R. Jude Samulski

Richard Jude Samulski, Ph.D. (born 1954), is co-founder of AskBio (Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc.) and former Director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gene Therapy Center (1993-2016), where he now serves as Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Samulski is recognized as one of the founding fathers of AAV gene therapy. As a graduate student at the University of Florida in 1982, he achieved the groundbreaking feat of cloning adeno-associated virus into a bacterial plasmid (pBR322) and rescuing intact virus from recombinant DNA—a discovery that made AAV manipulable in the laboratory and established the foundation for recombinant AAV (rAAV) vector technology. His 1982 PNAS and 1983 Cell publications are considered seminal works that enabled the widespread use of AAV as a mechanism to deliver therapeutic genes to cells. Samulski's pioneering research and discoveries have played critical roles in developing all currently FDA-approved AAV gene therapies—including Luxturna, Zolgensma, and Hemgenix—and most AAV therapies in clinical trials. He holds over 20 patents in AAV vector technology, with his innovations forming key components of modern genetic medicines. Beyond academic leadership at UNC's Gene Therapy Center, Samulski successfully translated basic research into commercial and clinical impact through multiple biotechnology ventures. In 2001, he co-founded AskBio, which was acquired by Bayer in October 2020 for $4 billion, validating the commercial value of AAV therapeutics. He also founded Bamboo Therapeutics (acquired by Pfizer, 2016), Chatham Therapeutics (acquired by Baxter International, 2014), and NanoCor Therapeutics. Recognized in 2025 as the world's most cited and co-cited expert on AAV gene therapy, Samulski has authored 208 academic publications with 17,140 scholarly citations and 3,158 patent citations. As the 2025-2026 inaugural recipient of the Edward T. Award, his career exemplifies the rare trajectory where breakthrough graduate research sets the course for decades of transformative contributions bridging academia and industry, ultimately bringing AAV gene therapies from laboratory concept to life-saving treatments for millions of patients.

Richard Jude Samulski哲学博士（生于1954年），是AskBio（Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc.）联合创始人和北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校基因治疗中心前主任（1993-2016），现为杰出荣誉退休教授。 Samulski博士被公认为AAV基因治疗的奠基人之一。1982年作为佛罗里达大学研究生，他完成了将腺相关病毒克隆到细菌质粒（pBR322）并从重组DNA中拯救完整病毒的开创性壮举——这一发现使AAV在实验室中可操作，并为重组AAV (rAAV)载体技术奠定了基础。他1982年的PNAS和1983年的Cell出版物被认为是促成AAV广泛用作向细胞递送治疗基因机制的开创性工作。 Samulski的开创性研究和发现在开发所有目前FDA批准的AAV基因治疗——包括Luxturna、Zolgensma和Hemgenix——以及大多数处于临床试验阶段的AAV疗法中发挥了关键作用。他拥有20多项AAV载体技术专利，其创新构成了现代遗传药物的关键组成部分。 除了在UNC基因治疗中心的学术领导外，Samulski通过多个生物技术企业成功地将基础研究转化为商业和临床影响。2001年，他联合创建了AskBio，该公司于2020年10月被Bayer以40亿美元收购，验证了AAV治疗的商业价值。他还创建了Bamboo Therapeutics（2016年被辉瑞收购）、Chatham Therapeutics（2014年被Baxter International收购）和NanoCor Therapeutics。 2025年被认定为AAV基因治疗领域被引用和共引用最多的专家，Samulski发表了208篇学术出版物，拥有17,140次学术引用和3,158次专利引用。作为2025-2026年度Edward T. Award首届获得者，他的职业生涯体现了罕见的轨迹：突破性研究生研究为数十年的变革性贡献奠定了基础，连接学术界和工业界，最终将AAV基因治疗从实验室概念带到为数百万患者提供拯救生命的治疗。