Melissa Defrancesco

Melissa DeFrancesco, Ph.D., is a seasoned professional in the field of process development with extensive experience in T-cell therapies and upstream process development. Currently serving as Director at Lyell Immunopharma since September 2019, Melissa has progressed through roles including Associate Director and Senior Scientist. Previously, at Kite Pharma from February 2019 to September 2019, responsibilities included managing T-cell expansion and leading process development for allogeneic CAR T projects. Prior experience at Aptevo Therapeutics Inc involved overseeing upstream process development from clone selection to clinical manufacturing, while earlier roles at InBios International and academic institutions focused on protein purification and significant contributions to microbiological research. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Rutgers University and a BA in Biology with a minor in English from Drew University.