Management Team
Pluristyx’s executive management team combines over 50 years of rich scientific and commercial expertise in the fields of iPSC manufacturing, stem cell biology, cryopreservation, developmental genetics, and cell therapy project management.
Benjamin Fryer, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Ben Fryer received his Doctorate in Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He has spent 18 years in industrial research, including 14 years as a stem cell scientist on innovative cellular therapeutic project ranging from basic research to translational R&D and clinical manufacturing. He is experienced in cross-functional team management, technical transfers to GMP environment, and managing large and diverse teams. Dr. Fryer has multiple issued and pending patents regarding processing, expanding and differentiating stem cells, and is a co-inventor on the foundational patent application for Semma Therapeutics, Inc.
Jason Carstens, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Jason Carstens has over 20 years of process development, GMP manufacturing, and CMC project management experience in the biotech industry. Prior to Pluristyx, Dr. Carstens was VP of Manufacturing and Development at Nohla Therapeutics, a cell therapy company developing clinical products from hematopoietic stem cells. Dr. Carstens also spent five years as the Director of Cell Therapy Process Development and Manufacturing at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and spent 13 years at CMC Biologics as the Director of Upstream Process Development.
Dr. Carstens has an appointment at the University of Washington as an Affiliate Associate Professor. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington.
Priya Baraniak, PhD
Chief Commercial & Development Officer
Dr. Baraniak holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and dual BSE degrees in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from Duke University. A results-oriented business leader and scientist with 20+ years of experience in regenerative medicine and cell therapy, Dr. Priya Baraniak has a proven track record in product and process development, strategic planning, corporate development, and operational excellence. As a founding member of two biotech startups, she has built and scaled sales and marketing engines, driving aggressive year-over-year revenue growth. Priya has spearheaded process and product development, secured strategic partnerships for aggressive growth and market dominance, and negotiated numerous successful deals. A lifelong learner and innovative problem-solver, she excels at leading cross-functional teams, implementing scalable processes, and fostering a culture of excellence. Passionate about translating scientific advancements into life-saving therapies, Priya is dedicated to improving global health outcomes through cell and gene therapies.
Kaye Reiter, PhD, JD
General Counsel
Kaye D. Reiter, PhD, JD has over 10 years of biotech law experience, counseling pharmaceutical companies and academic and non-profit institutions. She has substantial experience in preparing patent landscape, freedom to operate, and commercialization analyses; assessing intellectual property (IP); identifying strategic partners for growth and negotiating agreements that may develop from those activities. Kaye obtained her PhD in molecular biology from the University of California, Berkeley and then conducted research at a large pharmaceutical company before attending law school at the University of Washington.
After serving as patent associate for both Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati and Davis Wright Tremaine, Dr. Reiter served as Senior Licensing Associate and Technology Manager at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), where she played a significant role in negotiating several high-impact patent licenses and in promoting the establishment of a number of life science companies, including Juno Therapeutics, Nohla Therapeutics, and Rocket Pharma.
