Chenjie (Kathy) Yang, Ph.D.

Lead and manage department level key projects for strategic business development. Support the company’s evolving service portfolio. Coordinate activities between internal and external stakeholders on program development. Program manager.

Lead integrated key projects. Provide management to Regional Technical Account Manager (TAM) teams.

Manage key clients’ therapeutic antibody discovery and development projects, particularly on lead generation and lead optimization. Support production activities including antigen design, protein expression (bacteria & mammalian systems), antibody development (pAb, mAb, anti-idiotype) and screening, antibody sequencing, production/assay stable cell line development, ADCC/CDC assays, immune checkpoint assays and genome editing (CRISPR) services, etc. Organize project discussion with internal and external stakeholders/teams. Review and finalize project proposal. Monitor project performance and manage timelines, provide project report to the clients. Identify and communicate risks, suggest and implement response plan. Ensure completion of defined activities for goal achievement. Provide scientific consultation and technical support to the clients. Respond to Request for Proposal/Quote. Consult on compliance and quality assurance . Keep track of project documents (NDA, MSA and SOW, etc.) High customer satisfaction rate and exceptional goal achievement rate.

Manage customer projects for gene synthesis, molecular cloning, mutagenesis and peptide synthesis. Coordinate activities and communications between customer and production/logistic teams.

• Investigated the role of stem cell-derived exosomes in the senescence rescuing effect mediated by stem cell-secreted factors; investigated senescence-related exosomes secretion by mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and their role in mediating DNA-repair deficiency-induced MEF senescence. • Investigated the immuosuppressive effect of cytokine IL-Y (a synthetic member of the IL-12 family) in a tumor model. • Participated in the screening of NEMO-binding domain (NBD) analogs from ZINC-drug like database for NF-κB pathway inhibition using in vitro assays and a murine model of antigen-specific inflammation.

• Purification and biochemical characterization of exosomes derived from a panel of cancer cell lines and body fluids. • Demonstrated the immunosuppressive effect of tumor-derived exosomes and plasma-derived exosomes on antigen-specific immune responses and their role in cancer immune evasion. • Development of tumor-derived exosome as a novel cancer biomarker. • Developed an exosome membrane tagging method for their detection and purification. • Demonstrated the effect of exosomes derived from microbial-infected cells on B-cell and T-cell activities.

• Analyzed the protein expression and biological functions of exosomes isolated from genetically modified tumor cell lines and sera of cancer patients; • Screened for Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with Cerulean Cataract Type 1-causative candidate genes.

Chu-Kechen Scholarship (highest academic honor for undergraduate and graduate students), First-Grade Scholarship for 4 consecutive years, Graduated with overall GPA ranking the 1st of 120 in Class of 2004