Michaela Sharpe is the Head of Nonclinical Safety and Immunotherapy Strategy at the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. Michaela has over fifteen years’ experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry both in the biotechnology sector and large pharma where she has specialised in the nonclinical development of cell based therapies and therapeutic vaccines. She was Head of the Stem Cell Safety Group at Pfizer and prior to joining the Catapult she ran her own consultancy business. Michaela oversees Immunotherapy Strategy for the Catapult as well as leading a team with significant expertise in the design of non-clinical safety programmes and the development of specialist clinical assays. She has implemented nonclinical development programmes for pluripotent stem cell therapies, somatic cell therapies, immune therapies, genetically modified cell therapies and tissue engineered products.