Keith Joung

Keith Joung has been at the forefront of developing high-fidelity CRISPR-Cas9 variants and methods for detecting off-target editing events, work essential for the safe clinical translation of CRISPR-based cancer gene therapies. He invented GUIDE-seq, the gold-standard method for unbiased genome-wide detection of CRISPR off-target sites, and engineered high-fidelity SpCas9 variants that maintain on-target efficiency while dramatically reducing off-target cleavage. His work has established the safety assessment frameworks required for regulatory approval of CRISPR-based cancer therapeutics. His laboratory has also developed approaches for engineering CRISPR therapies with enhanced specificity for clinical ex vivo applications including CAR-T cell manufacturing.