Cell therapy
Cell therapies developer Plasticell has recruited Dr. Aaron Chuang chief scientific officer (CSO). Dr. Chuang takes on responsibility for preclinical therapeutic programmes and scientific oversight of collaborations and alliances, as well as external scientific communications.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Chuang served as research director at the regenerative medicine unit of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he worked for over 18 years. He initiated the first stem cell drug discovery programme at GSK in 2004, was the main driver behind the company’s stem cell R&D, as well as been industrial advisor on high-profile stem cell initiatives including the UK Stem Cell Initiative, UK Cell Therapy Catapult and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He was a key player in establishing GSK’s alliance with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in 2008 and has coordinated all collaborative projects. He was also the lead biologist initiating GSK's cell and gene therapy projects and the lead scientist in the company's neuro-regeneration and brain repair programme.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Chuang said: "I am delighted to be joining Plasticell, especially as I have followed the company and its innovative technologies closely for well over 10 years. Indeed, I have collaborated with Plasticell in a number of exciting initiatives, including the spin-out of its sister company Progenitor Therapeutics. There is no doubt that Plasticell's CombiCult is a game changer in our field and I look forward to helping the company leverage this groundbreaking technology across both cell therapy and cell manufacturing, as well as drug discovery and development."
Plasticell CEO Dennis Saw said: "I am delighted to welcome Aaron to the management team. His scientific background, product development experience and understanding of the industry will be invaluable as we further develop our cell therapy pipeline and expand our network of collaborators."