Alicia Didsbury

Immunologist and Translational Scientist, Translational Cell Therapy Team, The University of Auckland

Alicia Didsbury is an immunologist and translational scientist working to establish accessible cell therapy for New Zealand. She leads the Translational Cell Therapy Team in Professor Rod Dunbar’s laboratory at the University of Auckland, where her research focuses on the development, scale-up, and clinical translation of novel immune cell therapies. Alicia is also the Cell and Gene Therapy Programme Lead at Te Aka, Centre for Cancer Research, where she is spearheading the development of a national CGT platform to enable local GMP manufacturing and first-in-human trials of advanced therapies. 

Her work bridges research, clinical implementation, and policy, and includes cross-sector engagement with academic, clinical, regulatory, and industry stakeholders. Alicia has a particular interest in expanding access to cutting-edge therapies through collaborative infrastructure, and is involved in multiple national and international initiatives to support the growth of cell and gene therapy ecosystems.
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She serves as a trustee of the New Zealand Ovarian Cancer Foundation and holds leadership roles within the International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), where she contributes to global working groups focused on mentorship, workforce development, and regulatory affairs.
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