Speaker Profile
Ph.D., Associate Professor, UCSD
Biography
Alexis C. Komor is a pioneering genome‑editing researcher who co‑developed the first CRISPR base editors with David Liu at the Broad Institute. Her work established base editing as a new class of genome engineering tools that enable precise single‑nucleotide changes in DNA without double‑strand breaks, laying the foundation for correcting disease‑causing point mutations with high precision. She continues to lead efforts to translate these innovations into direct in vivo therapeutics, including strategies to deliver base editors via mRNA and other nucleic‑acid platforms to repair genes within patients’ cells. As her work established the scientific foundation of Beam Therapeutics, Komor has helped drive the clinical development of base editing, underscoring the broad impact of her work on programmable gene editing and precision medicine. Her groundbreaking contributions are influencing a new generation of in vivo RNA and gene‑based therapies (spanning mRNA, siRNA, and antisense oligonucleotide modalities) and inspiring novel small‑molecule approaches to treat genetic diseases.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2027 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Catriona Jamieson, UC San Diego
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Emmanuelle Charpentier, Max Planck (J. Craig Venter Visionary Award · Nobel Laureate)
• Jay Bradner, Amgen (Pioneer)
• Adrian Krainer, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (Luminary)
• Randy Schekman, UC Berkeley (Nobel Laureate, Pioneer)
Featured Speakers
• Emmanuelle Charpentier, Max Planck
• Randy Schekman, UC Berkeley
• Jay Bradner, Amgen
• Adrian Krainer, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Alexis C. Komor, UC San Diego
• Nicole Gaudelli, GV
• Rachel Haurwitz, Caribou Bio
• Gene Yeo, UC San Diego
• Timothy Yu, Boston Children's / Harvard
• Shicheng Guo, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
• Mark A. Kay, Stanford
• Niren Murthy, UC Berkeley
• Ben Deverman, Broad Institute
• Stanley Crooke, n-Lorem / Ionis
Programming Protein Fate
Molecular glues, degraders, and induced proximity crossing into medicines.
Genome Editing Beyond the First Wave
Base, prime, and CRISPR-enabled editing moving from correction to clinic.
RNA Editing, Splice Modulation & Programmable RNA
RNA editing, ASOs, and splice modulation with chemistry already reaching patients.
In Vivo Delivery & Vector Engineering
AAV, LNP, and next-generation vectors that decide what is treatable.
From N-of-1 to Platform
Evidence, CMC, regulation, and access for individualized genetic medicines.
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
