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Brigitte Senechal PharmD, CP, PhD

Brigitte Senechal brings more than two decades of international leadership in laboratory medicine, immunology, and advanced cellular therapies. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she directed Quality Control and Immunomonitoring for Cell Therapy and Cell Engineering (2015–2024), leading a specialized team in shaping product and process standards across eight IND-approved clinical trials. She oversaw the release of more than 150 cell and gene therapy products, guiding complex manufacturing and clinical strategies that balanced safety, efficacy, and feasibility. 

Her leadership extended beyond operations: she established innovative quality systems, including a relational database for meta-data analysis and risk-assessment frameworks, ensuring robust regulatory compliance (cGMP, CBER, FACT, ICH). Brigitte played a pivotal role in MSK’s FACT accreditation and represented institutional quality strategy in high-level regulatory engagements. 

Previously, as Head of the Virology/Molecular Unit at Public Health England (2008–2015), she managed international proficiency testing programs, strengthened global collaborations, and ensured accreditation standards for infectious disease diagnostics. Her leadership was marked by global-scale coordination, regulatory engagement, and capacity-building for partner laboratories. 

Her career reflects consistent excellence in bridging science, clinical practice, and organizational governance. Brigitte has served on multiple biosafety and accreditation committees, contributed to international standards development, and authored widely cited publications in immunology and cell therapy.

Publications

  1. Arcila ME et al. “Validation of a High-Sensitivity Assay for Detection of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Vectors Using Low-Partition Digital PCR Technology”. J Mol Diagn 2023 Jun 16:S1525-1578(23)00129-0. 
  2. Mailankody S et al. “GPRC5D-Targeted CAR T Cells for Myeloma”. N Engl J Med 2022 Sep 29;387(13):1196-1206.  
  3. Palomba ML et al. “CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in Waldenström macroglobulinemia: a preclinical model and initial clinical experience”. J Immunother Cancer 2022 Feb;10(2):e004128. 
  4. Wang X et al. “Depletion of high-content CD14+ cells from apheresis products is critical for successful transduction and expansion of CAR T cells during large-scale cGMP manufacturing”. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021 Jul 16;22:377-387. 
  5. Adusumilli PS et al. “A Phase I Trial of Regional Mesothelin-Targeted CAR T-cell Therapy in Patients with Malignant Pleural Disease, in Combination with the Anti-PD-1 Agent Pembrolizumab. Cancer Discov 2021 Nov;11(11):2748-2763. 
  6. Wudhikarn K et al. “Interventions and outcomes of adult patients with B-ALL progressing after CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy”. Blood 2021 Aug 19;138(7):531-543. 
  7. Perica K et al. “Impact of bridging chemotherapy on clinical outcome of CD19 CAR T therapy in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia”. Leukemia 2021 Nov;35(11):3268-3271. 
  8. Curran KJ et al. “Toxicity and response after CD19-specific CAR T-cell therapy in pediatric/young adult relapsed/refractory B-ALL”. Blood 2019 Dec 26;134(26):2361-2368. 
  9. Sauter CS, Senechal B* et al. “CD19 CAR T cells following autologous transplantation in poor-risk relapsed and refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma”. Blood 2019 Aug 15;134(7):626-635. *joint first author 
  10. Smith EL et al. “BCMA-Targeted CAR T-cell Therapy plus Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Refractory Myeloma Reveals Potential Synergy”. Cancer Immunol Res 2019 Jul;7(7):1047-1053. 
  11. Geyer MB et al. “Safety and tolerability of conditioning chemotherapy followed by CD19-targeted CAR T cells for relapsed/refractory CLL”. JCI Insight 2019 Apr 2;5(9):e122627. 
  12. Geyer MB et al. “Autologous CD19-Targeted CAR T Cells in Patients with Residual CLL following Initial Purine Analog Based Therapy”. Mol Ther 2018 Aug 1;26(8):1896-1905. 
  13. Santomasso BD et al. “Clinical and Biological Correlates of Neurotoxicity Associated with CAR T-cell Therapy in Patients with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”. Cancer Discov 2018 Aug;8(8):958-971. 
  14. Park JH et al. “Long-Term Follow-up of CD19 CAR Therapy in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”. N Engl J Med 2018 Feb 1;378(5):449-459. 
  15. Dimech Wet al. “Results of cytomegalovirus DNA viral loads expressed in copies per milliliter and international units per milliliter are equivalent”. J Virol Methods 2018 Feb;252:15-23.  
  16. Geyer MB et al. “Concurrent therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia utilizing CD19-targeted CAR T-cells”. Leuk Lymphoma 2018 Jul;59(7):1717-1721. 
  17. Senechal B and James VL. “Ten years of external quality assessment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA quantification”. J Clin Microbiol 2012 Nov;50(11):3614-9. 
  18. Cros J et al. “Human CD14dim monocytes patrol and sense nucleic acids and viruses via TLR7 and TLR8 receptors”. Immunity. 2010 Sep 24;33(3):375-86. 
  19. Auffray C et al. “CX3CR1+ CD115+ CD135+ common macrophage/DC precursors and the role of CX3CR1 in their response to inflammation”. J Exp Med 2009 Mar 16;206(3):595-606. 
  20. Jeziorski E, Senechal B* et al. “Herpes-virus infection in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a case-controlled seroepidemiological study, and in situ analysis”. PLoS One 2008 Sep 23;3(9):e3262. *joint first author 
  21. Senechal B et al. “Expansion of regulatory T cells in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis”. PLoS Med 2007 Aug;4(8):e253. 
  22. Casrouge A et al. “Herpes simplex virus encephalitis in human UNC-93B deficiency”. Science 2006 Oct 13;314(5797):308-12. 
  23. Filipe-Santos O et al. “X-linked susceptibility to mycobacteria is caused by mutations in NEMO impairing CD40-dependent IL-12 production”. J Exp Med 2006 Jul 10;203(7):1745-59. 
  24. Gautier G et al. “The class 6 semaphorin SEMA6A is induced by interferon-gamma and defines an activation status of Langerhans cells observed in pathological situations”. Am J Pathol 2006 Feb;168(2):453-65. 
  25. Yang K et al. “Human TLR-7-, -8-, and -9-mediated induction of IFN-alpha/beta and -lambda Is IRAK-4 dependent and redundant for protective immunity to viruses”. Immunity 2005 Nov;23(5):465-78. 
  26. Sénéchal B et al. “Infection of mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells with human cytomegalovirus inhibits stimulation of T-cell proliferation via the release of soluble CD83”. Blood 2004 Jun 1;103(11):4207-15. 
  27. Mazeron MC et al. “Quantitative markers for cytomegalovirus disease in HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy”. AIDS 2003 Mar 28;17(5):784-6. 
  28. Jouan M et al. “Discontinuation of maintenance therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis in HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy”. AIDS 2001 Jan 5;15(1):23-31. 
  29. Salmon-Céron D et al. “Plasma cytomegalovirus DNA, pp65 antigenemia and a low CD4 cell count remain risk factors for cytomegalovirus disease in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy”. AIDS 2000 May 26;14(8):1041-9. 
  30. Movassagh M et al. “Direct infection of CD34+ progenitor cells by human cytomegalovirus: evidence for inhibition of hematopoiesis and viral replication”. Blood 1996 Aug 15;88(4):1277-83