David Segal

David Segal, Ph.D., Professor at the University of California, Davis Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, leads groundbreaking research in programmable DNA/RNA-binding platforms for genetic and epigenetic therapies. His work addresses neurologic disorders through Angelman syndrome and Huntington's disease models, employing Zinc fingers, TALEs, and CRISPR/Cas systems to engineer precise gene regulation without double-strand breaks.

Research Pillars:

• Genome Engineering: Developing programmable transcription factors and nucleases
• Epigenetic Editing: Exploring histone/DNA methylation dynamics
• Neurogenetic Therapeutics: Brain-targeted delivery via AAV, nanoparticles, stem cells

As a key member of the NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) consortium and collaborator with the Innovative Genomics Institute, his lab creates molecular probes for live-cell gene edit detection while investigating fundamental questions about epigenetic persistence mechanisms.