The last decade has seen a revolution in the way cell and gene therapies are developed, delivered, and accessed. What began as pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation has evolved into a global ecosystem advancing engineered cell therapies that offer new hope to patients facing devastating diseases. This transformation—rooted in science, collaboration, and compassion—continues to define the conversations that drive the Bridging the Gap webinar series from Azenta Life Sciences and the Emily Whitehead Foundation.
At its two-year anniversary, the October 2025 edition of Bridging the Gap brought together the series’ permanent panel for a reflective and inspiring discussion. The session, titled “From Transplant to Engineered Futures – Reflecting on Two Years of Bridging the Gap,” featured long-time hosts and contributors: Albert Ribickas, Assistant Director of the Cell Therapy Facility at Moffitt Cancer Center; Dr. Patrick Hanley, Director of the Cellular Therapy Program at Children’s National Hospital; George Eastwood, Executive Director of the Emily Whitehead Foundation; Tom Whitehead, Co-founder of the Foundation; and Olga Bukatova from Azenta Life Sciences, who co-host the series.
Together, they celebrated key milestones—from Moffitt’s 10,000th transplant to the Emily Whitehead Foundation’s expanded mission—and reflected on how far the field has come since the series first launched. Let’s take a look at what these two years have meant so far.
Celebrating 10,000 Transplants
When Moffitt Cancer Center recently marked its 10,000th transplant, it wasn’t just a number—it was a testament to decades of teamwork, innovation, and lives changed. For Ribickas, who has been part of Moffitt’s program since its early days, the milestone was deeply personal, as he played a role in facilitating nearly every one of the transplants
“It’s not just 10,000 people,” said Ribickas. “It’s all the family members, the grandchildren—close to a million lives that we were able to impact. We offered hope for more than 10,000 people”.
Reflecting on the connection between bone marrow transplantation and today’s engineered therapies, Ribickas noted that transplantation served as “the training ground for what works, what doesn’t, and all the contingencies you need to have in place.” Those lessons—logistics, coordination, and collaboration—form the backbone of how CAR-T, TIL, and other cell-based therapies are now delivered.
Dr. Hanley agreed, emphasizing how standardization efforts like FACT (Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy) are carrying those lessons forward. “FACT was founded to standardize blood and bone transplantation procedures,” Dr. Hanley explained. “Now it’s helping to standardize CAR-T. The goal is to double the number of patients who can access CAR-T therapy by 2030.”
Whitehead reflected on the human side of these advancements. “When I talk to people, that’s all they’re looking for—hope,” he said. “Usually it’s hope or hospice. To find out that 10,000 people found hope is just incredible.”
Two Years of Connection
Since its launch, Bridging the Gap has hosted 25 sessions featuring some of the field’s most visionary voices—from Dr. Bruce Levine and Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to advocates, engineers, and patients around the world. As the panel reflected on these conversations, one theme stood out: the power of connection.
Dr. Hanley highlighted the ongoing evolution of decentralized manufacturing—one of the series’ earliest topics—and the regulatory progress being made to make therapies more accessible. George Eastwood emphasized how the series has helped bridge communities that often operate in silos. “We’ve seen trends happen in real time,” Eastwood said. “From the first episode with Dr. Grupp to discussions about decentralized manufacturing, every session has connected the dots across this gigantic ecosystem that truly fits the name Bridging the Gap.”
Ribickas shared feedback from a listener that captured the series’ impact: “Someone told me, ‘I learned one thing from every one of your webinars,’” he recalled. “That’s exactly why we do this—to remind people they’re not alone and that the patient always comes first.”
And for Whitehead, those connections have tangible outcomes.
“Parents and nurses have told me that watching our webinars helped them find treatment for someone they love,” he said. “That makes every hour we put into this worthwhile”.
Expanding the Foundation’s Mission
This milestone session also marked the unveiling of the Emily Whitehead Foundation’s rebrand and expanded mission—a moment of growth for the organization that began with one family’s fight for survival.
As Eastwood explained, the foundation’s new vision is to “activate cures so countless more individuals can not only survive but thrive.” This includes greater focus on mental health, patient support, and policy advocacy.
“We’re looking at how to support patients and caregivers through the entire journey,” said Eastwood. “From accessing treatment to rebuilding life afterward”.
Whitehead described how the foundation’s scope has grown naturally over time. “At first, kids with cancer were reaching out,” he said. “Then adults, then people with other diseases like sickle cell. Everyone’s just looking for hope and a path forward.”
He shared a recent story from the Merkin Prize for Medicine ceremony, where a patient approached him in tears after learning that Emily’s story had helped save his life. “It’s not always easy to keep doing this work,” said Whitehead. “But moments like that make it all worth it.”
Innovations from the Field
Back at Children’s National Hospital, Dr. Hanley shared updates on his team’s pioneering work in pediatric transplants and gene therapy. Their program continues to advance TCR alpha-beta depletion and other modular transplant techniques designed to reduce toxicity while improving outcomes.
He also announced his participation in the hospital’s Race for Every Child, encouraging the audience to support the initiative. “We volunteer to be here and spread the word,” said Dr. Hanley. “If you want to show your support, even a $10 donation to our team makes a difference.”
Meanwhile, Azenta Life Sciences continues to strengthen the technological foundation supporting this entire ecosystem. Co-host Olga Bukatova shared her recent appointment as Co-chair of the ISCT Cold Chain and Logistics Working Group, emphasizing the crucial role of precision cryogenic management in ensuring therapy quality and access.
“Infrastructure and logistics are not just supporting roles,” Bukatova noted. “They’re foundational for equity and reliability in cell and gene therapy”.
She also previewed the recently published Cell Summit ’25 Proceedings: Tools, Insights, and Strategies for CGT Advancement eBook, with GEN and BioLife Solutions, which includes her contributed article, “Securing Critical Quality Attributes in Advanced Therapies with Precision Cryogenic Management.” The ebook features insights from the first Cell Summit event, highlighting biopreservation strategies, closed-system processing and scale-up, and other innovations shaping the CGT field.
Key Takeaways
Here are four reflections that have defined our journey so far:
- Transplantation taught us the blueprint for progress. What began as bone marrow transplants laid the foundation for today’s engineered cell therapies—where precision, teamwork, and shared learning drive every success.
- Standardization is the key to equity. From FACT accreditation to cold chain innovation, aligning processes across the field ensures more patients can safely receive advanced therapies—no matter where they live.
- Connection fuels change. Every conversation—between clinicians, families, and advocates—has bridged silos and built understanding, reminding us that science alone doesn’t heal; people do.
- Stories sustain momentum. Behind every milestone is a patient and a purpose. The voices shared through Bridging the Gap continue to shape the culture of compassion and commitment that defines this community.
Looking Ahead
As Bridging the Gap marks its second anniversary, its mission remains clear—to bring the cell and gene therapy community closer together, one conversation at a time. The next chapters will continue to explore how innovation, standardization, regulatory clarity, and compassion converge to turn groundbreaking science into real-world cures.
“It takes passion, and I believe it’s a choice,” said Ribickas. “You were chosen to do this work”.
For two years and counting, Bridging the Gap has shown just how many people have made that choice—and how their collective effort continues to shape the future of medicine.
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