Speaker Profile
Biography
Dr. Niren Murthy is a professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California at Berkeley and a member of the Innovative Genomics Institute. Dr. Murthys scientific career has focused on the molecular design and synthesis of new materials for drug delivery and molecular imaging. The Murthy laboratory is currently focused on developing next generation lipid nanoparticles that can deliver mRNA and gene editing enzymes in vivo. Several start-up companies and licenses have been generated from the laboratory, in particular, the start-up companies GenEdit, BioAmp Diagnostics, Microbial Medical and Opus Biosciences were formed based upon research conducted in the Murthy lab.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Catriona Jamieson, UCSD
Opening talk
• Catriona Jamieson, UCSD
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Judy Faulkner, Epic
• Alexis C. Komor, UCSD
What’s Next at Epic?
• Peter DeVault, Epic
Modified mRNA, siRNA, ASOs
• Chair: Alexis C. Komor, UCSD
• Niren Murthy, UC Berkeley
• Gene Yeo, UCSD
• Reuben Harris, UT Health San Antonio
Stem Cell-Targeted Therapeutics: Small Molecules & Biologics
• Chair: Catriona Jamieson, UCSD
• Irving L. Weissman, Stanford
Space-Omics & Stem-Cell Adaptation
• Chair: Catriona Jamieson, UCSD
• Alysson Muotri, UCSD
In Vivo Gene Therapies
• Chair: Gene Yeo, UCSD
• Mark A Kay, Stanford
• David Schaffer, Berkeley
Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Patient Stratification
• Chair: Ezra Cohen, Tempus
• Eitan Ruppin, NIH
• David Ledbetter, Florida State University
• Ludmil Alexandrov, UCSD
Bioprinting Transplantable Liver: mRNA-Driven Multi-Lineage Differentiation from Autologous iPSCs
• Jiwu Wang, The Scintillon Institute
A New Era in Heart Failure Treatment: Delivering on the Promise of iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Therapy
• Eugene Wang, Help Therapeutics
Closing Talk
• Catriona Jamieson, UCSD




