BlueRock Therapeutics Establishes Corporate Headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Bolsters Team to Support Rapid Growth and Development

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Oct 26, 2017, 08:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueRock Therapeutics, a company developing cell-based therapies designed to alter the course of degenerative disease, today announced the establishment of its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as the appointment of senior level team members who will support the company's rapid growth and development of its allogeneic cell therapy platform. Tracey Lodie, Ph.D., has been appointed senior vice president of translational immunology, and Andrea Brener has been appointed head of human resources.

"Locating our headquarters in Cambridge, within the top innovation cluster in the world, serves as a foundation to execute our plan for rapid growth, form strategic partnerships, collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry, and hire some of the best people," said Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., CEO of BlueRock Therapeutics. "An example of this benefit is the addition of Tracey and Andrea, new members of our team of incredibly talented individuals, who can help us accomplish our mission of being the regenerative medicine company of the future."

Cambridge is the world's largest cluster of life science companies. Its location was strategically selected based on the proximity to the extensive technology and healthcare innovation community and hospital networks that reside in the region. These headquarters will also provide exposure to potential collaborators, both cutting edge biotechs and large pharma companies in the area, as well as convenient access to BlueRock's R&D and manufacturing facilities located in Toronto and New York City.

Dr. Lodie joined BlueRock as senior vice president of translational immunology. Dr. Lodie is a cellular immunologist with over 15 years of drug discovery experience in the areas of autoimmunity, cell therapy, transplant biology, and immuno-oncology. As a seasoned scientist with extensive experience advancing diverse development programs to the clinic, Dr. Lodie will be a motivated leader with the ability to advance BlueRock's therapeutic applications for patients in need. Prior to joining BlueRock, Dr. Lodie served as the vice president of immunology at Syros Pharmaceuticals. Under her leadership, the company developed new research strategies across the areas of autoimmunity and immuno-oncology, and assembled a first-class scientific team to grow the company's therapeutic expertise. Prior to joining Syros, Dr. Lodie spent most of her career at Genzyme Corp, serving in various roles, including, most recently, as its senior scientific director, head of immune mediated diseases. In addition to her recognition with various awards and honors, Dr. Lodie has experience as an academic instructor, has served in various industry related and non-profit leadership roles, including scientific advisory boards. Dr. Lodie obtained a Ph.D. in immunology and pathology from Boston University School of Medicine and a B.S. in biology from Fairfield University.

Andrea Brener joined BlueRock as head of human resources and is leading the significant recruitment and hiring effort to build out the company's workforce. Ms. Brener brings to BlueRock more than 20 years of human resources experience with key strengths in employment, employee relations and program development across small, mid-size and large company environments. Prior to joining BlueRock, Ms. Brener led the effort to build the team at Editas Medicine and has extensive experience working for other emerging companies, including Zafgen, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Agios Pharmaceuticals, SAGE Therapeutics and FORMA Therapeutics. She has experience in a number of established companies such as Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Boston Scientific and Sanofi Pasteur. She holds a B.A. from University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

About BlueRock Therapeutics

Driven by a vision to liberate patients from the burden of degenerative disease, BlueRock Therapeutics is ushering in a new era of cell-based medicine that repairs the body when it cannot repair itself. Founded in 2016 through one of the largest Series A financings in biotech history, BlueRock and its team of preeminent scientists are pioneering cell therapies that replace dead, damaged or dysfunctional cells to restore critical natural functions in the body. Using an approach that can be applied to multiple diseases with great unmet need, BlueRock is initially targeting severe brain and heart conditions, with the goal of altering the course of disease and drastically improving quality of life. BlueRock's culture is defined by scientific innovation, highest ethical standards and an urgency to bring transformative treatments to all who would benefit. For more information, visit www.bluerocktx.com.

SOURCE BlueRock Therapeutics