Gene Petrella

Gene Petrella has a comprehensive work experience in various roles and companies. Gene currently serves as the Head of Discovery at Neutrolis Inc since July 2022. Prior to that, they worked at Sai Life Sciences Ltd as the Senior Director of Discovery Business Development from January 2021 to July 2022.

Gene also founded TargetRNA Inc., a startup focused on the rapid discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics that target disease-causing RNA. In this role, they were responsible for fundraising, team building, platform development, scientific strategy, and operational activities. Gene worked at TargetRNA Inc. from May 2017 to January 2021.

In addition, Gene held positions at Wave Life Sciences as the Senior Director of Platform & Innovation from July 2019 to February 2020, where they led the RNA Editing platform group and co-led the In Vivo Biology team. Gene was an Investigator III at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) from January 2014 to January 2017, leading efforts to directly target RNA in neuromuscular diseases and contributing to the institute-wide RNA Initiative. Prior to that, they were an Investigator III at NIBR focusing on developmental and molecular pathways in muscle, working on projects related to muscle atrophy, dystrophy, and gene expression changes.

Earlier in their career, Gene served as the Lab Head of Target Discovery Technologies and Biology Leader at NIBR Drug Discovery Incubator, contributing to target discovery and leading drug discovery projects. Gene also worked as a Principal Scientist at DAIAMED, LLC and Suntory Pharmaceutical Research Labs, and as a Research Fellow and Principal Research Scientist at 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals.

Throughout their career, Gene has shown expertise in various areas including RNA targeting, drug discovery, muscle biology, protein stabilization, and biophysics.

Gene Petrella has an extensive education history. Gene completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers University from 1976 to 1980. Following this, they pursued higher studies at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where they obtained their Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, graduating between 1986 and 1991. Gene then took up a postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 1992 to 1996, specializing in the field of Cell Biology.