Delaware BioScience Association Names New Board Members

Organization elects scientific and educational leaders

NEWARK (July 17, 2024) – The Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio) announced the election of Natalia Rivera-Torres, Ph.D., of ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute and Bruce Sachais, M.D., Ph.D., of the Blood Bank of Delmarva and New York Blood Center Enterprises to its board of directors. 

Natalia Rivera-Torres is a principal investigator and co-leader of translational research within Christiana Care’s Gene Editing Institute. Dr. Rivera-Torres is considered a rising star in the field of human gene editing whose work has led to a fundamental understanding of how gene repair is carried out in human cells. She was a major force in discovering how the natural diversity among patients can modulate the success of gene editing in human cells. She is also credited with the discovery of a process known as ExACT (EXcision And Corrective Therapy), which is currently being developed as a therapeutic modality. She received her BA in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras campus, her MS in Biology from Delaware State University and her Ph.D.  in Medical and Molecular Sciences from the University of Delaware.  She currently holds faculty appointments at the University of Delaware and Mayo Clinic, where she has taught and serves on graduate student thesis committees.

Bruce Sachais is Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for The New York Blood Center Enterprises, as well as the Medical Director for the Blood Bank of Delmarva.  He also directs the Translational Research and Development Laboratory located in Newark Delaware. He was recently appointed as an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences at the University of Delaware and continues to serve on the advisory board for that department. After receiving his BA in Chemistry from Lehigh University, he earned his MD/PhD (Neuroscience) from Washington University in St. Louis.  He completed his clinical pathology residency and his transfusion and apheresis medicine fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he remained as faculty, attaining the rank of Associate Professor before moving to NYBC. He has co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed publications and is a past member of the AABB CTMC.

“Delaware Bio’s continued success supporting our member organizations and growing the life science ecosystem relies on ensuring we bring new, diverse talent and expertise to the Board,” said Chris Yochim, Delaware Bio board chair. “Bruce and Natalia’s expertise in clinical medicine and cutting-edge gene editing and their understanding of the importance of translational medicine will greatly strengthen our ability to support companies, researchers and entrepreneurs developing innovative therapies and technologies that benefit patients and society.”