Salmon leads the preclinical sciences team at the IO-CT TRC, which develops cell therapies for blood cancers and solid tumors. Harrington reports into Salmon’s team as part of the cellular therapy preclinical biology team, which leads the in vitro characterization of the company’s CAR T cell therapies before they move on to clinical development.
“Seeing our therapies go from the invention stage all the way into patients has been really exciting,” Harrington said.
Salmon and Harrington built a friendly rapport following their lunch break in the kitchen, and Harrington found herself reaching out to Salmon for support during a particularly demanding project.
“I went to Ruth and told her I needed help and she totally took me under her wing,” Harrington said. “She really stepped in and when I needed her, she always made time for me.” Eventually, a department restructuring resulted in Harrington reporting directly to Salmon, and the mentorship developed from there, Harrington said.
The pair has worked on a number of projects together, including cell therapies in the areas of acute myeloid leukemia and myeloma, and both have leaned on and learned from each other along the way. Salmon and Harrington have both seen each other shine through their collaborations.
“I think I've learned as much from Kim as she says she has from me,” Salmon said. “The way that she approaches problem solving and her exceptional leadership skills together with how she engages different stakeholders along the way, it really brings all the pieces of the puzzle together. I really appreciate the broad and open-minded approach that Kim brings to these scientific challenges.”
Hear Ruth describe what she’s learned from Kim
