Cynthia Kuan

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Cynthia has over 13 years of experience in building and managing innovative programs. She is seasoned in alliance management, strategic planning, program development, staffing, and financial oversight. She is passionate about the development of regenerative medicine therapies and advancing their accessibility and affordability in a coherent and credible manner. Prior to joining the ARM Foundation for Cell and Gene Medicine, she was the founding business operations manager of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego. From 2014 – 2021, she helped secure over $71 million CIRM funding for basic science, translational medicine, and clinical trials at UC San Diego. She also expanded the institution’s first stem cell outpatient clinic, increasing patient volume by tenfold and pivoting the clinic to its multi-specialty status. Prior to her work at UCSD, she helped build a Chinese immersion charter school in Washington DC and a social service program in Los Angeles. She currently serves on the executive board of the Association for Women in Science’s San Diego chapter.

Cynthia’s current assignments are the ARM Foundation Health and Economic Impact (HEI) and State Rare Disease Educational Initiative (STRiDE) projects.