Arjun Padmanabhan

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Retinal Disease and Repair group led by A/Professor Kanmin Xue at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford. I joined the group in 2026 and aim to develop scalable genome engineering platforms for inherited retinal diseases. My research focuses on mutation-agnostic therapeutic strategies and the clinical translation of gene editing approaches for  retinal dystrophies. By integrating CRISPR-based genome editing with advanced retinal disease models, I aim to develop treatments that are safe, effective, and applicable across genetically diverse patient populations.

I completed my PhD in Genomics and Experimental Medicine in 2025, graduating summa cum laude from the Scuola Superiore Meridionale–University of Naples Federico II. I conducted my doctoral research in Professor Alberto Auricchio’s laboratory at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Pozzuoli (Naples), Italy. My work centred on developing a human-centric genome editing strategy for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations in the RHO gene, with particular emphasis on approaches capable of addressing a broad range of disease-causing variants.

Following my PhD, I continued in the Auricchio lab as a Post Doctoral fellow, where I investigated the safety and translational challenges associated with genome editing. I also contributed to the characterisation of novel adeno-associated virus serotypes with enhanced retinal transduction and therapeutic potential. This work strengthened my expertise in the design, evaluation, and optimisation of genome editing and gene delivery strategies for retinal disorders.

Before beginning my doctoral research, I gained experience in cancer pathology at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bangalore. I subsequently transitioned into industrial biotechnology, joining the Molecular Biology R&D division at Biocon Limited as a Senior Scientist. There, I applied strain and metabolic engineering approaches in Streptomyces to enhance the production of commercially important compounds, including tacrolimus and lipstatin. I later worked in the GROW Lab at Narayana Nethralaya, India, where I gained hands-on experience in recombinant adeno-associated virus production, characterisation, and functional testing under the mentorship of Dr Arkasubhra Ghosh.

My multidisciplinary background in microbiology, virology, industrial biotechnology, genome engineering, and translational gene therapy informs my current research. My long-term goal is to develop safe, broadly applicable, and clinically relevant genome editing technologies for people with inherited retinal diseases.