Meet the Speakers
J. Ryan Shaw, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, CPP is a clinical pharmacist practitioner of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy at the University of North Carolina Medical Center and an adjunct assistant professor of Clinical Education at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Tatjana Grgic, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, is a stem cell transplant and cell therapy pharmacist and pharmacy specialist at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rhianna Marusek, MHA, is a program manager of Genetics and Gene Therapy at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rebecca Davis, MSN, RN, BMTCN, is the clinical director of Bone Marrow Transplant/Cellular Therapy, Genetics & Malignant Hematology programs at UNC Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
In this episode, Tatjana Grgic, PharmD; J. Ryan Shaw, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, CPP; Rebecca Davis, MSN, RN, BMTCN; and Rhianna Marusek, MHA, come together to discuss the complex process of operationalizing cell and gene therapy at an academic medical center. The conversation covers everything from the early days of commercial cellular therapy onboarding, which once took upward of eighteen months, to the streamlined, centralized intake processes that have since been developed to bring new products online more efficiently. The panelists highlight the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration, early engagement of legal, financial, and operational teams, and the importance of having a clear, formalized structure to manage the growing number of therapies entering the market.
The discussion also touches on the clinical side of cell and gene therapy delivery, including staff training, patient and caregiver education, toxicity management, and transitions of care. The panel shares how UNC has leveraged technology, robust data management, and strong referral networks to support both patient outcomes and institutional growth—including being the first clinic to receive the National Pinnacle Award for patient satisfaction. As the field continues to expand beyond oncology into autoimmune diseases and other areas, the panelists emphasize that success in this space truly takes a village and encourage other institutions to engage pharmacy early, build connected relationships across departments, and not be intimidated by the complexity of bringing that first therapy on board.
