Jacqueline Russo
About Jacqueline Russo
Jacqueline Russo serves as the Head of Clinical Science and Senior Director of Clinical Development at Kite Pharma, where she has worked since 2020. With extensive experience in clinical operations and research, she has previously held significant roles at companies such as Celgene, Chiron Corporation, and Novacea.
Work at Kite Pharma
Jacqueline Russo serves as the Head of Clinical Science and Senior Director of Clinical Development at Kite Pharma since 2020. In this role, she has established Clinical Science as a new functional department, focusing on registration clinical studies in cell therapy and oncology. Russo introduced the patient profile concept with associated medical data review rules, setting a new standard for comprehensive, disease-specific, case-level cleaning and locking. She played a key role in the approval of Yescarta 2L LBCL by providing technical leadership and strategic input into regulatory filings.
Previous Experience in Clinical Operations
Before her tenure at Kite Pharma, Jacqueline Russo held several positions in clinical operations. She worked at Novacea as Associate Director of Clinical Operations from 2002 to 2005. Prior to that, she was a Clinical Research Associate IV at Chiron Corporation from 1999 to 2002 and a Laboratory Research Associate II from 1995 to 1997. Additionally, she served at Celgene in various roles, including Clinical Research Scientist and Director, Program Lead Clinical Research Scientist, focusing on B-cell lymphoma. Her experience spans over two decades in the clinical research field.
Education and Expertise
Jacqueline Russo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her educational background provides a solid foundation for her extensive career in clinical development and operations. Russo's expertise encompasses clinical research, data management, and regulatory compliance, particularly in oncology and cell therapy.
Achievements in Clinical Science
During her career, Jacqueline Russo has made significant contributions to clinical science. She created a comprehensive vision for the Clinical Science function at Kite Pharma, which included a hiring plan, training, cross-functional mentoring, and clinical science standards. She proposed a database integration between Clinical and Technical Operations to improve manufacturing slot assignment efficiency. Additionally, she architected the integration of Clinical and IxRS databases, enhancing quality control processes.
Contributions to Standards and Best Practices
Jacqueline Russo has been an active contributor to the Standards Governance Committee, where she has driven consistency and best practices for data collection and cleaning. Her work includes developing standards for case report forms (CRFs), edit checks, and other data management processes. This focus on standardization has improved the overall quality and reliability of clinical data.