In last week’s episode of The Genetics Podcast, Patrick spoke with Jocelynn Pearl, Director of Cancer Cell Therapy at the TAM Center. With a career spanning genomics, biotech, and decentralized science, Jocelynn has a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, research, and patient care. From her early work in systems biology to her current role in cancer immunotherapy, she shares her thoughts on how research is evolving and where it’s headed next.
Jocelynn’s career began in systems biology, studying how multiple layers of biological data, genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics interact to shape disease progression. Working at the Institute for Systems Biology, she focused on understanding the transition from health to disease and the importance of tracking biological changes over time.
Since her time in academia, Jocelynn has witnessed a shift in the field. What was once considered a niche, experimental approach has now become widely accepted, with multi-omics now playing a central role in fields like cancer research and precision medicine. Advances in sequencing technology, data integration, and computational biology have made it easier than ever to analyze diseases from multiple angles, offering better options for patient care.
After her postdoctoral work on T cell engineering, Jocelynn made a move into biotech, working on epigenetic editing and cancer immunotherapy. She'd always been drawn to applied science and using research to develop tangible treatments that directly impact patients. Reflecting on the divide between academia and industry, she notes that while they were once viewed as entirely separate paths, today both sectors are recognized as critical to advancing science, and researchers much more often move between the two.
During the pandemic, Jocelynn became involved in the Decentralized Science (DeSci) movement, which explores new ways to fund, organize, and conduct scientific research. The traditional funding model (grants, venture capital, and institutional backing) has limitations, particularly for early-stage ideas and underfunded fields like rare disease research.
Decentralized science uses blockchain technology and crowdfunding models to pool resources from communities and individuals who are passionate about specific research areas. Because of this, it allows for:
Jocelynn helped launch UltraRareBio, a project that mapped out the DeSci ecosystem and put together open-source resources to help researchers explore new ways of funding their work. She also worked with LabDAO, an initiative aimed at building an online marketplace where scientists anywhere in the world can access computational biology tools and lab resources, without traditional institutional support.
While DeSci is still just starting out, it offers an alternative to traditional research funding, especially for families affected by rare diseases, who too often find themselves waiting for big institutions to prioritize their conditions.
Jocelynn’s latest chapter has taken her to Mexico, where she is leading cancer immunotherapy programs at the TAM Center. For Jocelynn, this has been a real opportunity to push the boundaries of cancer treatment while reducing costs and improving accessibility.
In the US, the cost of CAR T-cell therapy hovers around $500,000 per dose. That high price tag makes it inaccessible to most patients worldwide. However, Jocelynn’s work in Mexico focuses on lowering the cost by:
While regulatory oversight is still very important, the Mexican healthcare system offers a different framework that allows for more flexibility in bringing experimental treatments to patients sooner. By focusing on cost reduction and efficiency, her team hopes to make advanced cancer therapies more widely available in the not too distant future.
Throughout the conversation, Jocelynn emphasizes the need for innovation not just in science, but in how we conduct and fund research. Whether through multi-omics, decentralized funding, or rethinking the drug development process, she is constantly exploring new models that break away from conventional limitations.
Looking ahead, she sees an era where cancer immunotherapies become more affordable, scientific research becomes more open, and patients play a more active role in funding and guiding medical innovation.
Listen now: