, and holds a diploma in Immunotherapy from the Université Paris-Descartes. Arthur is also a member of the French Corps des Mines.
  • Mike Stewart

    Mike Stewart
    Chief Operations Officer, Matica Biotechnology, Inc.

    Drawing on over 18 years of experience in the viral vector therapy and vaccine production industry, Mike leads Matica Bio’s technical functions, including process engineering, GMP process development and assay development. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry and biochemistry from the Texas A&M University System, followed by a Ph.D. in biochemistry studies at the University of Tennessee and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, focusing on the structural and functional amino acid substitutions that result in an oncogenic state. Mike also served as a medical corpsman with the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps and completed DOD research concerning gravitationally induced loss of consciousness.


    Before joining Matica Bio, Mike was the director of manufacturing for Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a CDMO providing manufacturing services for virus-based vaccine products. In addition to his three years at Fujifilm, Mike has worked for protein and virus organizations, including Boehringer-Ingelheim Biomanufacturing, Meridian Life Science and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
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  • Peter Marks M.D., Ph.D.

    Peter Marks M.D., Ph.D.
    Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), FDA

    Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration. The center is responsible for assuring the safety and effectiveness of biological products, including vaccines, allergenic products, blood and blood products, and cellular, tissue, and gene therapies. Dr. Marks and center staff are committed to facilitating the development of biological products and providing oversight throughout the product life cycle.


    Dr. Peter Marks received his graduate degree in cell and molecular biology and his medical degree at New York University. Following this, he completed an Internal Medicine residency and Hematology/Medical Oncology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where he subsequently joined the attending staff as a clinician-scientist and eventually served as Clinical Director of Hematology.

    He then moved on to work for several years in the pharmaceutical industry on the clinical development of hematology and oncology products prior to returning to academic medicine at Yale University where he led the Adult Leukemia Service and served as Chief Clinical Officer of Smilow Cancer Hospital. He joined the FDA in 2012 as Deputy Center Director for CBER and became Center Director in 2016. Dr. Marks is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. In 2022, he became a Member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health, science and medicine.
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