On April 19, 2023, Jiangsu Hillgene Biopharma Co.,Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Hillgene) announced the appointment of Dr. Yuan Zhao as its Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Yuan Zhao will be responsible for innovative research and development and the establishment of international standard quality systems, supporting the internationalization of cell therapy for more clients.

Dr. Yuan Zhao

Dr. Yuan Zhao completed her undergraduate and master's degrees at Sun Yat-sen University in China. She pursued her doctoral studies in the United Kingdom, graduating from the University of Manchester with a Ph.D. She subsequently conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford, focusing on advanced therapies, including gene and cell therapy.

Dr. Yuan Zhao has accumulated over 20 years of extensive experience in the research and development of novel therapies, production processes, quality control methods, and clinical and regulatory application processes in the field of cell therapy. She has authored over 30 research papers, supervised doctoral students since 2010, and taught undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Reading and the University of Sheffield in the UK.

Dr. Yuan Zhao previously served as the Director of the Gene Therapy Division at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. She has also held positions as an expert for the British Pharmacopeia, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicine (EDQM), and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Dr. Zhao has been involved in the preparation of more than 30 pharmaceutical regulations and pharmacopoeia for the UK, Europe, and the US, as well as the evaluation of over a hundred clinical trials and new drug applications for various companies.

Dr. Dan Zhang, Co-Chairman of Hillgene, stated, "Hillgene is delighted to welcome Professor Yuan Zhao to our team. Her profound expertise in the field of cell therapy and her international experience are incredibly valuable, and we believe she will make a significant contribution to the development of Hillgene. Dr. Zhao's appointment marks an important milestone for our company. She will guide and support our technical team, drive the establishment and development of our cell therapy CDMO platform, and assist the company in empowering our clients to expedite product registrations and international market access. We look forward to working together with a shared dedication to realizing our noble vision of 'Cell therapy innovation inspired.'"