Emi Tokuda

Emi Tokuda has worked in a variety of roles in the scientific field since 2006. From 2006-2007, they were an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Truman Lab at the University of Washington, where they assessed neuropeptide effects of Drosophila melanogaster eclosion mutant via immunohistochemistry. During this time, they also worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Biorobotics Lab in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Washington, where they quantified tissue damage due to a motorized endoscopic grasper (MEG) on porcine organs. In 2007, they also worked as a Bioinformatics Intern at Nastech Pharmaceutical, where they compiled a database of organic compounds relevant to Nastech researchers. From 2009-2015, they were a Graduate Student Research Assistant at the University of Colorado. From 2015-2019, they were a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Seattle Children's Research Institute, where they developed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for cellular immunotherapy. Her project involved the process development of nonviral production of CAR T cells via electroporation and assay development to characterize electroporated products compared to traditionally transduced products. Currently, they are a Senior Scientist at Lyell Immunopharma, a position they have held since 2019. In 2022, they will transition to a Senior Scientist role at Tune Therapeutics.

Emi Tokuda obtained a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2009. Emi then went on to receive a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2015.