Breaking Boundaries: Stories from Asian and Pacific Islander Trailblazers in Science and Tech

About the Speakers

Lesley Chan is Senior Director, CMC lead of Sickle Cell Disease Program at bluebird bio. She received degrees focusing on bioengineering from the University of Toronto and National University of Singapore, and most recently, a degree focusing on Engineering Management from Tufts University. In her career, she’s been focused on developing commercially viable and efficient manufacturing processes in the field of regenerative medicine and gene therapy. Beginning with hands-on lab work, and more recently, in team and project leadership positions to deliver next-generation processes and to bring potentially transformative therapies to patients in the clinic.

Ann Lee, PhD, is the Chief Technical Officer of Prime Medicine. Ann is an accomplished biotech executive with 35 years of biopharma and biotech experiences across multiple modalities of vaccines, biologics, small molecules cell therapy development and gene editing CMC development and manufacturing. She has a passion for helping patients, innovating new technologies, and developing employees. Over the course of her career, she has contributed to the licensure and commercialization of 25 new vaccines and medicines, with the most recent being two CAR T cell therapies. Ann previously worked at BMS, which acquired Celgene and Juno Therapeutics. Ann joined Juno Therapeutics in 2017 as Executive VP of Technical Operations to work in the new field of cell and gene therapy. She built the global Cell Therapy Development and Operations organization to more than 2000 employees responsible for developing new manufacturing processes and technologies, manufacturing, quality assurance, designing new facilities, and creating the global supply chain network and digital systems to deliver these autologous products. Read more here.

Nivedita Panch, an Indian-born scientist, holds a background in engineering in biotechnology and a master's degree in Neuroscience. Her research career began with a focus on metabolism and behavior, transitioning into oncology with a specialization in Cowden syndrome. Now, as the Site Manager of the Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab at Harvard Medical School, she oversees operations, leveraging her expertise to foster innovation and collaboration.

Crystal Shih Byers is a second-generation Taiwanese American, born in Wisconsin, and raised in Michigan.  Crystal was raised by somewhat open-minded parents who started more Taiwanese and ended up more Taiwanese-American. This was challenging, as she was constantly revising what it meant to be Taiwanese American, pitting her family’s shifting feedback against her daily experience. Crystal started out shy. In math and science, Crystal found the vocabulary and prowess to gain confidence. In the learning process, she found a constant source of dopamine.  Her drive to keep learning guides her decision-making today. It gives her unlimited chances to learn and to connect with others. Crystal brings an amiable, scientifically-informed beginner’s mindset to every new pivot she navigates and she constantly seeks change and new environments to keep growing. Read more here. 

Ponsi Trivisvavet is CEO & Director of Inari, the SEEDesignTM company using predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to unlock the full potential of seed. Her broad management expertise in global agriculture helps Ponsi to lead Inari closer to achieving its mission of helping to build a more sustainable global food system in the face of climate change. Prior to joining Inari, she held several leadership roles including president of North America Seeds with Syngenta after earning her MBA from Cornell University and working with McKinsey & Company.

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