Skip to main content

Charles Gersbach

John W. Strohbehn Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Box 90281, 136 Hudson Hall, Durham, NC 27708
2123 CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708

Research Interests


Gene therapy, genomics and epigenomics, biomolecular and cellular engineering, regenerative medicine, and synthetic biology.

Selected Grants


Chromatin dysregulation in neurodevelopmental disorders

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

Epigenetic Programming of T Cells for Enhanced Cellular Immunotherapy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

Optimizing Gene Therapy for Respiratory Insufficiency in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2028

To support research on the development of CRISPR-based epigenome editing tools to refine genome wide association studies

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Open Philanthropy Project · 2018 - 2027

Understanding gene regulation in schizophrenia-associated loci using high-throughput epigenetic CRISPR screens

FellowshipSponsor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2027

University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2027

Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2001 - 2027

Genome Editing for the Treatment of Neurofibromatosis Type I

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Gilbert Family Foundation · 2022 - 2026

Highly parallelized characterization of histone reader dysfunction

FellowshipCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2026

Oxidative stress mechanisms regulating gamma-globin gene transcription in sickle cell disease

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2026

Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026

High-Throughput Functional Annotation of Gene Regulatory Elements and Variants Critical to Complex Cellular Phenotypes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026

Engineering Human Heart Tissues with Polyploid Cardiomyocytes

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2026

Summer Scholars in Genome Sciences & Medicine

Inst. Training Prgm or CMESignificant Contributor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2026

Epigenome Editing for Stable Reactivation of Maternal PWS Genes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Foundation for Prader-Willi Research · 2024 - 2026

Beyond GWAS: High Throughput Functional Genomics & Epigenome Editing to Elucidate the Effects of Genetic Associations for Schizophrenia

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026

Epigenetic Engineering of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Yosemite · 2025 - 2025

The function and regulation of the novel pregnancy-specific hexokinase HKDC1

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of Illinois at Chicago · 2017 - 2025

The Duke FUNCTION Center: Pioneering the comprehensive identification of combinatorial noncoding causes of disease

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Human Genome Research Institute · 2020 - 2025

Multi-omics functional analysis of non-coding regulatory genome for genomic medicine

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Human Genome Research Institute · 2020 - 2025

Genetic and Genomics Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Lewy body neuropathologies and SNCA gene: variants expression and splicing

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Mechanotransduction in Meniscus Health and Repair

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2024

Microphysiological Human Tissue Systems for Monitoring of Genome Editing Outcomes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2024

Epigenomic Reprogramming in Patient Derived Models of Colorectal Cancer

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2024

Exploring the Use of Gene Therapies to Treat Neurofibromatosis Type I

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2024

Evolving High Potency AAV Vectors for Neuromuscular Genome Editing

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2024

Inductive repair of human kidney tissues by cell type-specific sensing and reprogramming

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by University of Michigan · 2021 - 2024

Quantifying the genetic diversity of human regulatory element activity

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2024

Engineering epigenome editing tools for sustained reactivation of maternal PWS genes

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Foundation for Prader-Willi Research · 2020 - 2024

Epigenome editing of the Prader-Willi syndrome imprinted domain with CRISPR/Cas9

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2024

Epigenome Editing Technologies for Treating Diverse Disease

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2019 - 2023

Postdoctoral Training in Genomic Medicine Research

Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2023

IRES Track 1 IRTG Engaged in Dissecting and Reengineering the Regulatory Genome

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2019 - 2023

The Branched Chain Ketoacid Dehydrogenase Kinase-Phosphatase System as a New Regulatory Node in Myocardial Fuel Section

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2023

Thwarting Influenza with RNA-powered Modulators (ThIRM)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Georgia Institute of Technology · 2019 - 2023

Epigenome Editing Therapy to Treat Mouse Models of Prader-Willi Syndrome

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Levo Therapeutics, Inc · 2020 - 2022

Regulatory Mechanisms of CD4+ T Cell Differentiation

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2022

Editing the Kidney Epigenome

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Washington · 2021 - 2022

Dissecting Mechanisms by which p53 Suppresses Transformation and Radiation Carcinogenesis

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2022

EFRI CEE : Engineering Technologies to Determine Causal Relationships Between Chromatin Structure and Gene Regulation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2018 - 2022

An organotypic model recapitulating colon cancer microenvironment and metastasis

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · 2017 - 2022

Systemic Inflammation in Microphysiological Models of Muscle and Vascular Disease

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2022

REU Site for Meeting the Grand Challenges in Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2017 - 2022

In Vivo Epigenome Editing with CRISPR-Based Histone Acetyltransferase Transgenic Mice

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2022

Investigating Autophagy in GSD-Ia

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2021

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2005 - 2021

Epigenome Editing Technologies to Control Diverse Biological Functions

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Allen Institute for Brain Science · 2017 - 2021

Enhancing Neuronal Reprogramming with Epigenome Editing

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2021

CRISPR/Cas9-Based Gene Editing for the Correction of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2021

Genome Editing For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. · 2017 - 2021

Genetics Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1979 - 2020

Treating Duchenne Cardiomyopathy in the Mouse Model by Gene Repair

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Missouri · 2016 - 2020

Identification and application of cis-regulatory enhancer elements for muscle stem cell function and muscle regeneration in aging

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by American Federation for Aging Research · 2019 - 2020

Combinatorial Biomimetic Systems for High-Throughput Manipulation of Genome-Edited Dystrophic Muscle Stem Cells

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Cornell University · 2018 - 2020

Functional characterization of regulatory variants associated with maternal hyperglycemia

FellowshipCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2020

Collaborative Research: Adapting Cas9 Protein from CRISPR as a Structural Unit for Molecular Assembly

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2017 - 2020

Designing a next generation vector for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2018 - 2020

Developing Brain-penetrant G9a/GLP Inhibitors for Treating Prader-Willi Syndrome

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Levo Therapeutics, Inc · 2018 - 2020

NONHUMAN PRIMATE TESTING CENTER FOR EVALUATION OF SOMATIC CELL GENOME EDITING TOOLS

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of California - Davis · 2019 - 2020

Development of AAV-Based Curative Therapies for Correcting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by Targeted Genomic Integration

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina Biotechnology Center · 2017 - 2019

Enhancing Neuronal Reprogramming with Epigenome Editing

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2019

Non-viral delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 for targeted gene replacement

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2019

Novel Approaches for Correcting Respiratory Insufficiency in Pompe Disease

ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2019

Reprogrammed autologous T cells to promote transplant tolerance

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Element Genomics, Inc. · 2018 - 2019

Systemically administrered EGRFvIII-targeted bispecific antibody as an immunotherapeutic for glioblastoma.

FellowshipCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2019

Defining the Mechanisms of Gene Regulation and Drug Resistance in Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Thorek Memorial Foundation · 2017 - 2019

Decoding and Reprogramming the Corticosteroid Transcriptional Regulatory Network

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2018

Trans-regulatory mechanisms of glucocorticoid-mediated transcriptional repression

FellowshipCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2018

Genome engineering for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2017 - 2018

Engineering Novel Genome Engineering Systems

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Locus Biosciences, Inc. · 2016 - 2018

Circulatory system and integrated muscle tissue for drug and tissue toxicity

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2018

Engineering Targeted Epigenetic Modifiers for Precise Control of Gene Regulation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2013 - 2018

A Platform Technology for High-Throughput Screening of Gene Regulatory Elements

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Element Genomics, Inc. · 2016 - 2017

MD140071 Multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Engineering for the Genetic Correction of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command · 2015 - 2017

Functional Tissue Engineering of Cartilage Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

FellowshipCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2017

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Hartwell Foundation · 2015 - 2017

Scaffold-Mediated Gene Delivery for Engineering of Osteochondral Tissues

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2015 - 2017

Gertude B. Elion Mentored Medical Research Award

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Triangle Community Foundation · 2016 - 2017

Genome Editing of Stem Cells for Analysis of Osteoarthritis Causal Variants

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2017

CAREER: Photoregulated Gene Expression for Spatiotemporal Control of Morphogenesis

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2012 - 2017

Engineering Morphogenetic Factors for Enhanced Genetic Reprogramming

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2011 - 2016

Engineering New Biological Therapies for Arthritis

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by Arthritis Foundation · 2014 - 2015

Live-Animal Micro-CT System

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2014

Spatially Controlled Gene Delivery of Morphogenetic Factors from Woven Scaffolds

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2011 - 2014

External Relationships


  • Editas Medicine
  • Element Genomics (UCB Pharma)
  • Facet Bio
  • Locus Biosciences
  • Sarepta Therapeutics
  • Sollus Therapeutics, Inc.
  • TreeCo
  • Tune Therapeutics

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.