Rachael Nimmo Email & Phone Number

I am a passionate and innovative leader focused on developing the next-generation of immunotherapies. Adept at building diverse, high-functioning teams through inclusion, trust and empowerment. Motivated to improve outcomes for patients through translation of innovative research projects aimed at improving immune cell therapies. I am known for my excellent critical thinking skills and deep scientific understanding, but I also have a strong focus on people and developing effective teams - few things give me greater joy than seeing my team flourishing and functioning independently of me.Recently, my research has focused on developing an in vivo CAR T platform using retargeted lentiviral vectors to specifically and efficiently deliver genetic payloads including chimeric antigen receptors to specific immune cells, in situ within the body. In addition, I led exciting synthetic biology collaborations aimed at harnessing the power of pooled screening approaches to identify cell-specific promoters and transgenic modulators of CAR T cell phenotype and function. I am a keen collaborator and believe that working in partnership with others with complementary expertise is the optimum recipe for success. I have led research teams in both academic and biotech environments and have over 10 years experience in cancer research, with the last 5 years focused on gene and cell therapy drug development. Before that my PhD and early postdoctoral work was focused on stem cells and the regulatory networks controlling stem cell fate during development and homeostasis. This led me to investigate how these networks are dysregulated in cancer development and ultimately to developing drugs aimed at curing cancer. It feels fitting that the lentiviral vectors that I previously used in my research to understand stem cell and cancer biology are now the basis for delivering the gene therapies we are using to combat cancer. I have a strong motivation to want to improve and extend patient’s lives through the drugs I develop, but in addition I am a strong believer that we need to make drugs that are as equitable and inclusive as possible to democratise access to these life-changing therapies.