Director
Beam Therapeutics
Kelly received her PhD in cellular and molecular biology in 2005 from the University of Nevada Reno, where she also completed an MBA. She studied the molecular mechanisms of DNA replication of cytomegalovirus and is a trained virologist and molecular biologist. She joined Charles River Laboratories developing and validating ligand binding assays for the purposes of bioanalysis and immunogenicity testing in 2009. During her time at Charles River Laboratories she served as the Scientific Director of bioanalytical and molecular biology overseeing the development, validation and sample analysis of a wide range of therapeutics including peptides, antibodies, bispecifics, biosimilars, and gene and cell therapy products. She joined Beam Therapeutics as the Director of preclinical bioanalytics in January of 2023 where she oversees the development of bioanalytical assays including lipid bioanalysis via LC-MS/MS, mRNA and guideRNA bioanalysis via RT-qPCR, base editing via NGS, and various ligand binding assays to measure antibodies, biomarkers, and anti-drug antibodies supporting nonclinical development for all therapeutic areas. She has contributed to multiple manuscripts on the subjects of bioanalysis of biosimilars, bispecifics, and validation of qPCR assays. Kelly has been highly engaged as an AAPS member with a passion for mentoring students and scientists.