CASSS is excited to announce the winner of the 2026 Cell and Gene Therapy Products Next-Generation Investigator (NGI) Award. The CGTP Symposium brings together industry, regulatory, and academic professionals to discuss pertinent challenges in the cell and gene therapy field. Next Generation Investigator Awards are an excellent opportunity for graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early-career industrial scientists to meet, network, and participate in exchanging knowledge with industry peers from across the world, with waived registration and grants to offset travel expenses.
The 2026 award winner is Prerana Pathak, Biogen.
Prerana Pathak, Biogen.
Prerana Pathak joined Biogen after receiving her Master’s in biotechnology from Northeastern University, and she quickly became a critical contributor to the Analytical Development team, supporting both protein and ene therapy pipelines. Her passion, however, has always been centered on understanding the biological mechanisms that drive adeno-associated virus (AAV) function - particularly the early steps of the infection pathway that ultimately influence product potency and clinical performance. To deepen her scientific training, Prerana is pursuing an industry PhD in chemistry at Northeastern University under the guidance of Dr. Penny Beuning, Chair of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department.
Learn More About the Cell and Gene Therapy Products Symposium.