Headshot of Caterina Brindicci, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Respiratory & Immunology Late-Stage Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca

I am the Senior Director and Head of Cell Therapy Bioprocess Development and Manufacturing, within the Cell Therapy Department of BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca. In this role, I am responsible for leading on the translational technology and development of high-quality cells for pre-clinical research, to enable the efficient research and development of cell-based therapeutics.

I bring more than 20 years of experience ranging from applied research through to manufacturing and regulatory compliance of stem cell-derived products. My expertise in stem cell biotechnology, standardisation and advanced therapies regulation areas has enabled my participation in several national and international committees where I have supported regulatory compliance and delivery of advanced therapy medicinal products.

I have a degree in Chemical Engineering and earned my Ph.D in Stem Cell Biotechnology from the Technical University of Lisbon. Since then, I have delivered on multiple collaborative projects, both in academia and within the UK Regulator (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), which assured the quality of clinical grade stem cell lines alongside a programme of cell and gene therapy standardisation.

The cell therapy department at AstraZeneca is a centralised hub of highly skilled people working together across disease areas to improve the lives of patients around the world. Each day I am excited to be a part of a team that maximises collaboration to show what science can do.

Elsa Abranches Senior Director, Head of Cell Therapy Bioprocess Development and Manufacturing, BioPharmaceuticals R&D
Headshot of Elsa Abranches, Senior Director, Head of Cell Therapy Bioprocess Development and Manufacturing, BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca

CURRENT ROLE

Senior Director, Head of Cell Therapy Bioprocess Development and Manufacturing, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca

Drafted guidance for the WHO on cell and gene therapies

Contributed to the WHO approach towards the development of a global regulatory framework for cell and gene therapy products

2020: Earned £1.2M grant

Successfully secured grant funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to support the maintenance of the UK public repository of human embryonic stem cell lines

2019: Endorsed by the WHO

Endorsed for the development of the first ATMP flow cytometry reference reagent

2017: Earned £2.1M grant

Successfully secured grant funding from the Medical Research Council to bank clinical grade stem cell lines

Scientific publications

Veeva ID: Z4-52092
Date of preparation: January 2023