Aravind Asokan, PhD, assistant professor of genetics in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, was selected by the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy to receive a 2013 Outstanding New Investigator Award.
Asokan is among four new investigators to receive the awards this year for their significant contributions to the field of gene therapy. His lab in the UNC Gene Therapy Center combines the tools and principles of molecular biology and genetics with chemistry to generate a "synthetic viral toolkit." The resulting engineered viral strains are used to unravel viral infectious pathways, produce novel vectors for gene therapy and reagents for molecular genetics applications.
During the ASGCT 16th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, this year's award winners will present summaries of their work at the Outstanding New Investigator Symposium on Saturday May 18th.
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