Christopher Chavez
CEO at Lucina Biotherapeutics | Targeting Dry AMD and Aging with Novel Lipid Therapeutics
- Role
- CEO, Co-founder at Lucina Biotherapeutics
- Location
- Santa Cruz, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Christopher Chavez
I am currently building ventures that leverage sustainable biotechnology and synthetic biology to improve health and promote longevity. With expertise spanning AAV gene therapy, genome engineering, and CAR-T cell technologies, I aim to develop transformative solutions that address complex health challenges and enhance quality of life.Key Areas of Expertise:AAV Gene Therapy: Optimization of expression cassettes using enhancers, introns, 5\' and 3\' UTR elements, and codon usage variants.Genome Engineering: Development of HDR/expression cassettes for CRISPR, TALEN, and phage integrases.CAR-T Engineering: Designed multiple CAR constructs at Adicet Bio to enhance the killing of CD20+ B cells in allogeneic gamma-delta CAR-T cells.PinPoint Integrase System: Developed a site-specific, isogenic cell line generation system using φC31 and other phage integrases, CRISPR, and TALEN technologies (PinPoint Integrase System).iPS Cell Reprogramming: Created episomal reprogramming vectors for generating transgene-free human iPS cells (Episomal iPSC Kit).Inflammatory Disease Models: Developed non-integrating expression vectors for interleukins (IL-12, IL-13, IL-22, IL-23) for studying inflammatory diseases in murine models.Fast iPS Cell Generation: Launched a two-plasmid system for efficient murine iPS cell generation using φC31 integrase (iPS Cell System).I have held leadership roles at pioneering biotech companies, including Adverum, Visgenx, and Adicet Bio, where I focused on designing therapeutic vectors, optimizing biological constructs, and leading high-impact R&D programs.My passion lies at the intersection of science, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on turning groundbreaking research into practical, life-enhancing solutions. I welcome the opportunity to connect with like-minded innovators, investors, and partners who share a vision for developing sustainable, health-focused technologies.
Experience
CEO, Co-founder
Jul 2024 — Present · Santa Cruz, CA, US
Education
Stanford University School of Medicine
Postdoctoral, Gene/Cell Therapy
2007 — 2012
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ph.D., Genetics
1997 — 2005
Humboldt State University
B.S., Molecular Biology
1993 — 1997
Skills
- Facs
- Rna Isolation
- Cell Biology
- In Vitro
- Research
- Transfection
- Flow Cytometry
- Microbiology
- Molecular Cloning
- Animal Models
- Science
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Elisa
- Histology
- Immunoprecipitation
- Dna
- Sequencing
- Rt-Pcr
- In Vivo
- Western Blotting
- Pcr
- Mutagenesis
- Tissue Culture
- Life Sciences
- Immunohistochemistry
- Qpcr
- Cell Based Assays
- Writing
- Sds-Page
- Immunoassays
- Molecular Genetics
- Experimentation
- Gel Electrophoresis
- Teaching
- Microscopy
- Biotechnology
- Protein Purification
- Stem Cells
- Gene Therapy
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