Aravind Asokan

Aravind Asokan is a Professor in Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, holding joint appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. He serves as Director of Gene Therapy and leads the Asokan Lab for Synthetic Virology & Gene Therapy, focusing on advancing viral vector engineering, gene therapy, and synthetic biology. His research integrates virology, RNA biology, and genetic engineering to address challenges in treating genetic disorders, regenerative medicine, and immunotherapy. Dr. Asokan earned his Ph.D. in 2004 from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

• Positions: Professor in Surgery, Director of Gene Therapy, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.
• Research Interests: Virology, RNA Biology, Viral Engineering, Gene Therapy, Gene Editing, Regenerative Medicine.
• Laboratory: The Asokan Lab develops AAV vectors and synthetic RNA tools for targeted gene delivery, with applications in cardiovascular diseases, muscular dystrophy, and immune modulation.

His work emphasizes cross-disciplinary approaches, including CRISPR-based systems and enhancer-driven gene therapies for tissue repair. Recent advancements include engineered AAV variants for T-cell manipulation and kidney-specific gene delivery.