August Meeting (Zoom) 08/10/2022

Using Gene Editing Tools to Understand DNA Repair

We are beginning to alter gene sequences to treat human disease. Gene editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9 are effective at changing gene sequence, but we understand little about how these molecules interact with human cells. Our speaker's lab is working to understand how cells sense and respond to genomic changes induced by CRISPR/Cas9 and other gene editing tools. Their goals are to understand DNA repair and to use this understanding to improve the safety and efficacy of gene editing therapeutics.

Dr. Chris Richardson is an Assistant Professor at UCSB in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He joined the MCDB faculty in 2019. Dr. Richardson received his B.S. in Bioengineering from UC San Diego and his Ph.D. at UC San Francisco. His postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley investigated DNA repair in mammalian cells and how DNA repair processes can be used for gene editing. He has also worked for Spotlight Therapeutics, a biotechnology company in the San Francisco Bay Area.