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Atara Biotherapeutics Announces Appointment of Cell & Gene Therapy Expert Maria Grazia Roncarolo, MD to Board of Directors
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a pioneer in T-cell immunotherapy leveraging its novel allogeneic
About this update from Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":" SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nAtara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a pioneer in T-cell immunotherapy leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with severe diseases including solid tumors, hematologic cancers and autoimmune diseases, today announced the appointment of immunology and cell & gene therapy expert Maria Grazia Roncarolo, MD, to the Board of Directors.\n\n\nDr. Roncarolo is the George D. Smith Professor in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Director of the Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine, and Co-Director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University.\n\n\nIn 2014, Dr. Roncarolo established the Stanford Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine. The center, which is dedicated to the development of innovative stem cell and gene therapies for patients with currently incurable diseases, spans a wide range of bench and clinical research activities from basic biology through translational research and features its own GMP cell processing and Phase 1 study units.\n\n\n“I am thrilled to have one of the world’s leading experts in immunology and T cells, Dr. Roncarolo, bringing to our Board her experience and strategic vision in cell therapy and gene editing as well as her passion for transformative immunotherapies,” said Pascal Touchon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atara. “She has dedicated her life to caring for patients with severe immunological and hematological diseases and has an impressive record in translating scientific discoveries in cell and gene therapy into novel treatments which aligns very well with Atara’s mission.”\n\n\nDr. Roncarolo has served as the primary investigator in several landmark trials involving the development of innovative stem cell- and gene-based therapies. She worked at DNAX Research Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology in Palo Alto for several years, where she contributed to the discovery of novel cytokines, cell-signaling molecules that are part of the immune response. She studied the role of these cytokines in inducing immunological tolerance and in promoting stem cell growth and differentiation. As Director of the Telethon Institute for Cell and Gene Therapy and the San Raffaele Scientific Ins...