Michael Linden R

Biography

After receiving his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, Prof. Linden trained in Molecular Virology at Cornell University Medical College, N.Y. He then joined the faculty at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he used a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms and the potential applicability of site-specific genome integration by adeno-associated virus (AAV). In 2007, he moved on to set up a new research group at King’s College London. His contributions to the field include the biochemical and structural determination of the AAV Rep proteins, which orchestrate all aspects of the AAV life cycle, and the proposal of a mechanism of site-specific integration. During these studies Prof. Linden’s laboratory has demonstrated the potential of using embryonic stem cells for gaining insights into complex viral mechanisms.More recently, Prof. Linden has engaged in the field of AAV-mediated gene therapy and, in his role as the Director of the UCL Gene Therapy Consortium is responsible for clinical grade vector production and the support for further developments in UK based gene therapy efforts. In this context Prof. Linden is actively engaged in translational projects aimed at the development of therapies for a variety of diseases using AAV-based vectors. After receiving his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, Prof. Linden trained in Molecular Virology at Cornell University Medical College, N.Y. He then joined the faculty at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, where he used a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the molecular mechanisms and the potential applicability of site-specific genome integration by adeno-associated virus (AAV). In 2007, he moved on to set up a new research group at King’s College London. His contributions to the field include the biochemical and structural determination of the AAV Rep proteins, which orchestrate all aspects of the AAV life cycle, and the proposal of a mechanism of site-specific integration. During these studies Prof. Linden’s laboratory has demonstrated the potential of using embryonic stem cells for gaining insights into complex viral mechanisms.More recently, Prof. Linden has engaged in the field of AAV-mediated gene therapy and, in his role as the Director of the UCL Gene Therapy Consortium is responsible for clinical grade vector production and the support for further developments in UK based gene therapy efforts. In this context Prof. Linden is actively engaged in translational projects aimed at the development of therapies for a variety of diseases using AAV-based vectors.

Research Interest

Molecular Virology; Gene Therapy; parvoviruses; AAV; site-specific genome integration; viral DNA replication; embryonic stem cells as a model for viral mechanisms.