IGI Director Brad Ringeisen's training in surface chemistry allowed him to view biology not as a separate field but as a series of molecular reactions. This first-principles approach helps demystify the immense complexity of biological systems, seeing them as orchestrated, not random, chaos.
Brad Ringeisen translates his experience at DARPA to the Innovative Genomics Institute by scoping near-impossible challenges with aggressive timelines and fostering a belief that the goal is achievable. This injects a sense of mission-driven urgency typically absent in academic research, now powered by philanthropy.
The Innovative Genomics Institute is tackling rare diseases by creating a standardized platform. By keeping elements like the delivery vehicle and enzyme constant and only changing the guide RNA, they aim to create a repeatable 'bucket trial' process for developing hundreds of cures, not just one-offs.
The IGI simultaneously pursues two tracks: It targets monogenic diseases where cures are achievable now for immediate impact. In parallel, it invests in the foundational science needed to tackle highly complex diseases like Alzheimer's and solid tumors, building a portfolio for the long term.
Brad Ringeisen's decision to leave his role as director of DARPA's Biological Technologies Office was spurred by frustration. Leadership funded immediate COVID-19 responses but rejected his proposals for 'avoiding strategic surprise' by investing in technologies to prevent future pandemics.
Based at UC Berkeley, the Innovative Genomics Institute is guided by a public service mission. Co-founder Jennifer Doudna and director Brad Ringeisen are passionate about ensuring CRISPR breakthroughs are accessible to everyone, actively working to prevent the technology from only 'making the rich richer.'
Starting in a government lab where he had to raise his own funding ('soft money') forced Brad Ringeisen to master pitching and framing the impact of his science. This early entrepreneurial pressure built a critical skill set for leading large-scale research initiatives, making him a 'hungry scientist.'
For intractable diseases like Parkinson's, the IGI takes an 'end-to-end' approach: building better disease models, discovering root causes, and simultaneously exploring multiple treatment modalities like direct CRISPR edits, cell therapies, and microbiome interventions. This tackles the entire problem, not just one piece.
IGI Director Brad Ringeisen attributes his career in science directly to his father, a mathematician who scribbled math problems for him during church services. This anecdote illustrates how early, informal mentorship from a parent can be the critical spark that sustains a child's interest through the challenges of STEM.