Sam is a 5th year PhD student in Biomedical Sciences at UC San Diego in Dr. Gene Yeo’s lab, where he studies RNA biology. He is particularly interested in the applications of small nuclear RNAs as both therapeutics and research tools. He completed his BS in biology at the University of Utah, where he worked on therapeutic and diagnostic applications of split-enzyme technology, as well as on the biomechanics of walking and breathing in lizards. He later worked on single B cell technologies for antibody discovery at xCella Biosciences. Outside of research, Sam was a senior associate at the University Venture Fund, co-founder of Nucleate San Diego, and an innovation fellow at Autobahn Labs. In his free time, he enjoys spotting wildlife, scuba diving, aquarium keeping, and fishing.

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What is a healthcare advancement you hope to see in your lifetime?

I hope to see gene therapy delivery technology improve in terms of safety, precision, manufacturability, and cargo capabilities. Similarly, I anticipate there will be incredible gains in the technology of gene therapy cargos themselves, becoming safer and more tunable.

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What excites you most about working with ARTIS?

I am very excited to work with and learn from the ARTIS team. I am passionate about early-stage ventures, so I think engaging with this world through the TechBio lens is going to be unique and rewarding.

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From your perspective, what recent innovation has had the greatest impact in tech/health?

I believe that CRISPR and advanced gene targeting technologies have made an incredible impact on human health. CRISPR has introduced a new paradigm that has impacted related therapeutic modalities, providing a wide array of exciting technologies with great promise for helping patients with previously untreatable diseases.