CAR T: Understanding this Exciting New Therapy

Fiona An, MD, is the Executive Director of US Hematology Medical Disease Lead for Multiple Myeloma. Fiona leads the Multiple Myeloma medical team through key launch activities and myeloma portfolio support, providing leadership and direction to the BMS US medical matrix teams, and supporting collaboration with cross functional partners.

Fiona is an experienced medical leader and has more than 10 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. During her career, Fiona has held US and Global medical roles in Hematology and Oncology as well as in clinical development for Ionis, Seattle Genetics, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. She has led launches in multiple hematologic diseases including MM, ALL, CML and NHL. In addition, she held in the past key leadership roles in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation/Consortium (MMRF/C) in the areas of preclinical research, translational medicine and target identification, protocol development and clinical trial execution.

Fiona obtained her Medical Degree from the Beijing Medical University, and her Masters in Cancer Biology from University of Chicago and MBA from NYU School of Business.

Dan has spent the majority of his life engaged in making the healthcare system more responsive to the needs of patients. Dan holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree with distinction in research from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He recently moved back to Rochester after having spent the last 10 years in Boston as a resident in neurology and as a consultant to biotech, pharma, and industry. Dan has extensive experience in the immuno-oncology space, having also served as the Executive Director, Medical Strategy and Development, for Advaxis Immunotherapies. He is passionate about improving the prevention and treatment of cancer, educating and advocating for patients, and reshaping healthcare to be effective, efficient, and equitable.

Ben Hernandez II is a Lymphoma survivor and advocate from Riverside, California. He enjoys spending time with his family, gardening, and playing video games. His initial diagnosis was Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2019. After 6 cycles of ABVD he did not achieve remission. In late 2019 a biopsy on his chest mass showed DLBCL. The next course of action was ASCT. After salvage chemotherapy did not put him into remission it was decided that CAR T would be the next treatment. In 2020 Ben was admitted to City of Hope to recieve CAR T. The treatment was successful and he has been in remission since June of 2020.

Rachel Saks serves as the Senior Director of Education at Cancer Support Community (CSC). In this role, Rachel collaborates with and supervises the education team to create and implement relevant education and outreach programs to patients, families, and caregivers affected by cancer.

Prior to joining CSC, Rachel served as the Director of Cancer Services at Doylestown Hospital, a community hospital located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. In this role, Rachel led a team of oncology professionals to provide comprehensive treatment, navigation, and assistance to cancer patients and their families. Rachel has spent her entire professional career in healthcare providing support, advocacy, and education to patients while always maintaining a focus on improving access to care. Rachel is passionate about developing screening, prevention, and education opportunities for members in the community to increase awareness, provide early detection, and promote healthy living.

Rachel earned a master’s degree in Social Services from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She holds her license in social work in Pennsylvania.

Mary Katherine Snow is a designer from Raleigh, NC. She was initially diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in May of 2017 at the age of 24. After 2.5 years of chemo, she finished treatment for the first time. Her cancer returned 6 months later - this time also in her spinal fluid. She sought out a humanized CAR-T trial at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2020. She did 2 re-infusions of her CAR-T cells, but despite this, relapsed for a second time in July of 2021. Her fourth and last CAR-T infusion was in preparation for a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, the last infusion of CAR-T cells did not get her into remission before the marrow transplant, but she is still a big proponent of CAR-T cell therapy. Mary Katherine is now nearly a year out from bone marrow transplant.