Chris D.

Principal Scientist @ Beacon Therapeutics

About

I am a scientist at Beacon Tx with extensive experience in molecular biology, specialising in AAV-mediated gene delivery. Previously, at Evox Therapeutics, I led a multidisciplinary team developing exosome-based therapeutics for rare diseases. Before that, I conducted postdoctoral research at Queen Mary University of London, focusing on haemostasis and novel therapeutic targets for Von Willebrand Disease. My expertise includes protein engineering, AAV/exosome production, and advanced analytical techniques.

Country

United Kingdom

City

London Area

Industry

Research

Skill

AAV Production / Purification / Analysis, Molecular & Cellular Biology, RNA Isolation, Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), Research and Development (R&D), Written Communication, Problem Solving, Team Leadership, Experiment Design, Creativity and Innovation, Protein Engineering, AAV Capsid Engineering, Exosome production and purification, Experimental Design, Communication, Report Writing, Technical Support, Sales, Live Cell Confocal Microscopy

Experience

Principal Scientist

Beacon Therapeutics

2024-7 - Present · 2 yrs 3 mos

London Area, United Kingdom

• AAV-Mediated Gene Delivery for Ophthalmic Diseases – Advancing research to develop novel gene therapies targeting ophthalmic conditions. • Consistently Deliver High-Quality Plasmid Candidates – Cloning plasmids under time pressure to ensure timelines are met and support ongoing R&D activities. • Candidate Selection & Process Optimization – Evaluating therapeutic candidates and optimizing AAV purification and analytical workflows.

Principal Scientist

Evox Therapeutics Ltd

2019-5 - 2024-4 · 5 yrs

Oxford, United Kingdom

• Led a team to develop a novel therapeutic platform by encapsulating AAV capsids within exosomes, designing and screening protein scaffolds and AAV transgenes. • Collaborated with the University of Oxford to explore protein engineering approaches for AAV encapsulation within exosomes. • Provided training on protein scaffold design, AAV/exosome production, purification (TFF, HPLC, density gradients), and analytics (qPCR, ELISA, immunoblot). • Led a pipeline project for enzyme-replacement therapy and acted as deputy project lead for the AAV gene therapy pipeline, managing scientific strategy, resources, and budgeting.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Queen Mary University of London

2016-4 - 2019-4 · 3 yrs 1 mo

London, United Kingdom

• Researched the molecular mechanisms governing von Willebrand Factor (vWF) release from endothelial cells, which ultimately leads to haemostasis, to identify potential therapeutic targets for vWF disease patients. • Developed skills including plasmid design, cloning, cell culture, immunoblot, ELISA and live-cell fluorescent microscopy. • Optimised an existing assay protocol to develop a highly sensitive and semi-high-throughput dot blot system to rapidly screen for potential genes of interest involved in VWF secretion.

Sales Engineer

Hamamatsu Corporation

2014-9 - 2016-4 · 1 yr 8 mos

• Worked in a fast-paced sales environment, requiring significant flexibility, communication and influencing skills. • Presented at conferences catering to both Life Sciences and Physical Sciences and undertook many product demonstrations.