Day 2: Deep dive into cell and gene therapy 

Jonathan Arias, PhD, pursues the creation of Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMPs) with a special focus on onco-immunology and orphan diseases. His R&D leverages the technologies of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and genome engineering.He obtained his MSc in Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and PhD in Kyoto University (Japan). He conducted two postdoctoral fellowships at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and the University of Oslo (Norway). He is the author of 15 scientific articles in regenerative medicine and genome engineering.Dr. Arias is an inventor on three granted patents, one of which is in genome engineering. He is a lecturer on graduate courses at Karolinska Institutet and Vilnius University. He is an active member of the innovation ecosystem. He founded the Arias lab at VU-EMBL in 2022 and currently hosts nine scientists and graduate students.

Dr. Dorraji is a highly experienced cancer immunologist focusing on cell and antibody therapies. He currently serves as a co-founder of a preclinical stage company in Oslo, a Scientific Advisor at Guidepoint, and an Innovation Project leader at SPARK Norway, UiO:Life Science. Dr. Dorraji is also a researcher and former postdoc at the Immunotherapy against solid cancers Group, Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital.Dr. Dorraji holds a PhD in Immunology from The University of Tromsø and a Master of Science in Medical Cell Biology from The University of Bergen. His extensive background includes roles as a laboratory research technician and scientific congress and meeting advisor.He has several patents in cancer immunology, including HER2 VARIANT CAR and antibody, P95HER2 antibody variants, and two more patent applications in preparation. Dr. Dorraji has received numerous grants and awards, such as the Novo Nordisk Pioneer Innovator Grant, Innovation Grants from Norwegian Heath Region South-East and SPARK Norway, UiO:Life Science, and a Research Grant from the 7th National PhD Conference in Medical Imaging.

Dr. Michael Launspach, MD, is a dedicated clinician-scientist with a solid academic background and impressive experience in oncology and hematology. He has held a postdoctoral position at AG Künkele since August 2019 and is affiliated with Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Oncology and Hematology since August 2018.Dr. Launspach has received prestigious fellowships, such as the Clinician Scientist Fellowship from BIH Berlin, which he has participated in since September 2022.Besides his clinical and academic work, Dr. Launspach has received numerous accolades and recognitions for his contributions to the field. The Berlin Cancer Society awarded him a research grant from July 2020 to June 2022. He was also a scholarship holder at Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation) from 2014 to 2018. Furthermore, Dr. Launspach was a part of the Max Weber-Programme Bavaria from 2011 to 2018.

Dr. Maik Luu is a dedicated researcher and academician with extensive experience in translational medicine and biomedical sciences. He is currently serving as a W1 Tenure Track Assistant Professor for Translational Medicine since May 2023. He has a solid academic background, completing his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biomedical Science and Biology of Infection at Philipps-University Marburg.Dr. Luu's academic journey began with his A-Level graduation from Städtisches Gymnasium Eschweiler in 2012, followed by his fast-track PhD studies at Philipps-University Marburg, where he earned a summa cum laude. Before securing his current position, he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the same university and as a Project PI at the University Clinic Würzburg.Actively involved in scientific community work, Dr. Luu serves as a Guest Editor for Frontiers in Genetics and a reviewer for several prestigious journals such as Frontiers in Immunology, Developmental and Cell Biology, and Nature Biomedical Engineering. Additionally, he is a member of the Selection Committee for candidates of the Studienstiftung.Throughout his career, Dr. Luu has received numerous awards and grants for his outstanding research contributions, including the Vincenz-Czerny Award, Bright Spark Award, Jochen Kalden Jr. Award, EHA-EBMT Award, Novartis Graduate Fellowship, and Von Behring-Röntgen-Nachwuchspreis, among others. Furthermore, he holds a patent for "Short-chain fatty acid pentanoate as enhancer for cellular therapy and anti-tumor therapy.”