Gene Therapy Center

Director: David T. Curiel, MD, PhD

Established: 1999

Mission and Demographics

The Gene Therapy Center seeks to foster the development of three key missions: the basic science of gene therapy, the clinical science of gene therapy, and gene therapy traineeship. The Center serves as the nidus for campus-wide gene therapy activities at UAB. It embraces the Division of Human Gene Therapy – a conjoint division of the Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Surgery – that serves as the vehicle of gene therapy faculty advancement within the University. The Center currently has appointed faculty representing 16 departments and 3 schools at UAB.

Center Research

Center activities span the breadth from the basic science of vectorology and gene analysis to the implementation of human clinical trials with on-site vector production. The Gene Therapy Center is involved in research impacting numerous diseases including: cancer (breast, ovarian, pancreatic, melanoma, prostate, glioma, lung, etc.), diabetes/juvenile diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, eye disease, and kidney disease. The Center was one of five institutions in the nation to receive rare “blue sky” funding from the National Cancer Institute to pioneer non-intrusive cancer detection and treatment strategies, capitalizing on discoveries in molecular biology. It has also received four NIH Rapid Access to Intervention Development (RAID) awards, as well as a Cancer Gene Therapy Training Grant.

Training

A major focus of the Gene Therapy Center and Division of Human Gene Therapy is gene therapy traineeship. The Center’s unique environment provides training in both the basic science and clinical aspects of the field at the pre- and post-doctoral levels.

For additional information:

Director: David T. Curiel, MD, PhD

Email: curiel@uab.edu

Phone: 205-934-8627

Administrator: Anita Corley Williams

Email: anitawil@uab.edu

Phone: 205-934-9517

Web site: http://www.uab.edu/genetherapy/

Approved by: Anita C. Williams, Center Administrator

Date: April 21, 2008

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