Innovation is our lifeblood.
cTRL is founded and led by an exceptional team of industry and immunotherapy experts with deep knowledge of the adaptive immune system, immuno-oncology, biomedical engineering, and cell therapy research and development.
Our Team
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Expert in life sciences technology development and translation, authoring over 185 publications and inventor on over 50 patents
President of the Chicago Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network
Serves as the Neena B. Schwartz Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University, where she leads an active research program aiming to develop new analytical technologies for combatting disease
Founded three life sciences startups (GeneOhm Sciences, acquired by Becton Dickinson; Xagenic, acquired by General Atomics; and Arma Biosciences)
Recognized with the ACS Inorganic Nanoscience Award, the ACS Arthur Doolittle Award, the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, the Steacie Prize, an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar award, a NSF CAREER Award, and a Dreyfus New Faculty Award
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering
Founder & Chief Technology Officer
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Over 20 years experience in biopharma space, bringing deep interdisciplinary expertise in the development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics in oncology and cell and gene therapy
Served as founder and CEO of Cellevolve Bio, working with partners to bring cell therapies through late-stage development and commercialization with a focus on neglected diseases
Held various leadership roles at Atara Bio, Gilead Sciences, AbbVie, Amgen and McKinsey & Company
Currently sits on the boards of Passage Bio, Acumen Pharma and Portal Innovations
Earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, M.B.A. from the Wharton School, and B.S. in Neuroscience from UCLA.
Chief Executive Officer
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Shivu Sharma is an accomplished strategy leader focused on driving transformative growth in cell therapy through strategic partnerships and innovation.
He brings over a decade of experience in cell therapy and oncology to cTRL.
Prior to cTRL, Shivu was Head of Product & Portfolio Strategy at Instil Bio, leading product planning, search & evaluation, and competitive intelligence. He began his cell therapy career at Gilead, contributing to the company's long-term cell therapy strategy and playing a key role in the Kite Pharma acquisition. At Kite/Gilead, he held roles of increasing responsibility across commercial, corporate strategy, the CEO's office, and corporate development.
At cTRL, Shivu is responsible for the full spectrum of strategic initiatives and business development activities.
He holds an M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics from Georgetown University.
Head of Strategy & Business Development
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Independent Drug Development Consultant; Former SVP Global Drug Development Cell Therapy at Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb; Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physician and Surgeons, Columbia University
Dr. Frankel has held senior roles in both academic and biopharmaceutical settings leading to the regulatory approval of multiple cell therapies and therapeutic antibodies. As an independent consultant, he provides strategic and operational expertise in optimizing treatment regimens and integrating innovative cell therapies into clinical practice. He also serves on the boards of several biotech companies and scientific advisory boards.
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Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
A leading expert in development of next-generation immunotherapeutics, Dr. Schoenfeld has been instrumental in advancing cell-based therapies for solid tumors. His work focuses on designing and leading early-phase clinical trials and associated translational efforts to drive innovation and improve cancer treatment outcomes.
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Accomplished pharmaceutical research and development leader who brings a wealth of experience in oncology and cell therapy
Served as the Global Head of Research at InstilBio where he oversaw tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes research efforts and helped drive regulatory milestones
Started his career at Kite Pharma where he developed multiple novel CAR-T constructs and led key collaborations.
Earned his Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Molecular Biology at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and later conducted his postdoctoral studies at Salk Institute for Biological Studies, advancing the fields of neurobiology and stem cell biology respectively
Head of Research
Scientific Advisors
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Expert in T cell therapy and immunotherapy
Core member of the UPenn team that developed Kymriah, the first approved CAR-T cell therapy
Most recently served as EVP and Head of R&D at ArsenalBio
Previously served as VP of Immuno-oncology and Oncology Cell Therapies at Janssen and CSO of Immuno-oncology at Eli Lilly and Company
Inventor on 29 issued cell therapy patents
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Director, Solid Tumor Cell Therapy; Assistant Professor of Medicine (Oncology), Stanford University
Dr. Betof Warner is an expert in solid tumor cell therapy, immunotherapy and clinical trial design at Stanford University. Her research focuses on developing and refining cell-based therapies, and she has a strong track record in bridging academic discoveries with clinical application.
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Qiming Ventures: Partner
Juno Therapeutics: Vice President, Research
Life Technologies: Director Global Clinical Business Development Cell Therapy
Encyte: Vice President, Research
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Former Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF; Former SVP Early Clinical Development, Hematology/Oncology & Cell Therapy at Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb
Dr. Hege is a renowned hematologist-oncologist based in San Francisco. With nearly three decades of experience in advancing cell therapies—including leading the development of BCMA CAR‑T cell programs—she has played a pivotal role in translating novel immunotherapies from bench to bedside. She also serves on the boards of several biotech companies and held an active faculty appointment at UCSF for over 25 years.
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Three decades of experience in cellular immunotherapy science and drug development.
Served as Chief Scientific Officer at Lyell Immunopharma, Inc and previously at Kite Pharma, Inc.
Established the field of CAR-T cell research, culminating in the very first CAR T-cell clinical trial in 1994.
Recognized as a top R&D leader by Endpoints News’ Top 20 Women Leaders in Biopharma 2020.
Authored more than thirty scientific publications and inventor on thirteen issued U.S. patents and three published U.S. patent applications.
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Chartier Consulting: Principal Consultant
NextVivo: Chief Scientific Officer
Iovance: Vice President, Research
OncoMed: Senior Director, Research
Inventor on 29 issued cell therapy patents
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Pharmefex: Principal Consultant
Kite: Senior Vice President, Process Sciences
Boehringer Ingelheim: Executive Director, Process Sciences
Amgen: Executive Director, Process Sciences
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Thermo Fisher: Head of Translational Sciences and Director, R&D
Life Sciences: Associate Director, R&D
Clinical Advisors
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Chief Medical Officer, ESSA Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Cesano currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at ESSA Pharmaceuticals. With over 25 years of experience in oncology drug development and tumor immunology—including key leadership roles at NanoString, Cleave Biosciences, and Nodality—she brings deep expertise in translational immunotherapy. Her career spans academic research at the Wistar Institute and executive roles at major biopharma companies.
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Clinical Investigator, UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center
Dr. Munster is a leader in early-phase and translational clinical trials for solid tumor malignancies. Her extensive experience in clinical research and her work at UCSF provide critical insights into optimizing patient selection and safety in cell therapy trials.
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Vita Salsman is an experienced cell therapy leader with 20+ years of experience pioneering solid tumor therapeutics and translational development.
She has a proven ability to advance novel candidates from research through clinical implementation.
Vita began her career at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, spearheading target identification and development initiatives.
Later, she served as a key member of the department of Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital Cancer Center, where she orchestrated transformative cGxP initiatives and advanced clinical manufacturing.
Head of Manufacturing
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Sosena Wold is a seasoned finance leader with nearly two decades of experience in strategic finance and operations, specializing in the life sciences sector.
She has over a decade of expertise in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, and has played a key role in guiding early-stage companies through financial strategy, operational scalability, and fundraising.
At CTRL Therapeutics, Sosena leads finance and business operations, overseeing G&A functions (HR, IT, and legal) to ensure operational excellence and alignment with the company's mission.
She is passionate about innovation and growth and dedicated to advancing CTRL's groundbreaking research and driving transformative impact.
Head of Finance & Operations
