Welcoming Form Bio’s New Cell and Gene Therapy Scientific Advisory Board

Today, we announced the formation of our Cell and Gene Therapy Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), an esteemed group of academic leaders with complementary expertise in the life sciences. The SAB will enable Form Bio to move closer to achieving its vision of accelerating the pipelines of cell and gene therapy companies, using AI models and in silico techniques.

The Role of Form Bio's SAB

The SAB was founded to provide Form Bio with strategic guidance in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and innovative area of gene therapy development. Our SAB brings deep domain knowledge of the rare genetic disease space, gene therapy development and viral vector delivery systems. With the collective expertise of the SAB and Form Bio’s in-house scientific and technical expertise and advanced in silico tools, we will be poised to address key industry problems, including adeno-associated virus (AAV) construct design and optimization and manufacturing quality and yield.

Meet the Experts

The collection of experts below is poised to help Form Bio solve design and development challenges for the AAV viral vectors used for gene therapy, leading to more effective and safe therapeutic agents.

Steven Gray, PhD

Steven Gray, PhD is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern. Dr. Gray has core expertise in AAV gene therapy vector engineering and optimization approaches for nervous system gene delivery. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Vanderbilt University after receiving a B.S. with honors from Auburn University. 

Noriyuki Kasahara, PhD, MD

Noriyuki Kasahara, PhD, MD is professor and Alvera L. Kan Endowed chair of Neurological Surgery and Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and chief scientific officer of 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc. Dr. Kasahara specializes in diverse viral vector-based gene delivery systems and next-generation gene transfer technologies. He received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and Ph.D. in endocrinology from UCSF. 

Paris Margaritis, DPhil

Paris Margaritis, DPhil is Research Director of Translational Programs in Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania (Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics). Dr. Margaritis develops AAV gene delivery approaches for the treatment of rare genetic disorders, from proof-of-concept to IND stage. His expertise lies in the ocular and the hemophilia gene therapy space. He holds a B.Sc. in Genetics from The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a DPhil in hemophilia gene therapy from The University of Oxford.

Dolan Sondhi, PhD

Dolan Sondhi, PhD is professor of Research in Genetic Medicine and associate director of Belfer Gene Therapy Core at Weill Cornell Medical College and a board member of Passage Bio. Dr. Sondhi’s research focuses on developing gene therapies for rare genetic diseases and diseases that significantly impact the brain. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, a Ph.D. in chemistry from Brown University and she did a post-doctoral fellowship in bioorganic chemistry at Rockefeller University. 

Accelerating Cell and Gene Therapy Development

The establishment of Form Bio’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) marks a significant milestone in the company's journey towards advancing biotech and pharmaceutical pipelines, especially in the realm of gene therapy development. Comprised of distinguished experts from various life sciences domains, this board is poised to provide invaluable strategic guidance, leveraging Form Bio’s advanced AI models and in silico techniques. With a collective focus on addressing industry challenges, such as AAV construct design optimization and manufacturing quality, the collaboration between Form Bio and its SAB promises to accelerate innovations in AAV gene therapy, ultimately leading to more effective and safer therapeutic interventions.