G-Rex Grant Tour RALEIGH -

G-Rex® Grant Tour

Supporting the Emily Whitehead Foundation

RALEIGH

Location

Apella by Alexandria (Research Triangle)
12 Davis Drive, Durham, NC 27713

Date

Thursday, July 23rd (7/23)
10AM – 7PM EST

Event Agenda

Check Sessions & Speakers

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G-Rex Grant Tour Raleigh

Hear from leaders bringing hope to patients through advanced cell & gene therapies

Tony Newberne, cancer survivor, patient advocate, founder of Changing Lives Fitness, and health equity leader

Meet Mr. Tony Newberne

Tony Newberne is a cancer survivor, nationally recognized patient advocate, and founder of Changing Lives Fitness based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He’s affiliated with Blood Cancer United (North Carolina State Advocacy Leader), the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) NC State Lead, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC), the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), ASH Research Collaborative Team, Dr. Matthew LeBlanc, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing in a community advisory capacity, and Atrium Health’s iREACH program. Tony uses his voice to champion equitable access to care, patient navigation, and policies that improve outcomes for those living with cancer.Drawing from his lived experience, Tony brings a powerful, real world perspective to conversations across healthcare, collaborating with organizations, and industry leaders to ensure the patient voice is not only heard, but valued. He has spoken on national stages and Capitol Hill, advocating for research funding, access to innovative treatments, and the critical role of patient centered care.Professionally, Tony empowers others through health and wellness as a personal trainer and dietary manager, helping individuals reclaim their strength, physically and mentally. Whether in the gym or on stage, his mission remains the same: to inspire, uplift, and drive meaningful change in the lives of patients and communities.
Sharon King, rare disease advocate, co-founder of Taylor’s Tale, Chief Operating Officer of the National MPS Society, and patient-centered care leader

Meet Ms. Sharon King

Sharon King is a dedicated rare disease advocate with more than 20 years of experience in public service, advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration. She has brought together public officials, researchers, industry leaders, and patient advocates to advance treatment development and public policy for rare disease communities. She co-founded Taylor’s Tale, a grassroots organization dedicated to CLN1 disease awareness, research, and support for rare disease patients and families. She previously served as Senior Lead of Advocacy at Aldevron and currently serves on the North Carolina Rare Disease Advisory Council, the Emily Whitehead Foundation Board of Directors as Program Chair, and as a Patient Ambassador for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Now serving as Chief Operating Officer of the National MPS Society, Sharon is focused on strengthening operations, building strategic partnerships, and advancing initiatives that support individuals and families impacted by MPS and ML. Her work is deeply informed by her personal experience as a caregiver and her commitment to patient-centered, comprehensive care.
Dr. Barbara Solvoldo

Meet Dr. Barbara Savoldo

Barbara Savoldo, MD, PhD, is the Champion Mitchell Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and the Assistant Director of the Immunotherapy Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a renowned pediatric hematologist-oncologist, she specializes in developing advanced cell-based therapies to treat blood cancers and solid tumors. Dr. Savoldo completed her medical degree and hematology fellowship at the University of Parma in Italy. She later moved to the United States, conducting influential post-doctoral translational research at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Her landmark research focuses on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and gene modification. She re-engineers patient T-cells to identify and destroy malignancies like leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma. Notably, her work includes developing genetic "off switches" to maximize treatment safety. She bridges complex laboratory engineering with clinical trials, pioneering safer, more accessible immunotherapies.
Dr. John Powderly II, Founder and President of Carolina BioOncology Institute (CBOI) and BioCytics Human Applications Lab, with over 150 publications and 12 FDA-approved immunotherapy cancer drugs from CBOI's clinical trials

Meet Dr. John Powderly, II

Founder and President at Carolina BioOncology Institute and BioCytics Human Applications Lab Dr. Powderly graduated from George Mason University in 1991, then Georgetown School of Medicine in 1995, with an internship at the National Cancer Institute, Surgical Branch, Immunotherapy Service. He completed a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at Houston Health Science Center in 1999 followed by a faculty position at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He then completed an Oncology Fellowship at UNC in 2002 focusing on immunotherapy research. Dr. Powderly’s early phase immunotherapy research has led to > 150 publications (referenced by 35,000 citations) including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Immunotherapy, Nature, Clinical Cancer Research, Clinical Chemistry, Investigational New Drugs, and Science Translational Medicine. In 2005, he founded Carolina BioOncology Institute (CBOI) and BioCytics Human Applications Lab (B-HAL), a community-based research clinic & research lab in Huntersville North Carolina as the only independent phase I cancer center with a clean room facility for GMP cellular manufacturing at the point of care. CBOI has opened > 180 early phase clinical trials which led to 12 FDA commercially approved immunotherapy cancer drugs. CBOI serves as a Southeast regional referral hub for phase 1 clinical trial access. BioCytics serves as a nationally recognized translational lab for pre-IND enabling research focused on circulating tumor cells, cellular immunotherapy process development, device proto-type optimization, validation and upscaling for autologous cell therapy applications. Dr. Powderly’s vision for CBOI & BioCytics are to bring individualized (“bespoke”) regenerative medicines to community-based clinical trial networks with point of care manufacturing at regional human application labs.
Bruce Thompson, President and Chief Technology Officer with expertise in cell therapy manufacturing, CMC strategy and GMP operations

Meet Dr. Bruce Thompson

Bruce Thompson brings more than 25 years of experience to his position as President and Chief Technology Officer. Bruce is the Founding CEO of Kincell where he built the technical and operations team and launched Kincell’s tech-savvy CDMO offerings in the marketplace. Prior to his role with Kincell, Bruce was Vice President and Technical Lead for the Cell Therapy Franchise at Resilience, Inc., where he helped to build the development and GMP manufacturing capabilities and served as a technical advisor. Bruce has over 20 years of CMC strategy, product development and cell therapy manufacturing experience. As Vice President of Process Sciences at Lyell Immunopharma, he was responsible for Process and Analytical Development, as well as tech transfer of processes and methods to a newly built state-of-the-art cGMP facility. Before Lyell, Bruce served as the Sr. Director of the Therapeutic Products Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), where he led GMP manufacturing of cell and gene therapy products. He supported more than 15 active clinical programs and contributed to the filing of 6 INDs for various cell therapy programs. Bruce also spent nearly 10 years at Pfizer in the Pharmaceutical Sciences division where he gained expertise in analytical and process development. Bruce received his B.A. in Biology, an M.S. in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Louisville.
Ms. Pamela Noldner, Lead of the Cell Therapy Process Development team at the Marcus Center for Cellular Cures (MC3) at Duke University School of Medicine, working across MSCs, TILs, CAR T, gamma delta T cells, macrophages, and NK cells

Meet Ms. Pamela Noldner

Pamela Noldner leads the Cell Therapy Process Development team at the Marcus Center for Cellular Cures (MC3) at the Duke School of Medicine. In this role, she oversees the development, optimization, and scaleup of GMPcompliant manufacturing processes for both allogeneic and autologous cellbased therapies.Over the past ten years, her work has covered the process development from initial cell sourcing through final formulation and cryopreservation. She has helped build and implement closedsystem and automated workflows, including largescale bioreactor approaches, and has supported product characterization through ELISAs and the development of potency assays. Her team works across multiple cell types, including MSCs, TILs, CAR T cells, γδ T cells, macrophages, and NK cells, drawing on extensive experience with cordblood–derived cultures.Pamela has designed and authored IND amendment studies, authored GMP documentation such as SOPs and batch records, and led technical transfers to manufacturing and quality control groups. She also manages collaborations with academic labs and biotechnology partners.

Meet Dr. Shikhar Mehrotra​

Shikhar Mehrotra leads the immunotherapy research program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where he holds an endowed chair in Hematology/Oncology and serves as Chair of the Department of Pharmacology & Immunology. He earned his BS in Chemistry and Biological Sciences and his MS in Microbiology from Avadh University in India, followed by a PhD in Immunology from the Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and postdoctoral training in Tumor Immunology at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Over the past two decades, his work has spanned the discovery of key immunometabolic pathways — including the CD38-NAD+ axis and antioxidant regulation of T cell memory — through translational application in adoptive cell therapy. His team works across multiple T cell platforms, including CAR T cells, TILs, and Th17-programmed cells, and has secured FDA approval for a Phase I clinical trial in NHL and CLL. Dr. Mehrotra has authored numerous high-impact publications and holds multiple U.S. patents in cancer immunotherapy.
Dr. Richard D. Lopez, Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University and Founder/CEO of PhosphoGam, developing a proprietary 80,000x expansion platform for gamma/delta T-cell off-the-shelf allogeneic therapies

Meet Dr. Richard D. Lopez

Dr. Richard D. Lopez is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University and a physician-scientist specializing in hematologic malignancies and cellular therapy. After earning his medical degree and completing his fellowship at Stanford University, he focused his research on the clinical expansion of gamma/delta T-cells, a rare but potent subset of the immune system. As the Founder and CEO of PhosphoGam, Dr. Lopez transitioned his laboratory discoveries into a proprietary manufacturing platform. His technology enables an 80,000x expansion of T-cells, addressing the historical challenges of scalability and high production costs in immunotherapy. His work facilitates the development of "off-the-shelf" allogeneic therapies designed to be more accessible and safer for patients by eliminating the need for traditional viral vectors. Dr. Lopez’s career is defined by bridging the gap between academic research and commercial biotechnology. His current efforts at PhosphoGam focus on providing scalable, cost-effective cell therapies for both liquid and solid tumors, aiming to shift the standard of care toward mass-producible immunotherapy.
Dr. Christopher Doering, Chief Scientific Officer at Expression Therapeutics and Corami Biotech, and Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University within the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Meet Dr. Christopher Doering

Dr. Doering is the Chief Scientific Officer at Expression Therapeutics Inc and Corami Biotech Inc as well as Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University within the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center where he has led teams focused on the development and translation of cell and gene therapy technologies for over 20 years. His efforts have been highlighted in leading journals such as Nature Biotechnology and New England Journal of Medicine. He is an inventor of numerous patents for enhanced therapeutic proteins, transgenes, vectors, and delivery approaches, as well as their methods of use in cell and gene therapy. Several of these technologies have advanced into clinical development.
Dr. Conejo-Garcia, Duke University immunology professor and immuno-oncology researcher focused on ovarian cancer immunotherapy

Meet Dr. Conejo-Garcia

Dr. Conejo-Garcia is a professor of Immunology at Duke University School of Medicine and co-leader of the Immuno-Oncology Program at the Duke Cancer Institute. His research program focuses on investigating antitumor immunity to develop immunotherapies that reverse the prognosis of patients with advanced ovarian cancer and other malignancies. Dr. Conejo-Garcia pursued his medical degree, PhD, and clinical residency in Spain. He then worked as a researcher in Bern (Switzerland) and Hannover (Germany), before joining George Coukos' team at the University of Pennsylvania, contributing to the discovery of the role of T cell responses in ovarian cancer. He then joined the faculty of Dartmouth College, before returning to the UPenn campus to lead the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program at The Wistar Institute. In 2016 he was recruited by Moffitt Cancer Center, to chair the Department of Immunology. He was later recruited as a Duke Science and Technology Scholar at Duke University, to develop anti-cancer immunotherapies in collaboration with physician-scientists in the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at Duke. His current research focuses on developing immunotherapies that target the interface between innate (γδ) and adaptive (αβ) T and B lymphocytes, including the clinical testing of novel cellular therapies, and novel tumor cell-penetrating antibodies.

Global Resources, Raleigh Innovation.

Join the coalition accelerating patient cures right here in Raleigh.
Inspiring Patient & Caregiver Stories

Hear firsthand from cancer survivor Tony Newberne and advocacy leader Sharon King as they share powerful insights into the patient experience.

Breakthroughs in TIL Therapy for Solid Tumors

Join researchers from Duke University and the Medical University of South Carolina to explore how adoptive TIL therapy is bringing new hope to solid tumor cancer patients.

Innovations in Allogeneic T-Cell Therapy

Connect with leaders from the Moffitt Cancer Center, Duke, and Expression Therapeutics as they discuss the next generation of off-the-shelf cellular immunotherapies.

Event Sponsors
Biolife Solutions logo — sponsor of the G-REX Grant Tour
Wilson Wolf — sponsor of the G-REX Grant Tour
Vector BioMed logo
r&dsystems
Thermo Fisher
logo-maxcyte
Event Essentials

Prepare for a full day of innovation, networking, and impact.

G-Rex Grant Tour

If you're building the future of cell therapy - this is your place

Interested in Sponsoring?

Are you a provider of tools, technology, or services used in research, development, or manufacturing of cell and gene therapies?
Does your innovation pair nicely with G-Rex?
If yes, please consider sponsoring one, some, or all of the G-Rex Grant Tour events.  Your sponsorship is a tax deductible donation to the Emily Whitehead Foundation.

SPONSORSHIP PROSPECTUS

G-Rex Grant Tour Raleigh

G-Rex Grant Tour
JUL 23
Thursday, July 23, 2026 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM EDT
Apella by Alexandria Raleigh (RTP), NC
Registration

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