Meet Bruce Levine

Bruce is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of modern cell and gene therapy. His work helped establish the scientific, clinical, and manufacturing foundations of engineered T-cell therapies, including the development of CAR T approaches that led to the first FDA-approved gene-based cancer treatments. At the University of Pennsylvania, he has played a central role in translating cell therapy from laboratory concept into clinical reality, with influence spanning immunology, process development, GMP manufacturing, and next-generation cell engineering.

His impact continues to shape the field. Over the past year, Bruce has seen the in vivo CAR T concept advanced by Capstan move from compelling preclinical data into a first-in-human clinical trial, followed by AbbVie’s acquisition of Capstan. For him, that progress reflects a broader shift in cell therapy: from complex ex vivo manufacturing toward programmable in vivo engineering that could expand the reach of these medicines, particularly in autoimmune disease. He was also selected to receive the Genome Valley Excellence Award 2026 for his contributions to cell and gene therapy and cancer immunotherapy.

“The biology is advancing rapidly, but patients only benefit when the entire system works. We fix it by designing products for manufacturability and access from the start, building stronger clinical networks, modernizing release testing, and aligning regulators, payers, manufacturers, and treatment centers around responsible scale-up.”