Discussion: Transitioning from an Academic Medicine Position to Heading a Business in the Podcast Format

In the dynamic world of medical research, two names stand out - Katherine High and Mitchell Schnall.

Katherine High, a renowned gene therapy pioneer, has made significant strides in the field. She served as a co-founder of Spark Therapeutics, which was later acquired by Roche in 2019 for $4.8 billion. High's work focused on bench-to-bedside studies of adenoassociated viral (AAV) vector gene therapies for hemophilia and blindness.

High's journey, however, was not without challenges. She expressed some trepidation about transitioning from the protective environment of the university to a company. Her concerns about putting her technology into a company not exclusively focused on gene therapy were addressed by regulatory approval and investments in gene therapy increasing after support from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

High's collaboration with a biotech company led to the production of clinical-grade AAV vector necessary for her hemophilia programs. This collaboration was instrumental in overcoming the hurdles she faced.

Mitchell Schnall, on the other hand, has been at the helm of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group since its founding in 2012. He currently serves as the group co-chair and is also the chair of the department of radiology and the Eugene P. Pendergrass Professor of Radiology at the Perelman School of Medicine.

High's work has not gone unnoticed. She has served a five-year term on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Advisory Committee on Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapies and is a past president of the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy. She has also been a visiting professor and board member for other companies.

Saurabh Jha, an associate professor of radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses these groundbreaking advancements in gene therapy in an episode of Keeping Up With the Radiologists. This series is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, High shares her experiences, including her initial concerns about transitioning her technology to a company and the challenges she faced due to high-profile gene therapy adverse events that caused a broad retrenchment in the field. Yet, she persevered, and her work continues to make a significant impact in the field of gene therapy.

This episode of Keeping Up With the Radiologists is brought to you by AuntMinnie.com in collaboration with Penn Radiology. Tune in to learn more about the fascinating world of gene therapy and the pioneers like Katherine High and Mitchell Schnall who are shaping its future.

Discussion: Transitioning from an Academic Medicine Position to Heading a Business in the Podcast Format