Strengthening Professional and Translational Capacity for CGTs in Latin America

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are rapidly transitioning from experimental concepts to clinical reality worldwide, and Latin America is playing an increasingly important role in this transformation. However, the successful implementation of CGT programs in the region depends not only on technological innovation, but also on the development of highly trained multidisciplinary teams capable of supporting complex translational and clinical infrastructures. This ISCT webinar will discuss practical and scalable strategies for building professional and institutional capacity for CGTs across Latin America. Through real-world examples from academic CAR-T and mesenchymal cell/MSC-EV programs, speakers will highlight the competencies required throughout the CGT pipeline, including preclinical research, GMP manufacturing, quality systems, clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and translational coordination. The session will also address key regional challenges such as workforce retention, regulatory heterogeneity, limited infrastructure, and sustainable program development. Participants will gain insights into successful training initiatives, collaborative networks, and partnership models that can accelerate the growth of safe, accessible, and sustainable CGT programs across Latin America.

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KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Examine the critical competencies, infrastructure requirements, and multidisciplinary workforce models needed to establish and sustain cell and gene therapy programs in Latin America.
  • Explore practical and scalable strategies for training, capacity building, institutional partnerships, and translational workforce development across the CGT value chain.
  • Compare different implementation models and real-world experiences from academic and translational CGT programs, including CAR-T and MSC/MSC-EV platforms, within diverse healthcare and regulatory environments in Latin America.
 WEBINAR CHAIRS

Virginia Picanço-Castro, PhD, MSc
Regional VP-Elect, ISCT SCA Regional Executive Committee
Coordinator of the Biotechnology Laboratory and Researcher 
Ribeirão Preto Blood Center
Brazil

Dr. Virginia Picanço e Castro is a prominent researcher at the Regional Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto in Brazil, where she focuses on pluripotent stem cells and cell reprogramming. After earning her degree in Biological Sciences from the University of São Paulo, Dr. Picanço e Castro pursued a PhD in Genetics at the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at both the Regional Blood Center and Indiana University. Her research explores the complex pathways involved in cell reprogramming, specifically aiming to generate pluripotent stem cells from human somatic cells. She also investigates the molecular mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of hematopoietic and pluripotent stem cells, with the ultimate goal of developing effective in vitro differentiation protocols. Dr. Picanço e Castro’s work aims to create a comprehensive database of genomic proto-proteins involved in hematopoietic differentiation, which could lead to new gene overexpression techniques that enhance cell differentiation and reprogram fibroblasts into adult blood cells. Her research is highly relevant to Brazil's burgeoning biotechnology sector, with the potential to offer safer and more efficient stem cell-based therapies. She collaborates with leading national and international researchers and guides a team of students at the Biotechnology Laboratory Group, contributing to significant advancements in regenerative medicine and therapeutic innovation. 

Tatiana Maron Gutierrez, PhD, MSc
Regional Secretary, SCA Regional Executive Committee
Senior Researcher
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC)/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
Brazil

Dr. Tatiana Maron Gutierrez holds a degree in Medical Biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ, 2007) and earned her master’s and PhD in Biological Sciences (with a focus on Physiology) from the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics (IBCCF), UFRJ (2009, 2013). During her PhD, she completed a research internship at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada (2010-2011). She is an affiliated member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and she is a FAPERJ “Young Scientist of Our State” grantee. In 2019, she received the II Young Researcher Award in Sepsis from the Institut Mérieux and the Latin American Sepsis Institute. She coordinates the Neuroinfections Network at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute and is the Chair of the Animal Ethics Committee at the same institution. Additionally, she is a permanent faculty member of the Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology at IOC, vice-coordinator of the IOC Summer Courses, Chair of the South and Central America (SCA) Regional Early-Stage Professionals (ESP) Subcommittee, and SCA Regional Secretary of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy. She is also a member of the Research Integrity Committee at Fiocruz. She serves as a reviewer for international journals and has experience in teaching and research on cell therapy, with a focus on inflammation and stem cell therapy for infectious diseases affecting the central nervous system. Her main research interests include mesenchymal stem cells, extracellular vesicles, neuroinflammation, cognition, sepsis, and malaria.

 WEBINAR SPEAKERS

Amanda Mizukami Martins, PhD
Cell Therapy Manufacturing Manager
Blood center of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo
Brazil

Dr. Amanda Mizukami Martins holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry (2009) with a technological emphasis and a master’s degree in biotechnology (2009-2011) from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar). She obtained her PhD in sciences from the University of São Paulo (USP, 2012-2016), including a research exchange period at University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal, 2014) and, in 2016, she completed an internship at the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering at University College London (UCL). She subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP, 2017-2020), and at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital (USA, 2019). She has experience in animal cell culture technology, bioprocess development for stem cell expansion, CAR-T cell therapy, and aseptic manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. Currently, she leads CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing activities under GMP conditions, ensuring sterility, traceability, and full compliance throughout the process, while managing a team of 17 technicians. She is also responsible for coordinating technology transfer and supporting clinical batch production for early-phase studies. 

Bruno Solano, MD, PhD
Senior Researcher
D'Or Institute for Research and Education
Brazil

Dr. Bruno Solano holds a medical degree from the Federal University of Bahia (2009), a master’s in Biotechnology in Health and Investigative Medicine from Fiocruz (2012), and a PhD in Human Pathology from the Federal University of Bahia (2016). Additionally, he completed an MBA in Health Management at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (2017). As part of his academic trajectory, he served as a visiting researcher at the Neuroimmunology Laboratory of the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy (2010–2011), and at the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley (2023). Currently, he is a Public Health Researcher at the Gonçalo Moniz Institute (Fiocruz-BA) and the D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR). He also serves as the Medical Coordinator and Technical Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Cell Therapy at São Rafael Hospital. His professional contributions include serving in leadership roles within the Brazilian Association of Cell Therapy, acting as First Secretary (2018–2021) and Treasurer (2022–2023). His research focuses on clinical and translational projects in cell therapy, regenerative medicine, gene editing, CRISPR/Cas9, and biomarker development, contributing to advancements in these cutting-edge fields.