The technology here is unique. It is very different from what I had worked on before. This is patient-specific and gives me a connection to the actual patient. The idea of taking out a tumor — something perceived to be so negative — and extracting something positive to provide back to the patient is very rewarding. When a vaccine we’ve made stimulates a patient’s immune system and provides benefit, it’s a very personal connection for me. It’s like I’m helping a patient directly.

We talk about how important this is, and how critical it is to get it right the first time. We’ve also made huge advances in increasing yields. We can now make two to five times more vaccine from the same amount of tumor. That means people with smaller tumors get more vials, more vaccine, more chance of success.

It is a challenging work atmosphere. Things don’t stay stagnant here; we see a lot of progress. It’s always a fast road, but we’re always making progress. It’s a rewarding job because you have the sense that you’re doing good, creating benefit in this world.