Omar Abudayyeh explores programmable systems in biology for the development of molecular tools that provide an unprecedented level of control over genomes, transcriptomes, and cells. The lab applies these innovative methods in combination with single-cell technologies to address and comprehend unresolved challenges in areas such as genetic diseases, cancer, aging, and regeneration and to develop next-generation therapies.
The lab’s research is oriented around four main themes:
- Engineering of natural programmable systems
- Studying fundamental questions about why cells molecularly age and how they can be rejuvenated using perturbations
- Applying artificial intelligence to model large-scale biological data
- Investigating the cell’s secretome and how intercellular communication arises in the body
Within these themes, the lab pursues exciting questions such as:
- “What’s the role of every secreted protein in the genome and what role do these proteins play in aging?”
- “What transcription factors drive aging and can those circuits be reversed?”
- “How can we build a ‘Virtual Cell’ that accurately models cell states and can predict/control cellular behavior?”
- “Can we identify new classes of peptides that modulate cellular function and develop peptide drugs for treating diverse diseases and augmenting human capabilities?”
- “What are the most effective ways to deliver nucleic acids to extra-hepatic tissues for gene and cell therapies?”
These inquiries drive the development of novel tools and approaches, pushing the boundaries of our understanding of cellular biology and paving the way for revolutionary therapeutic interventions for aging and common disease.
Biosketch
Omar Abudayyeh is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, Investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham’s Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, and is affiliated with the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. He previously was a McGovern Fellow at MIT where he directed his own research group and before that was at Harvard Medical School and MIT as a graduate student in Feng Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute, where he earned a Ph.D. researching novel CRISPR enzymes for genome editing, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Dr. Abudayyeh has been recognized as Technology Review Innovators Under 35, Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst, Endpoints 20 under 40 Next Generation of Biotech Leaders, 2022 Termeer Scholar, 2018 Forbes 30 under 30, Business Insider 30 under 30, a 2018 TEDMED Hive honoree, and a 2013 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. Dr. Abudayyeh graduated from MIT in 2012 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and biological engineering, where he was a Henry Ford II Scholar and a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. He also spent two years studying towards an MD at Harvard Medical School.