Katherine High
CRISPR TherapeuticsAbout Katherine A. High, M.D.
Katherine A. High is a 73-year-old independent director at CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), serving since June 2019. She is a gene therapy pioneer who co-founded Spark Therapeutics and led its R&D, with prior academic leadership at CHOP and Penn; she holds an A.B. in chemistry from Harvard, an M.D. from UNC, a business certificate from UNC, and an honorary M.A. from Penn. She became CEO and board member of RhyGaze AG (private biotech) in December 2024 and serves on the board of Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq: INCY) since March 2020 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark Therapeutics, Inc. | Co-founder; President; Head of R&D | President Sep 2014–Dec 2019; Head of R&D Sep 2017–Feb 2020 | Led development of gene therapy programs; executive leadership |
| Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio), a Bayer subsidiary | President, Therapeutics; Board member | Jan 2021–Dec 2022 | Executive oversight of therapeutics portfolio |
| Rockefeller University | Visiting Professor | Jan 2023–Dec 2024 | Academic engagement |
| Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) | Director, Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics | 2004–2014 | Built translational gene therapy center |
| University of Pennsylvania (Perelman School of Medicine) | Professor | 2004–2014 | Gene & cell therapy research leadership |
| FDA Advisory Committee on Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapies | Member | 2000–2005 | Regulatory advisory service |
| American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy | Past President | N/A | Professional society leadership |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Start Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RhyGaze AG (private biotech) | Chief Executive Officer; Board Member | Dec 2024 | Private company leadership |
| Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq: INCY) | Director | Mar 2020 | Public company directorship |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. High is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments: Member, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (continues following 2025 election); not a chair .
- Attendance: The Board met five times in 2024; each director then in office attended at least 75% of Board and relevant committee meetings; Nominating Committee held one meeting in 2024 .
- Board leadership context: CEO also serves as Board Chair; Douglas A. Treco, Ph.D. is Lead Independent Director, with responsibilities including executive sessions and shareholder engagement .
Fixed Compensation (Non-Employee Director)
| Element | Policy Amount | Dr. High – Actual 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Board cash retainer | $50,000 | $52,926 | Policy retainer for all non-employee directors; actual cash earned reflects role and proration |
| Committee member fee – Nominating | $5,000 | Included in cash total | Committee chair fee is $10,000; High serves as member, not chair |
| Audit Committee member fee | $10,000 | N/A | Not a member |
| Compensation Committee member fee | $7,500 | N/A | Not a member |
| Lead Independent Director fee | $15,000 | N/A | LID is Treco, not High |
| Reimbursement | Reasonable travel expenses | N/A | Standard policy |
Performance Compensation (Equity; time-based)
| Element | Terms | Dr. High – 2024/Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual option grant | 13,000 options to returning directors | 2024 grant reflected in ASC 718 fair value $409,680 | Annual grant vests in 12 equal monthly installments; expires 10 years; strike at FMV |
| Initial option grant (new director) | 26,000 options | N/A (initial grant at first election) | Vests monthly over three years; expires 10 years; strike at FMV |
| Vesting acceleration | Death/disability or sale event | Applies to director options | Automatic acceleration upon specified events |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to CRSP | Interlock/Conflict Note |
|---|---|---|
| Incyte Corporation (INCY) | Unrelated therapeutic company | No CRSP related-party transactions disclosed involving High |
| Bayer linkage (context) | CRSP director Christian Rommel is EVP & Global Head of R&D at Bayer Pharma | High previously led therapeutics at AskBio (Bayer subsidiary), 2021–2022; potential network ties, but no related-party transactions disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Gene therapy and cell therapy domain leadership (Spark co-founder; CHOP/Penn leadership; former FDA advisory committee member; ASGCT past president) .
- Executive and translational R&D experience across academia and industry; recognized scientific credentials .
- Current biotech CEO (RhyGaze) and public company board experience (Incyte) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | As-of Date | Value | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (shares) | Mar 15, 2025 | 93,000 | Less than 1% of shares outstanding; consists entirely of options exercisable within 60 days |
| Options held (count) | Dec 31, 2024 | 88,667 | Options to purchase common stock held as of year-end 2024 |
| Hedging/Pledging | Policy prohibition | Prohibited | Directors may not hedge or pledge company securities; no margin use |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee role: High is an independent director, serving on the Nominating Committee; governance expertise complements CRSP’s needs in succession planning and board composition .
- Engagement: Board met five times in 2024; all directors met the ≥75% attendance threshold; Nominating Committee met once, indicating structured board evaluation and nominations oversight .
- Compensation mix and alignment: Director pay is modest cash plus time-based options (annual 13,000 options), aligning director interests with shareholders while avoiding performance-based equity that could bias oversight; 2024 cash fees of $52,926 and option grant fair value $409,680 for High .
- Shareholder oversight of pay: Swiss-law binding votes set maximum Board cash ($670,000) and equity ($12,389,198) for the 2025–2026 term; U.S. say‑on‑pay for executives received ~75% support in 2024, signaling moderate investor scrutiny of compensation practices .
- Potential conflicts or related-party exposure: No related-party transactions disclosed involving High; note potential network ties via Bayer given another CRSP director’s Bayer executive role and High’s prior AskBio service, but no transactions cited; policy requires Audit Committee review of any related person transactions .
- Structural considerations: Combined CEO/Chair structure poses oversight risk; mitigated by a robust Lead Independent Director charter (Treco) and independent committee chairs .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed for High specifically (no hedging/pledging, no related-party transactions, attendance above threshold). Monitor potential perception risk from Bayer-linked network ties and continued reliance on time-based option grants absent explicit performance criteria .
Overall, Katherine High’s deep gene therapy credentials and independence, coupled with equity-linked director compensation and prohibitions on hedging/pledging, support investor confidence; vigilance is warranted on board structure (CEO=Chair) and any future Bayer-adjacent interactions, though none are currently disclosed .