Description:

“Next-generation genome-editing technologies and their application for neurodegenerative disorders”

ABSTRACT:

The emergence of highly versatile genome-modifying technologies – which can be used to correct the mutations underlying many genetic disorders – has revolutionized biomedical research and is enabling new medical breakthroughs. In this talk, I will highlight our laboratories efforts in harnessing these and other emerging tools to develop targeted gene therapies for different neurodegeneration disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a devastating disorder involving the loss of movement due to degeneration of motor neurons.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr. Thomas Gaj is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where his laboratory is focused on the development and implementation of genome-editing technologies for the treatment of progressive neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease. He received his Ph.D. from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley.