Dr. Keith Joung is associate chief of Pathology for Research, and director of the Molecular Pathology Unit at Mass General. He is also an associate professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Center for Cancer Research and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology at Mass General.
Dr. Joung has pioneered a new approach for targeting specific DNA sequences in cells using synthetically constructed DNA binding proteins. This broadly applicable technology provides an important research tool for introducing targeted genome modifications in a wide variety of monogenic diseases because it will enable correction of defective copies of genes. After considerable effort, this revolutionary technology has now become practical and is producing exceptional results in zebrafish and other model organisms. It is also being explored for use as a therapeutic approach for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia.
