Roundtable #7 - Genetic & Cellular Engineering w/ David Schaffer & Samir Mitragotri | BIOS
Guests: David Schaffer - Prof @ UC Berkeley & Samir Mitragotri - Prof @ Harvard / Wyss
David Schaffer is Professor @ UC Berkeley & Director @ BBH
David Schaffer is a Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering, & Neuroscience @ University of California Berkeley, he also serves as the Director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub @ Berkeley and Executive Director of QB3.
At Berkeley, Schaffer applies engineering principles to enhance Stem Cell & Gene Therapy approaches for Neuro-Regeneration. This work includes mechanistic investigation of stem cell control, as well as molecular evolution & engineering of viral gene delivery vehicles.
He has Co-founded eight companies including: 4D Molecular Therapeutics – A public company that uses a novel technology platform to engineer optimized, proprietary adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for gene therapy, Ignite Immunotherapies, which is developing novel oncolytic virus technologies as cancer therapies and was acquired by Pfizer, Rewrite – a genome editing company acquired by Intellia, Valitor - which is developing a novel protein-polymer conjugation technology to develop greatly enhanced protein biologics for a range of disease targets, Axent focused on stem cell therapies, & three others in stealth.
Schaffer graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1993. Afterward, he pursued a PhD @ MIT with Professor Doug Lauffenburger & conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Fred Gage @ The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, before moving to UC Berkeley in 1999.
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Samir Mitragotri is Hiller Professor of Bioengineering & Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering
Samir Mitragotri’s research is focused on drug delivery. His research has advanced fundamental understanding of biological barriers and has led to the development of new materials as well as technologies for the treatment of various ailments including diabetes, cancer, skin diseases, multiple sclerosis, and infections, among others. Many of his inventions have advanced to clinical technologies. His research has led to a number of start-up companies. At the same time, the fundamental knowledge developed through his research has advanced the understanding of the biology of barriers in the human body. Mitragotri has pioneered novel technologies using ultrasound and ionic liquids to enable transdermal delivery of proteins, peptides, and siRNA. He has also developed novel technologies including ionic liquids for oral delivery of proteins such as insulin and other peptides. Mitragotri has invented systems that make use of synthetic carriers hitchhiking on natural cells such as red blood cells, macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, and NK cells for targeted delivery of drugs and cells.
Mitragotri is the Hiller Professor of Bioengineering and Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He has authored over 400 publications, is an inventor on over 225 issued/pending patents, and he has given over 500 invited lectures. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors. He is also an elected fellow of AAAS, CRS, BMES, AIMBE, and AA PS. He received BS in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, India and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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