Jim Johnston

Jim Johnston PhD, is CSO and COO of ImmPACT Bio Ltd, a CAR-T cell therapy company based in LA. Jim was a co-founder and CSO of Kalthera LLC, a T cell therapy company based on IP derived from UCLA. Kalthera merged with ImmPACT in July 2021.

He was previously, Vice President of Research at A2 Biotherapeutics, focused on T cell and Treg bioengineering therapy and prior to that was Executive Director of Research, Global Head of Inflammation at Amgen with responsibility for Inflammation and part of Immuno-Oncology (2011-2018), where his team was responsible for ten drug candidates that progressed to FIH, seven of which are advancing through clinical trials (AMG 430, AMG 510, AMG 966, Rozibafusp Alfa (AMG 570), Efavaleukin Alfa (AMG 592), AMG 282 and Tezepelumab). He made several key discoveries – including the identification and characterization of JAK3 and work that outlined its importance in IL-2 family signaling and in autosomal SCID patients, as well as many mechanisms controlling T cell biology and cytokine signaling. Jim has been awarded the Most Valuable Scientist award at the BRMP, NIH (1996), the Hajime Award at DNAX Research Institute, (1999) and the Irish Society of Immunology RDS Public Lecture Award (2010). He founded and was Chief Scientist at Fusion Antibodies Ltd, a company that develops humanized antibody therapeutics (www.fusionantibodies.com). He has 15 patents and has authored >130 peer reviewed manuscripts.