Meet Our Speakers
Laura Evgin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and Scientist, BC Cancer Research Institute
Dr. Laura Evgin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia and a Scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute. She holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cancer Immunotherapy and is a Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar and recipient of a Gairdner New Investigator Award.
Dr. Evgin’s research program focuses on improving the efficacy and accessibility of CAR T cell therapy for cancer and autoimmune disease. Her team combines molecular and genome engineering, RNA technologies, disease-relevant preclinical models, and analysis of human specimens to address barriers to effective cellular therapy. Current areas of research include using mRNA vaccines to enhance CAR T cell function; developing lipid nanoparticle and RNA-based approaches to generate CAR T cells directly in vivo; and defining mechanisms of CAR T cell resistance in lymphoma to guide new therapeutic strategies.
Douglas J. Mahoney, PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease; Director, Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy
Dr. Douglas J. Mahoney is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary and a translational scientist developing transformative cancer immunotherapies. With 25 years of research experience, he integrates discovery, clinical translation, and multidisciplinary leadership to advance engineered cell therapies, oncolytic viruses, and microbiome-inspired treatments. He is the founder and Director of the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy. His laboratory’s lead CAR T-cell therapy, GCAR1, is undergoing clinical testing. Through collaborative research and innovation, Dr. Mahoney seeks to deliver accessible, effective next-generation immunotherapies for children, adolescents, and adults facing cancers with high unmet clinical needs across Alberta, Canada, and beyond.
Outside the lab, Doug spends his time with his wife and three children, mostly enjoying the Alberta/BC wilderness.
John Mitchell, MD, MSc., Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics and Biochemical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Montreal Children’s Hospital
Dr. John Mitchell completed medical school at the University of British Columbia and his pediatric and endocrine fellowship at McGill University. He went on to complete a research fellowship in metabolic disease in Sydney Australia In addition to his pediatric endocrinology practice, he practices as a biochemical geneticist where he follows both adult and pediatric patients with metabolic disorders. He has been extensively involved in development of national and international clinical practice guidelines for phenylketonuria, Morquio A, Maroteaux-Lamy and Hunter syndrome. He is involved in cutting edge therapies for orphan diseases including chaperone therapies, enzyme replacement therapies, fusion proteins and gene therapies.
Kyle Potts, PhD, Associate Director of Biomanufacturing, Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Calgary
Dr. Kyle Potts is the Associate Director of Biomanufacturing at the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy at the University of Calgary. He leads the development and clinical translation of cell and gene therapies, overseeing process development, manufacturing, and quality control activities. His work focuses on building the infrastructure and technical capabilities needed to translate innovative therapies from the laboratory into clinical trials, with a particular emphasis on CAR T-cell therapies and emerging gene-editing technologies. His research interests include engineering next-generation cell therapies and developing innovative technologies to improve their efficacy and clinical translation. He is passionate about advancing Canadian biomanufacturing capabilities and expanding patient access to innovative therapies.