ESGCT 2025 | EURO GCT
You never know who you’ll meet at #ESGCT2025! Aaron had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Anna Couturier, PhD, Head of Research, Development, and Strategy at Euro GCT, about how her team is lowering barriers so more people can understand and connect with cell and gene therapy.
Anna’s background blends social and computer science, giving her a unique lens on how information (and misinformation) spreads—and how to make sure the right insights reach the right people. 💡 Fun fact: EuroGCT works with 47 partners across Europe, from researchers and ethicists to artists and patient advocates, all focused on making gene and cell therapy accessible for everyone!
Watch the full conversation to hear how Anna and the EuroGCT team are helping gene and cell therapy make sense to those of us outside the lab.
-
Aaron: Hello everybody, we are here at ESGCT and I'm in the EuroGCT booth. I have just met a really special and very talented person—her name is Anna. You're originally from the States, but you're now in the UK representing EuroGCT. Why don't you tell everybody what you do?
Anna: I am Dr. Anna Couturier, the Head of Research, Development, and Strategy at EuroGCT. EuroGCT is the European consortium for communicating cell and gene therapy information. To put it simply, we lower barriers of engagement for non-experts to be able to engage with these therapies.
Aaron: I love that. And you told me a few moments ago that you have a massive network of partners?
Anna: We have 47 partners from across Europe. That includes researchers, institutes, learned societies, patient advocacy organizations, ethicists, social scientists, makers, and artists. We want to make sure this work gets outside of conference settings and into the real world.
Aaron: My background is actually in the arts, but yours is quite unique for this setting. You focus on AI, correct?
Anna: Yeah, I’m a bit of a weird one because I’m a social and computer scientist by background. I’ve spent the last 10 years embedded within the gene and cell therapy community trying to understand how they work and, more importantly, how information about their work disseminates through to the rest of the world.
Aaron: I’d love to hear how you got into this specific niche.
Anna: I was working with a group in the UK called Spotlight YOPD, which is for early-onset Parkinson's. A patient advocate once asked me, "Anna, you're a computer person. Why is it that I keep getting ads for gambling when I'm searching for anything?"
It turns out Parkinson’s affects your ability to create dopamine, which can lead to seeking behaviors like gambling. I realized this person was being targeted by algorithms because of their condition. That spurned my doctoral research, which has been implemented through EuroGCT: how do we use AI-mediated systems to get the right information where it needs to go?
Aaron: That is fascinating. How does that knowledge inspire your current work?
Anna: This community of scientists is always motivated by the end goal: getting effective treatments to people who often have no other options. But matters of accessibility are huge. We have to realize what happens when our work moves out of the lab and into everyone's lives. I’m incredibly proud of the European Commission for supporting our work to ensure these therapies are understood for their amazing potential.
Aaron: If you had to describe what you’re doing at EuroGCT in just one word—or maybe a hyphenated one—what would it be?
Anna: Lowering-barriers. Aaron: I wish we could do that across the entire world!
Anna: We work in seven different languages and across all stakeholder groups. We also do a lot of training for early career researchers to help them communicate their research to non-experts. Seeing their enthusiasm is one of the most privileged positions I am in.
Aaron: It’s so important because what scientists do in the lab eventually hits the digital space or the halls of government, where people might not have a science background.
Anna: Exactly. If you’re talking to a parliamentarian, the last time they were in a science classroom they were 14 or 15. Do they know what a viral vector is? Probably not. Research priorities and funding are influenced by what people understand.
Aaron: Do you have any advice for folks just starting out in the life sciences?
Anna: Think pre-competitively. What unites us is a lot more than what divides us. My biggest piece of advice is: be generous with your insight. The more generous you are, the more you bring people on board and the more opportunities open up for you down the line.
Aaron: Last question. What is one word to describe ESGCT for you?
Anna: Privilege. Every time I'm here, the conversations I have make a huge difference in how I understand the world and how I do my work.
Aaron: It’s a privilege to meet you, Anna. Thank you for joining us!