Cliona Rooney, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology and Microbiology, and Immunology and Director of Translational Research Laboratories at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Rooney is renowned virologist and immunologist who, in collaboration with Drs. Heslop and Brenner, was the first to demonstrate that antigen-specific T cells generated in the laboratory could prevent and cure viral-associated malignancies in humans following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. She has been key in extending this successful strategy to develop and clinically test a range of post-transplant viral infections and diseases.

Dr. Rooney serves on the Editorial Boards for several scientific journals, including Molecular Therapy, Cytotherapy, Molecular and Cellular Therapies. Dr. Rooney holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Cambridge and a BSc. in Genetics from the University of East Anglia in England. Dr. Rooney is a co-founder of ViraCyte, LLC.