Gregory Block, PhD Universal Cells Inc.

Dr. Gregory Block is the Vice President of Corporate Development for Universal Cells, a Seattle-based cell therapy company founded in 2013. As the first hire at the company, Dr. Block helped the founding team build and grow the company to establish an R&D and manufacturing enterprise focused on producing clinical-grade gene edited stem cell products.  The company was acquired for $102 million by Astellas Pharmaceuticals in February 2018, where he continues to support advancement of innovative therapies.

Dr. Block holds a doctorate in Molecular Biology from Tulane University in New Orleans and a Masters of Biochemistry from the University of Toronto, where he studied the mechanisms of stem cell tissue regeneration and chromatin organization [under Dr. Darwin Prockop and Dr. David Bazett-Jones respectively].  He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington where he discovered mechanistic insights and established the first cellular assays for measuring the underlying genetic defect for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). Dr. Block has since served on the board of directors and scientific advisory board of Friends of FSH Research, an organization devoted to finding a cure for FSHD.