A Doctoral Journey Into Cell & Gene Therapy

Posted October 21, 2025October 29, 2025 in Alumni, Computational & Integrative Biology, PhD Students, Stories

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Breakthrough research doesn’t stay in the lab – it shapes careers and creates impact. At Rutgers–Camden, doctoral work in Computational and Integrative Biology led to publication in Nature Chemical Biology and opened the door to opportunities in one of the fastest-growing fields today. That path belongs to Gabriele Skidmore, now advancing cell and gene therapy at Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Read on to see how her journey unfolded and the lessons she carried forward.

From Biology Major to a Fascination with Molecular Detail

My academic background started as a Biology major, but in my junior year, I began taking Biochemistry courses and then added almost the entire traditional chemistry track of courses to my transcript. It was then that I realized I enjoyed understanding physiological processes and how they are driven on a molecular and cellular level. During my lunch hour, I started attending CCIB seminars as an undergrad where graduate students presented their work, and I began to think about how interesting it would be to have a major project like that myself.

The Moment I Pivoted from Medicine to Research

What motivated me to pursue graduate studies in my field was taking Molecular Biology as an undergrad and seeing the power of recombinant DNA technologies (stem cells, viruses, plasmids) that could be used in modulating and personalizing therapies. That’s when I became interested in work in the development or production of such therapies. This completely derailed my original life “plan” as I was pursuing medical school, but then I pivoted to research. Finding a mentor to support my professional growth as a scientist, I felt I found a much better fit for myself.

During graduate school, in my spare time, I would read about a new and rapidly evolving industry most often referred to as “Cell and Gene Therapy.” Currently, there’s a lot of investment put into treating rare genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancers that have failed multiple rounds of traditional chemotherapeutic and radiation treatments. If, like me, you pursue a career in this field, you’d be in a great location for job opportunities as the Greater Philadelphia area is known to be a cell therapy biohub.

CIB [Center for Computational and Integrative Biology] had a huge impact on me — the faculty knew my work, gave me real feedback, and helped me grow as a scientist.
Gabriele Skidmore

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Building a Career in Cell Banking and CAR-T Therapies

I work in Cell Banking at Janssen: Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Our group supports this type of work since we produce the cell banks with HEK293 producer cell lines for viral vector use in our commercial CAR-T products. So, in a way, I feel as though I got to where I wanted to be.

Why Rutgers–Camden Was the Right Fit

I knew that CIB [Center for Computational and Integrative Biology] had a great track record of successfully training students for careers in the biotech industry that I was hoping to get into myself. Partly due to it being such a small program, the faculty really knew you, your work, and frequently gave you positive, constructive feedback on your professional development, even if they weren’t your advisor or committee member. Going to Rutgers–Camden allowed me to stay close to family, which was instrumental in providing me with support and encouragement to get through my studies (sometimes even a free, hot meal was provided).