Joanne Tan
About Joanne Tan
Joanne Tan serves as the VP and Head of Translational Sciences at Sana Biotechnology, Inc., where she leads teams in evaluating cell therapies and biologics. With over 15 years of experience in immunology and translational science, she has held significant roles at various organizations including Arcus Biosciences and Genentech.
Work at Sana Biotechnology
Joanne Tan currently serves as the Vice President and Head of Translational Sciences at Sana Biotechnology, Inc. since 2023. In this role, she leads cross-functional teams in evaluating the efficacy and cross-validation of cell therapies, biologics, and small molecule inhibitors from the discovery phase to IND-enabling studies. Her responsibilities include managing and mentoring both Ph.D. and non-Ph.D. level scientists, focusing on developing in-house talent within the organization.
Education and Expertise
Joanne Tan holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Toronto, where she studied from 2002 to 2007. She also completed an Hon.B.Sc. in Immunology at the University of Toronto - University of Trinity College from 1998 to 2002. Additionally, she studied at the University of California, Berkeley, achieving certifications in Project Management, including Project Planning and Control, Human Factors and Team Dynamics, and Introduction to Project Management, all in 2012.
Background
Joanne Tan has over 15 years of experience in the biotechnology industry, with a specialization in inflammation and immuno-oncology. Before her current position at Sana Biotechnology, she held various roles, including Principal Investigator at Arcus Biosciences and Senior Director at Nkarta, Inc. She also worked as a Scientist at ChemoCentryx and served as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Genentech.
Achievements
Throughout her career, Joanne Tan has contributed significantly to the fields of immunology and translational sciences. She has served as a subject matter expert in areas such as pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), biomarker discovery, and flow cytometry. Her leadership in preclinical pharmacology and translational science teams has supported late-stage product development and early-stage clinical trials.