Talent looking to join Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy hub can hear firsthand from those living and working here about the types of opportunities the industry offers and the region’s quality of life. So far, seven talent ambassadors have shared their stories as part of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s “Discovery Starts with Me” series.

The most recent talent ambassador to talk about discovery in Greater Philadelphia is Dr. Lindsey George, an attending physician in the Division of Hematology and Director of Clinical In Vivo Gene Therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), as well as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Dr. George’s Greater Philadelphia journey began when she joined CHOP for her fellowship training, after a pediatric residency at Cornell. “I moved to Philadelphia specifically to work at CHOP, and assumed I would move back to New York when my training was over,” Dr. George said. “However, I fell in love with Philadelphia and have been here ever since.”

Here, she saw momentum, and because many of the gene-based therapy companies were founded by people in academics from the Philadelphia area, she saw a great interplay between academics and industry that she said creates an intellectual hub. “The sheer number of institutions and talent working in Greater Philadelphia’s life sciences creates a synergy unique to our region.”

As with the other talent ambassadors in the “Discovery Starts with Me” series, Dr. George shared her research focus and the impact it has on people’s lives.

“At work, I see patients with benign hematologic disorders, with a focus on disorders of abnormal bleeding, such as hemophilia. My lab studies the basic mechanisms of how blood clots, with the goal of translating this understanding to develop gene-based therapies for patients with hemophilia.”

“Every day there’s a connection to what we do in the lab and what we can do to help patients,” she said.

“Not only do I feel right at home working in this life sciences ecosystem,” she added, “I also love how livable the area is.” Some of her favorite local activities include attending an Eagles football game, exploring Philadelphia’s historic sites, watching the holiday light show at City Hall, and spending time in downtown Haddonfield, N.J., where she lives, just a 30-minute commute to CHOP.

“It is so exciting to live in an environment where my family can grow, and where there is such dedication to advance the cell and gene therapy space with a critical mass of both talent and resources that span the academic and private sector,” Dr. George said.

You can watch Dr. George’s “Discovery Starts with Me” video here.