Jerry Harb

About Jerry Harb

Advancing healthcare with precision medicine, paving the way for personalized therapies. The CARE Lab at Children\'s Hospital of Orange County focuses on the development of genomic therapies for individuals born with genetically inherited diseases.Advancements in science have provided the molecular tools necessary for the application of genomic modification as a therapy. One of these tools, known as CRISPR/Cas9, is a system that has been adopted and applied in our lab to edit pathogenic variants in rare pediatric disease(s), specifically in the field of lysosomal storage disorders. The scope of our work involves the use of canonical CRISPR/Cas9 homology-directed repair, but has also expanded to include base editing and prime editing systems to treat various pathogenic variants across a number of lysosomal storage diseases, including but not limited to Pompe disease, Salla disease, and mucopolysarcharidosis.

Experience

1. Staff Scientist i

   CHOC Children's

   Sep 2020 — Present · Orange, CA, US

   Research/Technical Expertise• Independently designed/executed preclinical research studies investigating lysosomal storage diseases and metabolic disorders (Pompe, Salla, MPS)• Directed longitudinal behavioral phenotyping in murine models; performed therapeutic administrations via tail vein and retro-orbital injection• Conducted over hours of necropsy procedures, including tissue dissection, collection, and processing for downstream analyses• Authored and maintained standard operating procedures (SOPs) to support experimental consistency and training• Provided technical mentorship to incoming staff and trainees in animal handling, behavioral protocols, and biospecimen collection• Led development of scientific manuscripts from initial concept through peer-reviewed publication, presented information at large-scale conferences• Executed comprehensive data analysis and interpretation to identify key biomarkers of disease progression in vivoCompliance & Regulatory Affairs• Served as primary scientific liaison to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), ensuring adherence to ethical research standards• Prepared and submitted protocol applications, amendments, and compliance documentation; participated in routine inspections and institutional meetingsOutreach, Community & Education• Co-organized a regional research retreat for the Southern California CIRM network, facilitating inter-institutional collaboration and engagement• Contributed to institutional science communication initiatives, including the creation of patient-centered marketing collateral and an animated research infographic• Designed and launched a pediatric STEAM education series through Seacrest Studios, delivering live, interactive science demonstrations to hospitalized children and families

Education

• Western University of Health Sciences

  Master of Science - MS, Biomedical Sciences, General

  2017 — 2019

• UC Irvine

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Biology/Biological Sciences, General

  2011 — 2015