What is CRISPR

 Genome editing (also called gene editing) is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism's DNA. These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome. Several approaches to genome editing have been developed. A recent one is known as CRISPR-Cas9, which is short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has generated a lot of excitement in the scientific community because it is faster, cheaper, more accurate, and more efficient than other existing genome editing methods. (Read more about CRISPR HERE)

As for how I got here, that’s a longer story!

As a young graduate student, I was eager to jump into the industry, I was fortunate to work at a giant pharmaceutical company that focuses on Ophthalmology. For the following 12 years, I enjoyed this field so much! I learned a lot from it. Then, things changed, and this company moved to Boston (I could not move there since I am rooted to Texas with family ties, and I cannot move away) So, I was parted from this job!

A choice has to be mode, and I decided to finish an old dream: finish my Ph.D. degree. As an older student, it is not an easy route. I did not fit, or that what I felt initially, but my cohort welcomed me and made me feel accepted and welcomed. I really appreciated that. Now, I feel that I am at the right place (maybe at the wrong time, but I am definitely at the right place: UNTHSC.

I still do ophthalmology research, which I enjoy so much, and I hope to learn more and more. This picture has my wife and my older son: John!

Sam