Genes of Interest

Introducing Genes of Interest, our employee spotlight showcasing the individuals behind Forge that make our team unique. 

Getting to know Kristen Ochs, Senior Quality Systems Specialist, Quality Management, Forge Biologics

September 13, 2023 

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail?   
I am a Senior Quality Systems Specialist at Forge. This entails managing and working within our eQMS (electronic Quality Management System), Veeva. I spend my days in our Quality Systems, which means things like building and reviewing change controls, verifying completion of associated change actions, writing or reviewing investigations, and identifying corrective actions. When things don’t go as planned or we need to make improvements to our processes, the Quality Systems team is involved. The purpose of these activities and the Quality System is to ensure that we are able to deliver safe and effective products for clients and patients, and that we are able to continuously improve the way that we are doing things. I get to work with almost every department within Forge since there are Quality Events for a wide variety of processes! 
 
What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily?    
Purpose Driven. It introduces extra meaning to my work to know that we are striving to make a difference in the lives of patients who need the treatments that we are producing. It’s important to me that our purpose and mission is tied to improving the lives of others. I also really relate to the value Hardworking. In everything that I do, I’m committed to making it the best it can be. 
 
What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in gene therapy? 
Be ready to be flexible and keep learning daily. As the field is relatively new and is still evolving, working in gene therapy requires resilience and an open attitude. 
 
Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book?   
I just started watching Jury Duty, but I’m most excited to watch football this fall and winter! Go Irish and Go Bengals! 

What is your favorite snack in the Forge social hub?   
All of the coffee! Especially cold brew. 

Getting to know Ana Belen del Campo, Ph.D., Clinical Trial Manager, Clinical, Forge Biologics 
August 18, 2023 

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail?   
I am a Senior Clinical Trial Manager on the Clinical team. My position includes planning, management, and oversight of Forge´s FBX-101 -RESKUE clinical trial execution. This entails a close collaboration with internal teams like Regulatory, Product Development, and supply chain teams as well as external parties like CROs and sites. This ensures clinical trial activities and deliverables are completed on time and within budget. The main activity I focus on is being available for our clinical sites, so they get the support they need to execute the clinical trials.

What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily? 
The Forge core value that drives me is 'Purpose-driven.' Knowing my work helps to provide some hope for families affected by rare disease...that's what makes me wake up in the morning energized to give my best effort into each new workday. 

Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book?   
I´m currently reading Red Queen, the first in Juan Gómez-Jurado's internationally acclaimed thriller series. Gómez-Jurado (December 1977 Madrid, Spain) is an award winning journalist and bestselling author. He is one of the three most successful contemporary Spanish authors, along with New York Times bestselling authors Javier Sierra and Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Red Queen chronicles the adventures of Antonia Scott. She is an interesting woman with amazing intelligence, who has solved many crimes as an amateur detective. However, certain situations have led her to adopt a totally isolated life. I also hope to read: Black Wolf and White King this summer. 

Favorite business book, TED talk, LinkedIn learning course did you like? Professional development book you’d recommend?   
Discover Your Clifton Strengths a professional development book that my manager recommended to me, and it was very useful to discover the benefits of focusing on our natural talents. It is something that I do not usually do, as I was always told throughout my career to focus on the improvement of those things that are not your strengths. 

Getting to know Becca Kheiry, Automation Engineer, Facilities & Engineering, Forge Biologics 
July 26, 2023 

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail?  

I am an automation engineer here at Forge. My work is currently based on foundational projects to set us up for success once we are ready for larger-scale automation projects. I’m working with a contractor to set up a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and will be maintaining the system after its implementation. I’ve also set up an Automation Steering Committee and worked with our project management team to create a process for anyone to be able to initiate an automation project. As we collect automation ideas, I plan to set up a knowledge base of these ideas so that even if we can’t implement them all right away, we’ll retain the information we have on them until they become feasible. We also plan to create project tools and fine-tune the process and tools so that the planning and implementation phases of our projects can go more smoothly. 
  
What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily?   
Openness. I’ve used the space in this role to start creating opportunities at Forge that I’ve wanted in past jobs. I think the openness of everyone at Forge is what has allowed my work to grow in this way, and I’m really excited about what this means for my career and impact here. I hope I espouse all the core values of Forge, but I think that being Open has allowed me to be more Hardworking, Purpose-Driven, and Engaged. 
  
What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? 

I have a huge interest in cosmetic chemistry and probably would have ended up as a cosmetic chemist if I hadn’t been an engineer! As it is, I probably know a bit more about skin and haircare than the average consumer, including a lot of typically “boring” stuff like FDA regulations and the strength of the evidence behind a lot of popular ingredients/trends. 
  
Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book?  
Right now, I’m reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown and I also just started The Four by Thabet J. Ma’oun. 
  
Favorite business book, TED talk, LinkedIn learning course did you like? Professional development book you’d recommend?  

I didn’t read a book on it, but hearing a podcast reference and explain “The 5 second rule” from Mel Robbins (not related to food or floors) was really helpful for me! 

Getting to know Caitlin Jones, Ph.D., Scientist I, Product Development at Forge Biologics
July 10, 2023

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail? 
I am a scientist on the product development team, and I work on developing our therapeutic candidates as well as bringing new technologies and capabilities online for the company. Day to day, this can be anything from evaluating biodistribution studies to assay development or combing the literature to find an answer to a problem. It’s an exciting role to be in because I get to work on a lot of different things!

What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily? 
The Forge core value that drives me daily is being Purpose-driven. It’s incredibly meaningful to me to work in a field that directly benefits people who need gene therapies. Day to day, it can be easy to get lost in the minutiae of experiments and problem-solving, but ultimately, I always remember that my work has the potential to benefit people and I’m very grateful for that.

What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in gene therapy?
I didn’t have a background in gene therapy before joining Forge – I primarily worked in cancer research. My advice would be to not discount your experience if you’re coming from a different background, because your skills likely translate and you may have unique skills that complement the rest of the team well. (Also, it never hurts to brush up on your literature searching or your statistics!)

Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book?  
I just finished rereading A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, a sci-fi novel with some fascinating political intrigue and exploration into institutional memory and how language reflects culture.

What is your favorite snack in the Forge social hub?  
Definitely the Nature Valley blueberry muffin tops, though the peanut butter cracker sandwiches are a close second – they remind me of being a kid!

Getting to know Tony Rivett, Senior Manager, Client Development at Forge Biologics

June 14, 2023

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail?
I’m a Senior Manager on the Client Development team. We spend a lot of time at conferences representing Forge and how we can help clients achieve their goal of getting treatments to patients. We speak with clients and highlight the incredible scientific knowledge, technology, and capabilities we have at Forge. We highlight what makes Forge so different from other CDMOs. 

What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily?
They are all very important to me, but probably Purpose-Driven. I am very fortunate to work with incredible people doing incredible things. I always try to focus on the purpose of the work we are all doing and keep the goal in mind—to get a treatment to patients where little or no treatment existed before. 

What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in gene therapy?
Pursue it! I’ve been fortunate to work in the pharmaceutical industry for years before joining Forge and that felt incredibly fulfilling, but nothing compares to Forge and gene therapy. I’ve heard so many incredible stories in my almost two years at Forge. We need more incredible minds, more people that are propelled by passion, more people who are really set on making a difference.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I hosted my own radio show in college with my roommates. It was called the Big T & RP Show and it was me and two of my roommates. I had to pitch my idea to the department that was running the radio station. It was the inaugural year of the radio show, so I think they took a chance to have three friends sit around and talk for hours with sound effects and people calling in. It was an absolute blast and one of the highlights of my college experience. 

Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book?
No. I watched the Last of Us and loved it. I’m looking forward to the second season of House of the Dragon. 

Favorite business book, TED talk, LinkedIn learning course did you like? Professional development book you’d recommend?
The TED Talk Grit by Angela Duckworth.

What is your favorite snack in the Forge social hub?
Coffee, endless flowing coffee.

Who inspires you?
This is tough. My parents and my wife all inspire me. I grew up in a house where both of my parents worked really hard, but my mom probably stands out because she would work the night shift as a registered nurse from 11pm to 7am when my brothers and I were little. She would be home to see us off to school and then nap until noon, get everything done around the house, make sure we were all fed and cared for, sleep for a few hours at night and then go back to work. She did that for 10 years. She’s also incredibly kind and has never said no when I need her to watch my kids while I travel. Her name is Joy, and she lives true to her name. 

Getting to know Ebrima Kanteh, GMP Manufacturing Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Forge Biologics
May 30, 2023

What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily? 
All four core values drive my approach to work and interaction with my colleagues. “Purpose-driven” speaks to my core, I love the idea that my actions impact lives both at work and beyond. Dedication at work sets a positive pace which translates to productivity. When we are productive, we impact and improve lives with the quality of our work.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? 
I speak 4 languages. In the right environment, I start a sentence in one language and finish it in another.

Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book? 
I am currently reading Kingdom of Bones by James Rollins. I just like his style of writing, mostly the figurative expressions.

What is your favorite snack in the Forge social hub?

My favorite snack is Kind Minis (Caramel Almond & Sea Salt).

Getting to know Eowyn Livengood, Upstream GMP Technician at Forge Biologics
May 2, 2023

What is your position at Forge and what does it usually entail? 
I am an Upstream GMP Technician! I work in cell culture and with bioreactors. Simply put, Upstream is all about increasing the volume of cells in a specific environment. The product, or Gene Of Interest (GOI), is inside the cell, so to get it out, we have cut it open or lyse the cell. This prepares the packaged GOI for Downstream processes.

What Forge core value (HOPE) drives you daily? 
My favorite is Open. Collaboration and transparency are so crucial to what we’re doing and gives us a definite edge. It also makes work go by before you know it! To me, being Open makes it easier to be Hardworking and, through communicating with your coworkers, shows you the Purpose that drives why we do what we do. Also, through collaboration, you can learn from those around you, and grow together. Openness has shown me how much gene therapies mean on a personal level to the individuals around me and this inspires me to seek excellence.

What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in gene therapy?
This goes for nearly any field, but try to meet people in the field and treat everyone with dignity and importance, especially if you’re above them in position. Do things the right way and follow GMP, even when it’s late, you’re hungry, or you have some place to be. It’s better to seek help or for someone to relieve you than to rush. Also, ask questions!

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? 
I was part of the group that discovered Photinus carolinus (Synchronous Lightning Bugs) in Northern Mississippi and I got arrested in the TV show, "NCIS: New Orleans" (it’s just acting, I swear!).

Are you currently binge-watching any shows or reading a good book? 
"Severance" (on Apple TV) is a show I’ve watched twice already and am watching now for the third time. Highly recommended and very quotable! For books, I like Near A Thousand Tables by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up by Marie Kondo, and am currently reading Run To The Light by Laura King Edwards. I like books that change the way you look at things.

Favorite business book, TED talk, LinkedIn learning course did you like? Professional development book you’d recommend?
Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, and Heen.

What is your favorite snack in the Forge social hub?
Sour Cream & Onion Lays or the oranges!

Who inspires you?
This is a tough question, as different people inspire me for different qualities. In general, though, I would say my dad, Timothy Livengood. He’s a very kind and humble person. His work ethic is insane, as he is often at work 12 hours a day, then works on the house or the car when he’s home, and he rarely complains about it. You’ll never see him angry, and he will probably shake your hand for too long. He’s a loving person to both animals and everyone around him. He frequently talks about safety while building rockets for NASA under Boeing and leads a team in doing so. He’s incredibly smart, but he listens to you like he has something to learn from your every word. I wish everyone could meet him.