Dr. Francesco Marincola – MD
Dr. Marincola is considered one of the world’s leading tumor Immunologists. He was the Chief of the Infectious Disease and Immunogenetics Section in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the Clinical Center of the National Institute of Health in Bethesda. He was the founder and serves as Editor-in-Chief, the Journal of Translational Medicine and ASHI Quarterly, senior editor for the Journal of the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, and editor for a variety of academic journals, including Immunotherapy, Journal of Immunotherapy, Journal of Immunology, Tumori, Clinical Cancer Research, Biological Therapy, and Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. He is also a founding member of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
Dr. Marincola has done extensive research in tumor immunology by developing strategies for studying tumor-host interactions in the context of human genetic polymorphism and cancer heterogeneity. During his tenure as a Senior Staff Scientist with the NCI Surgery Branch, Dr. Marincola investigated the identification of the algorithm responsible for tumor rejection by immune cells particularly in the context of metastatic melanoma. In particular, the focus of his research is the optimization of strategies to study clinical material during the conduct of clinical trials. The NIH Immunogenetics laboratory is recognized nationally and internationally for the cutting edge technologies applied for the study of genetic materials at the genomic, transcriptional, epigenetic and mutational levels.
Dr. Vijay Mahant, MS, Ph.D
Dr. Mahant graduated from LUT in the United Kingdom and received his second post-doctorate from MD Anderson in Houston TX. Dr. Mahant is a scientist with over 30 years of experience in immune and molecular diagnostics. He has held executive positions and he is founder/co-founder of diagnostic companies with diverse experiences in Research and Development including Auto Genomics, Medi-Lite and Qualigen. He is the inventor of the “New Generation” ultra-sensitive TSH test for prostate cancer.
Dr. Mahant’s work can be seen all over the world in leading cancer institutions using his cutting edge genetic and diagnostic equipment. He has been on the forefront of the liquid biopsy and circulating tumor cell movement. His passion is to find ways to match tumors with specific drugs that might be off label and to create even better early detection diagnostic tests.
Dr. Phillip S. Kim Ph.D.
Dr. Kim was awarded the human genetics fellowship by the National Institute of Health (NIH) at the Cedar Sinai Medical Center. His research focused on the development of gene-therapy model via hematopoietic-stem cell mediated gene transfer and the development of ‘Geno-dynamics’ system to investigate gene function.
At Prometheus he led oncology and gastroenterology research teams to develop technologies, platforms and services for personalized/ targeted diagnostic applications with prognostic, predictive and monitoring utilities for oncology and autoimmune diseases.
His work included managing planning & execution of technical projects, clinical trials, science and technology communications, research collaborations & KOL (Key Opinion Leader) relationships, and publications.
He is the inventor of the immune pod which is positioned to address critical unmet need in oncology clinic by activating patient’s autologous immune cells specific for individual’s tumor for effective and safe cellular therapy without complex cellular manipulation. Minimally invasive approach using ‘Immuno-Pod’ maximizes tumor specific immune cell activation by exposing otherwise inaccessible tumor in vivo to contiguous ‘synthetic met’ ex vivo seamlessly integrated for each patient.
Dr. Kim’s valuable insight at TAM Center will help guide decisions for precision medicine and specific immune response for all patients.
Michael N. Liebman, Ph.D.
Michael N. Liebman, Ph.D. is the Managing Director of IPQ Analytics, LLC and of Strategic Medicine, Inc, and Strategic Medicine, BV (the Hague, NL) after serving as the Executive Director of the Windber Research Institute from 2003-2007. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at Drexel College of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Drug Discovery at First Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Previously, he was Director, Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center from 2000-2003. He served as Global Head of Computational Genomics at Roche Pharmaceuticals, Director of Bioinformatics and Pharmacogenomics at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and Director of Genomics for Vysis, Inc. He co-founded Prosanos, Inc (now United BioSource) (2000). He was on the faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Pharmacology and Physiology/Biophysics. He serves on 14 scientific advisory boards and is on the Board of Directors and chairs the Science Committee of the Nathaniel Adamczyk Foundation for Pediatric ARDS, and is an Advisor to the American Heart Association Science and Technology Accelerator.
Michael is Chair of the Informatics Program of the PhRMA Foundation, Chair of its new program in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and a PhRMA Scientific Advisory Board member. He is on the Advisory Board of the International Society for Translational Medicine and on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Translational Medicine, for Clinical and Translational Medicine and for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, and the International Park for Translational Biomedicine (Shanghai). He is an Invited Professor at the Shanghai Center for Bioinformatics Technology. His research focuses on computational models of disease progression stressing risk detection, disease process and pathway modeling and analysis of lifestyle interactions and causal biomarker discovery and focuses on moving bedside problems into the research laboratory to improve patient care and quality of life. Recent activities also include computational approaches to disease modeling, patient and disease stratification, drug safety, animal testing reduction, genomic data use in healthcare, and qualitative and quantitative risk assessment in healthcare and the life sciences.
Jocelynn Pearl, Ph.D.
Jocelynn Pearl, Ph.D., is a molecular and cellular biologist with over a decade of experience developing cutting-edge therapies for oncology, CNS, and autoimmune disorders. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington and the Institute for Systems Biology in 2017.
Her dissertation examined systems genomics approaches for understanding transcription factor networks in several neurological disorders. Previously, Dr. Pearl worked on some of the first gene and epigenome editing programs at Sangamo BioSciences (2010-2013).
She engineered epigenome editors to counteract T Cell exhaustion during a postdoctoral fellowship at Altius Institute (2017-2019), and went on to engineer novel CAR T cells at Lyell Immunopharma.
She then worked to advance epigenome engineering towards the clinic at Tune Therapeutics in Seattle, WA, from 2020-2024. Her passion lies in developing next-generation therapies for devastating illnesses for which there is no cure.
Diego Guerena, PhD
Dr. Diego Guerena, PhD, is a powerhouse in the fields of diagnostics and genomics, blending his deep-rooted scientific expertise with a keen sense of entrepreneurship. His journey, spanning the vibrant landscapes of Mexico and the United States, has been marked by groundbreaking contributions that have significantly advanced the integration of translational medicine into clinical practice.
After earning his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the prestigious Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, Diego has been at the helm of various transformative projects. Notably, he spearheaded the development of an accredited biotech lab in Baja, Mexico, producing influential research and commercial outputs that continue to resonate within the scientific community. His strategic move to Mexico City further highlighted his prowess, where he led pivotal diagnostics and biotechnology initiatives for Laboratorios Silanes, a leading name in Mexico’s pharmaceutical sector.
Diego’s tenure at Pathway Genomics Corp, now OME Care, in San Diego, was particularly instrumental, where he undertook the ambitious task of establishing the first sequencing lab in Tijuana. His efforts in setting clinical benchmarks for genetic testing and navigating the complex regulatory landscape underscore his resilience and commitment to innovation. Despite encountering challenges, including a significant building violation that jeopardized the project, Diego’s determination and skillful navigation through adversity were evident as he successfully pivoted towards enhancing consumer-focused clinical genomic studies.
His visionary approach didn’t stop at the borders of the U.S.; Diego expanded his influence across Latin America, forging vital networks and collaborations that leveraged sequencing technologies, clinical certifications, and AI to redefine clinical genomics.
Following the acquisition of Pathway Genomics Diego co-founded LSG Clinicos, establishing state-of-the-art reference laboratories across Mexico that specialize in molecular and clinical chemistry testing.
Diego also channeled his expertise into Purpose Health, LLC, directing groundbreaking work in sequencing the oral microbiome and biomarkers. His 25-year tenure in biotechnology is distinguished by a result-oriented approach, optimizing laboratory functions, adhering to stringent regulatory standards, and leading multidisciplinary teams towards shared goals.of NGS in clinical settings underscores his ongoing commitment to enhancing healthcare through biotechnological advancements.
Diego’s vast experience allows him to be the perfect Director of Translational Services for TAM Center.