2024 Schedule

Barely a dozen years ago, Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues published a paper in Science about CRISPR, the pioneering gene-editing technique that thrilled the scientific community. In 2020, the discovery earned her a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. CRISPR is now a mainstream area of study, with researchers looking at its use not only to advance medicine but also to improve animal health, develop droug...

History was made this year when the first FDA-approved CRISPR-based gene editing therapy became available to patients, designed to cure sickle cell anemia. That represents ground-breaking progress, but the treatment involves a months-long ordeal with often-brutal side effects and it is hugely expensive. With dozens of CRISPR therapeutics in the second phase of human trials, hopes run high that...

Managing disease is getting personal. With the genomic revolution upon us, we now understand that many diseases don't always follow the same predictable course and personalized treatments often work best. The recognition that disease patterns are greatly influenced by individual genetic makeup, combined with advances in technology and gene therapy, are driving a paradigm shift in medicine. Genomic...

The idea of gathering DNA samples into a vast database in order to identify disease risks and breakthrough therapies was once a distant dream. Not long ago, immunotherapy seemed like pure fantasy. Today, these genetic-based approaches offer patients insights into their risks for developing cancer, potentially leading to new therapeutic approaches, earlier screenings, and prevention, all based on p...