Moderated by:

Karen Doucette, Senior Director of CGT Project Management at Pharmaron

Karen Doucette has over 20 years of experience with biopharmaceutical CROs and CDMOs, spanning preclinical and clinical research, development, and manufacturing. With a strong focus on technical project management and business operations, Karen has been instrumental in collaboratively driving the expansion of CGT service portfolios and aligning research innovation with industry needs. She successfully led the potency assay validation program for the first FDA-approved AAV gene therapy product and has supported numerous IND-enabling and clinical programs in the advanced therapy space. In her current role as Senior Director of CGT Project Management at Pharmaron US Lab Services, Karen leads a team responsible for managing integrated development programs for cell and gene therapies to meet sponsor and regulatory requirements.

Karen received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Delaware and completed her MBA at Goldey-Beacom College.

Kathrin Meyer, Ph.D. – Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research & Development at Alcyone Therapeutics

Kathrin Meyer, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research & Development at Alcyone Therapeutics, where she leads the development of precision genetic therapies for neurological disorders. She earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and completed her postdoctoral training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Meyer has pioneered intrathecal gene therapy programs for diseases such as SMA, Batten Disease, and Rett Syndrome. She is also a co-inventor of Alcyone’s miREX? platform, advancing innovative RNA-based therapeutic approaches.

• Title of the Talk – Preclinical development of XGR-101, an innovative novel therapeutic for the treatment of Rett Syndrome

Gregg Johannes, Ph.D. – Associate Director of Cell and Gene Therapy at Pharmaron Exton Lab Services at Pharmaron

Gregg Johannes, Ph.D.  is the Associate Director of Cell and Gene Therapy at Pharmaron Exton Lab Services (PLSE), where he leads a team supporting viral shedding and biodistribution studies using qPCR and ddPCR platforms. He earned his graduate degree from the University of South Carolina and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado and Stanford University. Previously, he served as Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded research lab and as Technical Director of a CLIA- and CAP-accredited molecular diagnostics lab at Drexel University College of Medicine. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

• Title of the Talk – Biodistribution Method Development for XGR-101 Using Quantitative PCR