Arjun Padmanabhan

Arjun Padmanabhan, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Retinal Disease and Repair group led by Prof. Kanmin Xue at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford. He joined the Xue lab in 2026, where his research focuses on developing scalable genome engineering platforms to enable mutation‑agnostic therapeutic strategies and to advance gene editing approaches toward clinical translation for inherited retinal disorders. His work integrates CRISPR-based genome editing with state-of-the-art retinal disease models to address unmet needs in autosomal dominant and recessive retinal dystrophies.

Arjun obtained his PhD in Genomics and Experimental Medicine (2025; summa cum laude) from the Scuola Superiore Meridionale – University of Naples Federico II, working in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Alberto Auricchio at the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM). His doctoral research centered on developing human‑centric genome editing strategies for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa caused by RHO mutations, followed by postdoctoral work in the same laboratory focusing on safety considerations in genome editing and the characterization of novel AAV serotypes with enhanced efficacy in the retina. This combined experience has equipped him with a strong translational perspective on the design, evaluation, and optimization of gene editing therapies for retinal disease.

He completed his BSc and MSc in Applied Microbiology at VIT Vellore, India, conducting his thesis research at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, where he investigated the role of the hepatitis C virus NS5A protein in hepatocellular carcinoma. Arjun subsequently gained experience in Clinical Virology at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, before moving to industry roles in clone development and metabolic engineering at Biocon Limited. This diverse background in microbiology, virology, industrial biotechnology, and translational gene therapy underpins his current efforts to develop safe and broadly applicable genome editing approaches for inherited retinal disorders.