Jennifer E.
Adair
Ph.D.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N, S3-204
Seattle, WA 98109
Photo: Fred Hutch
Education, Training, Board Certifications
Ph.D., Washington State University
Expertise
Gene therapy
Affiliations
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center - Faculty & Lab
Publications
Research and/or clinical interests
Dr. Jennifer Adair is developing gene therapies that safely fine-tune the DNA sequences of blood stem cells to treat genetic disorders, HIV and cancers. Her goal is to develop safe, cost-effective and clinically relevant applications for gene therapy that can be implemented worldwide. To help reach this goal, Dr. Adair’s team developed a technology for portable gene therapy. Lab tests show the technology can produce genetically modified blood stem cells that are at least as good as those manufactured in highly specialized clean rooms, requiring less than half the staff. More recently, Dr. Adair developed a nanoparticle to deliver very precise DNA edits into blood stem cells. This technology greatly simplifies delivery of gene therapy and could pave the way for global availability. Dr. Adair also develops techniques to track and count genetically altered cells in living bodies. Tracking provides valuable information for understanding and improving gene therapies.