Cell Therapy Innovation Symposium 2025

Thermo Fisher Scientific & Oslo Cancer Cluster, together with the CellFit Project invites you to join the Cell Therapy Innovation Symposium to explore the challenges and innovative solutions in immune cell therapy manufacturing. This symposium will engage experts and professionals involved in the design and manufacturing of immune cell therapies, including process developers, scientist, and lab managers.

A special feature will include a tour of OCC Innovation Park to highlight the recent expansion of this vibrant park anchored by Radium Hospital. The John Ugelstad building is under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The symposium’s organizing team will track the building progress and if possible, plan a tour (from inside or outside pending approvals).

About the co-organizer: Established in 2021, the CellFit Project is funded by The Research Council of Norway, a project led by Oslo University Hospital with project partners Oslo Cancer Cluster, SINTEF, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The aim of the project is to improve the fitness of CAR T Cells by optimizing the manufacturing process.

PROGRAM (program with additional speakers will be released by August 15, 2025)

Welcome by Moderators & Co-Chairs

Else Marit Inderberg, PhD, Unit Leader, Translational Research Unit, Section for Cell Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

&

Tuva Holt Hereng, PhD, Senior Manager R&D Cell Therapy, Oslo, Norway

Speaker

Development of CAR-Treg therapies to modulate immune responses in transplantation and autoimmunity
Nathalie Belmonte, PhD, Senior VP Research and Technical Development, Quell Therapeutics

Academic PoC production for improving patients’ access to cell immunotherapy: ARI program from Barcelona as a model
Manel Juan, MD, PhD, Head of Immunology, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain

Solving CAR-T Manufacturing and QC Challenges with Structured Support and Strategic Solutions
Anna Pasetto, PhD, Associate Professor, Director of Center for Advanced Cell Therapy (ACT), Oslo University Hospital, Norway

Automated manufacturing of CAR effector cells: From viral to non-viral gene transfer
Ulrike Kohl, MD, PhD, Institute Director / University Professor, Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig and Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Germany.

Maximizing the Innate Power of NK cells in cancer therapy
Ebba Sohlberg, PhD, Researcher and Project Manager at the Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Final program will be updated here.

NOTE about a workshop the next day:

On October 9, 2025, 9am-5pm at OCC Innovation Park: You are invited to register your interest to join a specialized workshop conducted by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Please register your interest with corinna.pohl@thermofisher.com, who will contact you early Q3 2025 about the program.