1 December 2021

We hear from two students about their inspiring experiences on an advanced therapies intensive course delivered by King’s Health Partners and the University of Pennsylvania. 

King’s Health Partners and the University of Pennsylvania collaborated to deliver a one-week intensive course in summer 2021, providing MD and PhD participants with an overview of advanced therapies.  

In September’s bulletin, we heard from two students who described their experience on the advanced therapies course as a ‘rare opportunity’. In this article, two more students have volunteered to speak with us about their experiences to encourage others to take up the course in future.

The course was led by Dr Emma Meagher, Vice Dean and Chief Clinical Research Officer at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Prof Anne Greenough, Director of Education and Training at King’s Health Partners; and Prof Francesco Dazzi, Vice Dean (International) at King’s College London. Topics included stem cells and regenerative medicine, cell therapies and vaccines, a roadmap to finalising a product, a roadmap to commercialisation, and clinical trial ethics.  

Upon completing the course, participants learnt how to: 

  • Understand the cutting-edge science underpinning advanced therapies. 
  • Become familiar with the complex regulatory landscape for development of cells for medical treatment. 
  • Understand the approaches to the ethical design and implementations of clinical trials.  
  • Appreciate the importance of producing credible business plans for the application of cellular therapies. 

Henry Wood, Haematology Clinical Fellow and PhD Student at King’s College London

Please tell us your title and your research interest(s). 

I am a Haematology Clinical Fellow and PhD student with an interest in immune therapy for acute myeloid leukaemia. My research project title is ‘Cytokine release syndrome and allogeneic anti-CD123 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for acute myeloid leukaemia’.

Can you tell us why you wanted to participate in the Advanced Therapies Intensive Course? 

I expect to complete my PhD and clinical Haematology training within the next two years. I aim to develop a career in translational research and leading clinical trials, with the goal of improving outcomes for haemato-oncology patients, among whom there is such urgent unmet clinical need.

I was excited by the opportunity to learn from the fantastic faculty at these two world leading centres, and to develop relationships with and learn from my peers in the UK and US.  The course content was directly relevant to my interests, both addressing the current state of the field in advanced cellular therapies and how to take new products from the bench to the bedside.

What aspects of the course structure appealed to you? Were there unique elements that you found particularly interesting and/or appealing? 

It was easier to commit to and fully engage with an intensive schedule over the course of one week, rather than multiple short sessions spread out over weeks or months. Building time into the schedule for the preparatory reading allowed this format to work well.  The live transatlantic lectures and group discussions brought the course content alive, and it was a huge bonus to have direct access to senior faculty members.

Do you think that participating in the course has benefited you? If yes, in what way? 

It was inspiring to hear some of the researchers talk about their work, but I think the key benefit of the course was learning how to navigate all the steps between making the exciting discovery in the lab and actually delivering the benefit to patients.  In addition, the chance to make connections in University of Pennsylvania and King’s Health Partners will be valuable when planning the next stage of my career.

What would you say to somebody interested in taking this course in future? 

Go for it!  Not only was the course a great experience in its inaugural format, but the faculty were also clearly keen to use all of the feedback from this year to make it even better next time.

Justin Burrell, Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania

Please tell us your title and your research interests. 

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. My research interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience and tissue engineering where I primarily focus on developing novel technologies designed to one day help patients suffering from devastating neurological conditions, such as nerve or spinal cord injury.

Can you tell us why you wanted to participate in the Advanced Therapies Intensive Course? 

One of my main objectives is to eventually bring novel technologies to the clinic. I was eager to participate in the Advanced Therapies Intensive Course because of the unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field who have successfully translated technologies.

What aspects of the course structure appealed to you? Were there unique elements that you found particularly interesting and/or appealing? 

Throughout the one-week intensive program, I enjoyed the didactic sessions but the best experiences were from working in small groups, quickly coming up with a new technology, and then pitching it to the experts who then provided feedback on feasibility for translation.

Do you think that participating in the course has benefited you? If yes, in what way? 

Yes! In addition to the engaging coursework, we had several opportunities to interact with experts in the field and likeminded colleagues, which has expanded my professional network as well as further my understanding of the challenges associated with translation.

What would you say to somebody interested in taking this course in future? 

I would highly encourage taking this course even if they think they might have some understanding of the translational pathway. Hearing first-hand experience from the experts was especially rewarding. Thank you again to the organisers, speakers, and participants. It was truly a fantastic experience.