Ailan Lu

- Support projects in antibody generation and lead selection. - Provide scientific strategy for genetic engineering, cell line development, and in vitro and in vivo disease model development.

Led cross-functional teams to design, create, and characterize cutting-edge biologics platforms, supporting antibody discovery across over 40 programs with various modalities. • Designed and engineered the full human antibody diversity into mice to naturally produce human antibodies, accelerating the discovery of biotherapeutics (mAbs, multi-specifics, sdAbs, and immune-cell engagers). • Developed innovative landing pad cell lines for precision engineering enrichment. • Directed assay development and functional characterization of engineered models to support drug discovery. • Integrated image-powered CellCelector platform to automate stem cell engineering, cell line development, and functional B-cell screening, significantly reducing workload and lifting department capability. • Managed CRO relationships through contract execution, budget forecasting, and timely delivery of projects.

Spearheaded process improvements that increased cell engineering efficiency, reducing project delivery time and cost by expanding engineering tools and implementing advanced technologies through internal and external collaborations. • Developed the industry-leading biologics platforms with freedom to operate (FTO). • Expanded molecular cloning and genome engineering capabilities to support therapeutics discovery. • Established collaborations to develop cell lines for model creation, recombinant protein expression and cell-based assays.

• Built a high-performing stem cell engineering team and established large-scale genetic engineering methodology. • Introduced CRISPR and NGS technologies to enhance cell line development and model creation.

Managed cross-functional teams in designing and creating customized genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), delivering over 200 genetic models annually. • Partnered with senior leadership to strategically prioritize project portfolios, ensuring timely delivery and achieving budget savings. • Interfaced with marketing and business development teams to align strategic priorities and accelerate technology development. • Created diverse gene and reporter expression cassettes to accurately monitor and analyze expression levels and patterns, significantly enhancing the company’s growth potential. • Innovated technologies for creating advanced humanized mouse models, driving 25% of the company’s annual revenue.

Led teams to streamline model design and creation processes, cutting project turnaround times by 25% through implementing SOPs and advanced technologies. • Served as the point-of-contact for high-profile clients to support their research and drug discovery, increasing client satisfaction rates from 72% to over 90%. • Led the initiative of integrating CRISPR gene editing technology to enable both in vivo embryo and in vitro stem cell engineering strategies, advancing model development capabilities. • Cultivated high-performing, inclusive teams focused on collaboration and operational efficiency.

Led the design and construction of over 300 gene-targeting vectors annually using advanced DNA assembly and cloning techniques. • Developed cutting-edge technologies for creating versatile in vivo models, reducing vector construction time by 30% and increasing revenue by 25%. • Engineered AAV vectors for R&D initiatives to assess gene delivery efficiency in mammalian cells. • Provided consistent troubleshooting and risk-mitigation solutions to address challenges in complex projects and production workflows.

Characterized the regulatory mechanisms of Rex1 gene expression and its roles in embryonic development and prostate cancer progression. • Identified key cis-regulatory elements responsible for differential expression of the human Rex1 gene in normal versus cancer cells, contributing to a better understanding of its roles in tumorigenesis. • Developed a Rex1 conditional knockout mouse model to study the gene function involved in normal prostate development.