Charles Gersbach

Charles Gersbach is the John W. Strohbehn Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, with joint appointments in Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Cell Biology, and Molecular Genetics. He directs the Duke Center for Advanced Genome Technology (CAGT) and is a core faculty member in Duke's Innovation & Entrepreneurship initiative. His research focuses on developing CRISPR-based technologies for genome/epigenome editing and gene therapy applications, particularly for muscular dystrophy, neurodevelopmental disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.

Education:

• Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology (2006)
• B.S., Georgia Institute of Technology (2001)

Research Focus: Gersbach's lab engineers synthetic biology tools to manipulate gene expression and epigenetic states, advancing therapeutic genome editing, cellular reprogramming, and regenerative medicine. Key areas include CRISPR-Cas systems optimization, epigenetic targeting for rare diseases, AAV vector development, and tissue-specific gene regulation.

Publication Trends: Recent work (2021-2025) demonstrates a strong emphasis on translational applications of CRISPR, including optimized Cas9 variants for epigenetic editing, in vivo gene correction for muscular dystrophy, non-human primate studies for cholesterol regulation, and machine learning approaches for guide RNA design.

Awards & Honors:

• Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2022)
• Allen Distinguished Investigator (2017)
• NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (2011)
• Hartwell Biomedical Research Award (2010)
• Outstanding New Investigator, American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (2014)

Leadership & Grants: Leads multi-institutional NIH grants on neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer immunotherapy. Founded three biotech companies (including Tune Therapeutics) leveraging his gene-editing innovations.