Clinical Cell Therapy Leadership Training Program

Application for the 2023 training course is now closed.

Congratulations to the 2023 ISCT-ASTCT Selected Scholars. See you in Philadelphia!

ABOUT THE COURSE

The Clinical Cell Therapy Leadership Training Program is an application-based, ISCT-ASTCT sponsored full-tuition scholarship program designed by global Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) experts to train and develop future CGT leaders. This five-day, in-person course is hosted once every two years at one of the CGT Centers of Excellence worldwide.

This course combines lectures, discussions, mentoring, and networking sessions led by global elite CGT experts to teach scholars the latest knowledge on pre-clinical development, IND development, study-design, cell manufacturing, QA, regulatory affairs, funding, and commercialization. The multi-faceted training approach allows scholars to present and refine their projects by applying the learnings from the sessions and mentors.

COURSE CONTENT
  • An initial proposal for a cellular therapy product or trial is to be presented by the scholar at the beginning of the course, refined further in small group discussions with faculty, and finally presented at the end of the course.
  • Didactic lectures.
  • Visits to GMP facilities for cell products.
  • Breakout sessions on select topics with case-based examples.
  • Informal discussions and networking with Faculty on career development and mentorship.
COURSE TOPICS
  • Clinical Trial Design & Conduct
  • Pre-Clinical Development
  • Study Design, Conduct and Analysis
  • IND Development
  • Manufacturing Best Practices
  • Release Testing Procedures
  • Quality Systems & Regulatory
  • Correlatives Studies
  • Team Science & Research Ethics
  • Routes to Commercialization
  • Funding Sources
  • Career Development

UPCOMING COURSE DATES
  • October 23–October 27, 2023, in-person at Penn Medicine, UPenn, USA
    (Application is now closed)

DESIGNED FOR:
  • Fellow-in-Training or Junior Faculty members working in BMT and CGT fields
 
STRUCTURE:
  • Five-day course, conducted in-person at Penn Medicine, UPenn, USA

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must:

  • Maintain an active ISCT or ASTCT membership
  • Hold a Fellow-in-Training or a Junior Faculty position (two years or less teaching in BMT and Cellular Therapy field)

Previously unselected applicants are eligible and encouraged to apply for the current course.

CONTACT US

If you need help with registration or have questions, please contact us.

INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN THE SECTOR?

Become a Clinical Cell Therapy Leadership Training Program sponsor and help provide full tuition scholarships for the next generation of clinical translational experts in cell and gene therapy.


WHY SUPPORT THE CLINICAL CELL THERAPY LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM?
  • Showcase your organization as a solution provider in the CGT product development pipeline.
  • Network and create lasting relationships with current and future leaders in CGT.
  • Increase visibility and maximize brand awareness with a relevant and targeted audience.
  • Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility by participating in a critical program that addresses the workforce development crisis.


CLINICAL CELL THERAPY LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM PLANNING FACULTY




Co-Chair

Bruce Levine, PhD
Barbara and Edward Netter Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, USA


Co-Chair
Marcela Maus, MD, PhD
Director, Cellular Immunotherapy Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, USA




Andrew Fesnak, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Perelman School of Medicine
Director, Cell Manufacturing and Development, CVPF
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, USA







Emily Hopewell, PhD
Assistant Professor
Director Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing
Indiana University
Indianapolis, IN, USA




Olalekan Oluwole, MBBS, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine Hematology/ Oncology
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN, USA




Nirali Shah, MD
NIH Distinguished Scholar
Head of the Hematological Malignancies Section
Pediatric Oncology Branch
National Cancer Institute
Bethesda, MD, USA


FEATURED PAST SCHOLARS - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?




2017 Scholar
Daniel Dever, PhD
Co-Founder & Head of Discovery Research,
Graphite Bio,
United States



“The CTTC course offered a mountain top overview of how to translate discoveries in the laboratories to commercialized cell and gene therapy personalized drug products. Clearly, it takes a village with high-level communication to synchronize and move forward translational products. The CTTC course described every facet of this" village" and how to streamline it.

They covered everything from cell manufacturing to clinical trial design to regulatory affairs and to even the logistics of delivering the drug product to the hospital for infusion. In particular, my favorite aspect of the course was listening to world cell and gene therapy experts (with greater than 75 years of experience combined), like Bruce Levine, David DiGiusto and Stanley Riddell, describe their trials and tribulations over many years of hard work and dedication with the ultimate focus of developing a new drug to benefit patients with unmet medical needs.

This type of knowledge is highly motivating and more importantly, is invaluable for me and the next generation of cell and gene therapy leaders. I highly recommend this course for medical professionals who are interested in a career of cell and gene therapy!”





2017 Scholar

Anton Terwisscha van Scheltinga, PhD
Director, QA Operations,
Bristol Myers Squibb,
Netherlands



2015 Scholar
Mireya Paulina Velasquez, MD
PI of Velasquez Lab,
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,
United States




2017 Scholar
Zlatibor Velickovic, PhD
Facility Director, Cell and Tissue Therapies WA,
Royal Perth Hospital,
Australia
CELL THERAPY TRAINING COURSE ARCHIVE


CTTC 2019 Philadelphia, PA, USA

CTTC 2017 Seattle, WA, USA

CTTC 2015 Houston, TX, USA

Visit Archive of Past Courses & Scholars