Today, Life Science Washington announces the addition of four new members to its board of directors. Together, these leaders bring expertise across biopharmaceutical innovation, professional services, manufacturing, and scientific research, further strengthening the organization’s leadership as Washington’s life sciences ecosystem continues to grow and diversify.
The new board members joining Life Science Washington include:
• Jie D’Elia, PhD, CEO, SystImmune
• LisaMarie Curda, Partner, Deloitte
• Chris Holt, Vice President, Cell Therapy External Manufacturing, Bristol Myers Squibb
• Arden Yang, Vice President, Innovation, Allen Institute
LisaMarie Curda is an audit partner at Deloitte with more than 12 years of experience advising public and emerging growth life sciences companies on SEC reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and complex regulatory and accounting matters. She brings deep expertise supporting organizations through critical growth stages, transactions, and governance evolution, along with a strong commitment to advancing diversity and leadership development within the industry.
Dr. Jie D’Elia is Chief Executive Officer of SystImmune, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing novel multi-specific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates. She brings decades of global biopharmaceutical leadership and has driven more than $40B in strategic partnerships and acquisitions, strengthening Washington’s position in next-generation oncology and cell therapy innovation.
Chris Holt leads global cell therapy vector and external manufacturing operations at Bristol Myers Squibb, supporting commercial CAR-T assets and clinical manufacturing programs through a network of internal and external partners. He brings more than 25 years of experience across pharma, biologics, and cell and gene therapy, with deep expertise in scaling advanced manufacturing to expand patient access.
Arden Yang is Vice President of Innovation at the Allen Institute, where he leads strategic partnerships, alliance management, and incubator development to accelerate the impact of scientific discovery. He brings extensive experience from leadership roles at Adaptive Biotechnologies, AstraZeneca, and Genentech, spanning strategic planning, biologics operations, and translational innovation.
The addition of these board members is an important step in the continued growth of Washington’s life sciences industry, a top 10 life sciences cluster in the US. The new members join Life Science Washington’s existing board, which represents a broad cross-section of leaders from biotechnology, medical technology, research institutions, and supporting organizations.
For a full list of Life Science Washington’s board members, click here.