Meet Catherine Gillespie: ASGCT Volunteer Spotlight

Catherine Gillespie recently became the Senior Manager of Communications at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Cell and Gene Therapy. Prior to that, she was the Senior Editor at Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation. She is also a founding member of the ASGCT Communications Committee, and served as the committee's second-ever chair.

Catherine's leadership of the Communications Committee has been instrumental in enhancing ASGCT's interactions with members, media, and the public. Her team's efforts have not only maintained ASGCT’s role as a field-wide authority but also proposed programs, strategies, and educational content that have significantly enhanced the visibility and stature of the Society.

Science writing combines Catherine’s curiosity and love of language. She intended to study biology and pursue genetic research at Duke University but fell in love with Dostoevsky in her Russian novel course. After graduating with a major in Slavic Languages and Literatures and minors in Economics and English, Catherine moved first to New York City for a brief stint at a biotech hedge fund before settling in Moscow to work as a journalist.

After five years in Moscow, Catherine moved to Houston, where she became acquainted with cell and gene therapies. There, Catherine edited original manuscripts and reviews on topics ranging from CAR T-cell clinical trials to novel mouse models for gene therapies. She then moved to the Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation for a stint in philanthropic communications before landing at the Baylor College of Medicine to join the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center communications team. When Catherine is not playing sports with her three little boys, she loves creative writing and serves on the board of Inprint, a literary arts nonprofit in Houston.

ASGCT extends its heartfelt gratitude to Catherine for her invaluable service on ASGCT’s Communications Committee. Our members, like Catherine, serve as subject matter experts for Society-led projects, including Annual Meeting programming, through both our standing committees and scientific committees. We deeply appreciate their dedication and could not do the work we do without them.

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 34 standing, scientific, and board 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.

For questions on ASGCT committees or the volunteer process, please contact Dani Gale (dgale@asgct.org)

Related Articles