Faculty Spotlight: Sophie Snyder, PhD, Joins Kyverna Therapeutics as Senior Director, Market Access, HEOR & Value

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Sophie Snyder‘s career update. In March 2026, Dr. Snyder joined Kyverna Therapeutics as Senior Director, Market Access, HEOR & Value, leading the evidence, modeling, and reimbursement-policy strategy for the pre-launch commercialization of miv-cel (mivocabtagene autoleucel), an autologous CD19 CAR-T therapy in development for stiff person syndrome and generalized myasthenia gravis.

Throughout her 20-year career, Dr. Snyder has focused on the economics of cell and gene therapies—specifically how payment policy, provider economics, and geographic access dictate whether patients can reach one-time, curative-intent treatments. Her leadership experience includes directing integrated U.S. commercial insights at Kite Pharma across Yescarta, Tecartus, and anito-cel, heading market access policy and strategy for gene therapy and pipeline assets at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, and serving as head of modeling and simulation for a specialty HEOR consultancy. Her peer-reviewed research spans economic evaluations of CAR-T therapy by site of care, travel-related burden and access barriers, formulary dynamics, cost-effectiveness in chronic kidney disease, and health insurance coverage in California.

At the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Dr. Snyder teaches Data Analytics – Identifying, Collecting, and Analyzing Data in Healthcare (HPM 441). Second-year EMPH students are currently taking this course in fall quarter.

Mirroring the exact analytic workflows she uses to inform commercial launch strategy in industry, her hands-on course takes students from spreadsheet fundamentals through data structuring, dashboarding in Tableau, and presenting analytic findings to decision-makers. Built around shared, real-world healthcare provider datasets, the curriculum equips working healthcare professionals with the skills needed to solve real operational and policy challenges within their own health systems, plans, and public agencies.

“What inspires me right now is helping to move cell therapy beyond oncology into autoimmune disease. The science is catching up to the promise of a one-time treatment,” she shared. “But a breakthrough only matters if patients can reach it, and that comes down to data: understanding where patients live, what treatment centers can realistically deliver, and how payment policy shapes access. That’s the same lens I bring to HPM 441. Our students are working professionals who already own real problems in health systems, plans, and public agencies. My goal is to give them the data skills to turn those problems into solutions.”

When she isn’t leading market access strategy or guiding Executive MPH students, Dr. Snyder enjoys spending quality time with her kids and staying active outdoors—whether that’s cycling, swimming, running, practicing yoga, or spending time in the garden.