Meet Katy Spink, PhD: ASGCT Volunteer Rockstar
February 02, 2023
In the first installment of our series highlighting ASGCT member volunteers, meet Katy Spink, PhD, chair of the Society's Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) Committee.
ASGCT is a volunteer-led organization, and it could not effectively pursue its mission and strategic vision without the commitment of its volunteers. The Society does so through 33 board, scientific, and standing committees supported by more than 400 member volunteers. We recognize our committee leaders for their time, commitment, and expertise, and appreciate their willingness to help ASGCT advance the field of gene and cell therapy in a unique and meaningful way.
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Dark Horse Consulting Group's (DHC) COO and Managing Partner, Katy Spink, PhD, has two decades of CGT operations experience, combining strategic vision and cross-functional technical leadership in the field. Before joining DHC in 2018, Dr. Spink held executive leadership roles at cell therapy innovators Asterias Biotherapeutics and Geron Corporation. She began her career at McKinsey & Company, where she advised biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device clients on matters of R&D, business development, and marketing strategy. Katy holds a BA in Biochemistry (magna cum lauda, Phi Beta Kappa) from Rice University and a PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University, where she was a Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellow.
Dr. Spink’s role at DHC is focused about 75% on leadership of the practice itself, and 25% on consulting work with clients. Client projects are, of course, confidential, so she can’t share too much other than to say she is fortunate to have been involved behind the scenes in a number of exciting developments in the field recently. In her practice leadership role, she works on growing the practice and expanding their regulatory, quality, and quantitative capabilities to enable DHC to better serve the needs of its clients and the field of cell and gene therapy.
Dr. Spink leads the CMC Committee to educate members and provide expertise on issues related to gene and cell therapy Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC). The Committee recommends programming for the Annual Meeting, Policy Summit, and other educational events, and supports the Regulatory Affairs Committee to interact with FDA on CMC-related topics.
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