Press releases. Seattle, WA - Aug 3, 2026 Benaroya Research Institute appoints new principal investigator Edward Irvine, PhD. Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), a world leader in human immunology research, welcomed the addition of Edward Irvine, PhD, as principal investigator and assistant member in the Center for Systems Immunology. "We are very excited to welcome Dr. Irvine," said Jane Buckner, MD, president of BRI. "His research brings new and innovative expertise to BRI. We look forward to seeing how his background in protein engineering and AI helps advance our vision of a healthy immune system for all." The Irvine Lab will combine protein engineering, AI and immunology to study how antibodies communicate with immune cells. A major focus of the lab will be the antibody Fc domain, which helps determine how the immune system responds after an antibody recognizes its target. By uncovering the rules that connect Fc sequence and structure to immune function, the lab aims to design antibodies that direct immune responses with greater precision and support the development of therapies that restore and protect immune health. "I came to BRI because it brings together outstanding scientists and clinicians whose expertise spans many areas of immunology. That creates real opportunities to think creatively about where engineered antibodies could have the greatest impact. I was also drawn to how boldly BRI thinks about what is possible for patients. It truly is an inspiring place to launch a new research program, and I'm excited to contribute," said Dr. Irvine. Prior to joining BRI, Dr. Irvine completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with the Laboratory for Systems and Synthetic Immunology led by Sai Reddy, PhD, at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. During his fellowship, he used protein engineering and AI to develop novel platforms to predict and engineer immune function. Dr. Irvine holds a doctorate in biological sciences in public health with a concentration in immunology and infectious diseases from Harvard University. About Benaroya Research Institute. Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) is a world leader in human immune system research, working to advance the science that will predict, prevent, reverse and cure immune system diseases like allergies, asthma, cancer and autoimmune diseases. BRI accelerates discovery through laboratory breakthroughs in immunology that are then translated to clinical therapies. Benaroya Research Institute believe that a breakthrough in one immune system disease can lead to progress against them all, and work tirelessly toward its vision of a healthy immune system for everyone. BRI is an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and based in Seattle.

Tech Moves covers notable hires, promotions and personnel changes in the Pacific NW tech community. Submissions: [email protected] Cotter. (Dave Cotter Photo)— Dave Cotter, a longtime Seattle tech leader who sold a startup to Nordstrom and most recently led product at Leafly, launched a new advisory firm called D3 Advisors.“After 30+ years in the operational trenches, I’m now focusing on advising and consulting with startup founders, CEOs, and VC’s, helping them turn great ideas into great companies,” Cotter wrote in a blog post.Cotter was chief product officer at Seattle-based cannabis data and marketplace company Leafly for more than three years before departing in January 2023. He previously co-founded an e-commerce message startup called MessageYes that was acquired by Nordstrom in 2018.Cotter also has exec experience at Amazon, Zulily, SquareHub, and RealNetworks. He’s currently board chair at the Washington Technology Industry Association, and serves on the board of the Technology Alliance.— Johanna Faries, former GM of Call of Duty at Activision, was named president of Blizzard Entertainment. The new role comes as Microsoft just announced a 9% layoff affecting nearly 2,000 employees in its gaming division, three months after the tech giant completed its $69 billion acquisition of Blizzard parent company Activision Blizzard