Meet Diane Berry, PhD: ASGCT Volunteer Rockstar
September 06, 2023
In a September 2023 installment of our series highlighting ASGCT member volunteers, meet Diane Berry, PhD, chair of the Society's Government 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 32 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.
Diane Berry, PhD, joined Sarepta Therapeutics in December 2011 and serves as the company’s executive vice president and chief global policy & advocacy officer. She is also a member of Sarepta’s Executive Committee. Dr. Berry engages policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as patient advocacy organizations, to advance critical policies related to newborn screening, regulatory policy, and reimbursement and access with a goal of expediting development and patient access to genetic-based therapies for rare diseases.
Previously, Dr. Berry served in leadership roles for the federal government, across the legislative and executive branches, overseeing and implementing science and technology and public health activities. She served as a subcommittee staff director and senior professional staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and as chief scientist, director of threat characterization and countermeasures and senior biodefense advisor at the Department of Homeland Security in the Office of Health Affairs. Dr. Berry also served as a science and technology policy advisor and fellow within the Department of Defense through the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Prior to government service, Dr. Berry was senior science advisor at McKenna Long & Aldridge, an international law and public policy law firm.
Dr. Berry earned her PhD in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and received her BS and MS in chemical/biochemical engineering from Tufts University. In 2019, she joined the BioOhio Board of Trustees and was named one of The Top 25 Women Leaders In Biotech by The Healthcare Technology Report.
Dr. Berry leads the Government Relations Committee to create programming for ASGCT events and develop relationships with government entities, including the NIH, Congress, and CMS. Under Dr. Berry’s guidance, her committee recommends policy positions that support CGT research, development, and access, as well as responsible use of these technologies.
The Government Relations Committee is also largely responsible for the annual Policy Summit, to be held for the fifth time Sept. 18-19, 2023. ASGCT's Policy Summit connects you with policy and industry leaders. Register today to hear and discuss a variety of stakeholder perspectives—and how they inform regulatory, legislative, and payment policies that impact gene and cell therapy development.
Dr. Berry has previously written for ASGCT's blog about "Why You Should Apply for the Congressional Policy Fellowship." The paid fellowship applications are now open through Jan. 15, 2024—see how Dr. Berry thinks the experience can impact both your career and science policy!
Read Dr. Berry's blog post
ASGCT thanks Dr. Berry for her service on ASGCT’s Government Relations Committee. Our members serve as subject matter experts for Society-led projects, including Annual Meeting programming, through both our standing committees and scientific committees and we could not do the work we do without them.
For questions on ASGCT committees or volunteer process, please contact Dani Gale (dgale@asgct.org).
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