Events Seminar: High-Efficiency Cell Engineering at UBC Biofactorial

High Efficiency Cell Engineering Seminar

Join us for a lunch and learn hosted by UBC's Biofactorial: High-Throughput Biology and Automation Facility

Monday, October 6, 2025

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

In-person event details

Location:

University of British Columbia
2350 Health Sciences Mall
Rm 1330 in the Life Sciences Institute (LSI)
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada

Join us for “High Efficiency Cell Engineering” Lunch & Learn, hosted by MaxCyte, on Monday, October 6, 2025, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM at the Life Sciences Institute (Room 1330), 2350 Health Sciences Mall.

Enjoy a complimentary lunch while discovering how MaxCyte can help advance your work in cell and gene therapy, cell engineering, and protein production. This hybrid event—available in person and virtually—will feature expert presentations from MaxCyte and guest speakers (to be announced), sharing insights from leading academic and industry research.

This event is hosted in partnership with the UBC Biofactorial: High-Throughput Biology and Automation Facility.

In-person space is limited—reserve your seat today!
If you are unable to attend in-person, register to attend the virtual event.

Speakers

Rachel Bakyayita Kyeyune, MBChB, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Fred Hutch Cancer Center (FHCC)

Rachel Bakyayita Kyeyune is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center (FHCC). She is currently working in the Therapeutics Product Program of the FHCC on CRISPR-mediated gene editing of primary NK cells using electroporation to engineer “off-the-shelf” allogeneic cell therapy products. She previously developed a proof-of-concept in vitro process for minimal manufacturing of LV-modified HSCs, showing promising early results in reducing vector dose while preserving transduction efficiency, with potential applications in scalable gene therapy manufacturing.

Rachel trained as a physician in Uganda and completed her doctoral studies at the University of Munich (LMU), where she earned her PhD in International Health-Medical Research. She has over 15 years of cross-functional experience spanning clinical research implementation, regulatory oversight and global health initiatives. Her work centers on advancing and democratizing innovative therapies for better global health outcomes.

Peter Kim, PhD

Process Development Scientist, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC)

Peter is a process development scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, supporting the development of immunotherapy processes with various gene constructs and immune cells. With his expertise in biomedical technologies and cellular processing, he works on optimizing and developing immunotherapy to help cancer patients. Peter received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington.

Armenuhi Avanesyan

Process Developer III, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC)

Armenuhi Avanesyan is currently a Process Developer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where she works on CAR-T, TCR, and B cell therapies. She has led scale-up studies, technology transfers, and contributed to more than 10+ CMC submissions. Her expertise spans viral and non-viral platforms including lentivirus, piggyBac transposons, and CRISPR, with a focus on developing robust, scalable processes to improve transduction efficiency, cell expansion, and product quality.

Struan Bourke, PhD

Field Applications Scientist, MaxCyte, Inc.

Struan Bourke is currently a Field Application Scientist at MaxCyte supporting customers across the Pacific Northwest with cell and gene therapy and protein production solutions from early R&D through GMP manufacturing. He previously worked as a Senior Scientist at IndeeLabs, where he developed multiplex CRISPR editing in T-cells and optimized AAV vector production for immunotherapy applications. Prior to that, he was a Senior Scientist at CellFE Biotech collaborating with BMS to improve CRISPR knock-in efficiency in T-cells, and a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCSF where he engineered modular fluorescent barcoding and advanced CRISPR knock-in systems for drug discovery. Struan conducted his doctoral studies at King’s College London, where he received a PhD in Biophysics and Nanotechnology.

Angel Galarza

Business Development Manager, MaxCyte, Inc.

Angel Galarza is the Business Development Manager for MaxCyte's Northwest region. Angel received his degree from UC Santa Cruz in Biology; his research explored the mitochondrial densities in northern elephant seals. Angel is a proven partner in supporting organizations in both academic and industry settings from research to commercialization, connecting scientists, manufacturing, and regulatory professionals to achieve their goals.