Leadership (and Life) Lessons from the Pacific Crest Trail

Kristen Hege retired from her biopharma executive role at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and her academic hematology practice at UC San Francisco in 2023 to pursue her lifelong dream of thru hiking the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada with her husband.

In this unique presentation, she reflects on her pioneering 30-year history with research and development of CAR-T cell immunotherapy for cancer, from the dawn of this breakthrough field at Cell Genesys, a startup Bay Area biotech company in the 1990s, to Celgene, and ultimately BMS. A career highlight was overseeing the development of Abecma, the first BCMA targeted CAR-T cell treatment for multiple myeloma, a program that she led from target identification to FDA approval.

She will also share her Pacific Crest Trail story and reflections on leadership lessons learned from this grand adventure that should resonate with all who pursue high-risk endeavors in science and medicine. Finally, she will reflect on her efforts to turn her PCT hike into a philanthropic effort to support and advance the next generation of women physicians and scientists working on cancer immunotherapy. This fundraising initiative is named in honor of her mother, a pioneering physician who was the only woman to graduate from her medical school class at Univ. Pennsylvania in 1953.

Speaker Bio

Kristen Hege is an accomplished biotechnology executive and independent board director. She currently serves as an Independent Board Member for Mersana Therapeutics, Adaptimmune, Kelonia Therapeutics, KSQ Therapeutics, and EvolveImmune Therapeutics. She served as a Clinical Professor of Medicine in Hematology at the University of California, San Francisco. Previously, Kristen was Senior Vice President of Early Clinical Development for Hematology, Oncology, and Cell Therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb.

Date and Time:
September 24, 2026
5:30-7:45 PM

5:30-6:00 PM: Registration, networking, light refreshments
6:00-7:00 PM: Keynote presentation
7:00-7:15 PM: Q&A
7:15-7:45 PM: Networking reception, light refreshments

Location:
Seismic Therapeutic, 250 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472

Cost:
Members: $15; Non-Members: $30

Given our mission is to promote women's development in STEM we would like to offer a free spot in our workshops to those in transition between jobs or who cannot afford the ticket price. Please contact [email protected] if you qualify.