On Jan. 1, 1989, Targeted Genetics, an Immunex Corp. spin-off in Seattle. which specialized in gene therapy, a frontier area of biotechnology was founded with H. Stewart Parker as CEO.

In 2008, the company’s shares plummeted after a patient died during a clinical trial for its experimental rheumathoid arthritis treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that the company’s treatment did not cause the death. Parker resigned from the company in November, 2008.

Parker has served as a member of Sangamo’s Board of Directors since June 2014. She served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Infectious Disease Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization focused on the development of products for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neglected diseases from March 2011 to January 2014.