Navid Ghaffari

Navid Ghaffari is a results-driven biotechnology expert with a proven track record in advancing cell and gene therapy from discovery to commercialization. In over 11 years of experience, Navid has led several projects on process development and optimization, as well as process control strategy, technology transfer, and life cycle management in start-up and major pharmaceutical companies.

Before starting his consulting career, in his most recent role as associate director of technology transfer and life cycle management, Navid led the technical transfer of a new CAR-T drug product for Phase II clinical development to a US-based Bristol Myers Squibb’s manufacturing facility. While working with the Manufacturing, Manufacturing Science & Technology (MSAT), Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Business Operations, and Regulatory Affairs teams Navid ensured a seamless technology transfer on an aggressive timeline to meet the company’s needs.

Prior to Bristol Myers Squibb, Navid held roles at Sartorius AG and Lyell Immunopharma, as a Scientist, allowing him to gain in-depth and hands-on knowledge of bioreactor and cell culture operations from automated small-scale bioreactors (Ambr 15 and 250) to bench-top, pilot scale, and large-scale manufacturing bioreactors. Navid possesses strong working knowledge of both stirred tank (STR) and Rocking Motion (RM) bioreactors. In addition, he has surveyed and studied several technologies in every aspect of immune-cell therapy processing including selection technologies, activation, genetic modification (transduction and transfection), cell expansion, process analytical technologies (PATs), final drug product formulation, and cryopreservation. 

With a strong background in statistical and multivariate analysis as well as Design of Experiments (DoE), Navid is highly skilled in data driven problem-solving and root cause analysis. In collaboration with the Bio-statistics team at Juno Therapeutics, Navid drafted the Statistical Process Control (SPC).

Navid holds a Master of Applied Science (MASc) degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia.