SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Fyodor Urnov is the Director for Technology and Translation at the Innovative Genomics Institute and a Professor of Molecular Therapeutics in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. Most recently he was the IGI lead on the collaboration that enabled the world’s first CRISPR-on-demand medicine for an infant with a severe genetic disease of metabolism (New England Journal of Medicine 392:2235). In a quarter-century career in genetic medicine Fyodor co-developed the toolbox of human genome and epigenome editing, co-named genome editing, and was on the team that advanced all of its first-in-human applications to the clinic. He also led the effort that identified the genome editing target for an approved medicine to treat sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. A major goal for the field of genome editing and a key focus of Fyodor’s work is expanding access to CRISPR therapies for genetic disease. As part of that effort Fyodor directs the Danaher-IGI Beacon for CRISPR Cures – a first-in-class academia-industry partnership developing and advancing to the clinic scalable CRISPR-based approaches to treat diseases of the immune system that found its first reduction to clinical practice in the CRISPR-on-demand effort this year. Fyodor also leads cross-functional teams in developing and advancing to the clinic CRISPR-based approaches to treat neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory, and infectious diseases, and is the IGI lead in the MRC Center for Research Excellence in Therapeutic Genomics.