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Dr. Rahul Kaushik - Founder and CEO at Gene Therapy Consultancy

Gene Therapy Consultancy, CSL (Germany), Leibniz-Institut für Neurobiologie, Madurai Kamaraj University School of Biotechnology, Evox Therapeutics

ORCID iD 0000-0002-4944-8549
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About

Currently, I am working as Founder and CEO of Gene Therapy Consultancy.

I am a biotech consultant and neuroscientist specializing in AAV-based gene therapy. With over 14 years of experience across academia and industry, I help early-stage gene therapy startups accelerate their preclinical pipelines. Formerly at CSL Behring, I now run a consultancy supporting vector, CMC, Preclinical optimization, CDMO/CRO coordination, and due diligence for investors.

Previously, in 2024, I worked as Manager of viral vectors at a Global Biotech (CSL Behring) where I managed viral vector team to drive the progression of downstream operation, contributed the IND document for an ex vivo gene therapy drug product.

Before that, in 2022-2023, I worked as a Group Leader for AAV-Exosome based gene therapy at Evox Therapeutics Ltd at Oxford, UK. Worked on novel technologies to improve immunogenicity, toxicity, and redosing challenges around rAAV-based invivo gene therapy using extracellular vesicles/exosomes. Led rAAV production lab and team for developing processes and in-house capabilities for product and platform development to generate invitro as well as invivo data for efficacy, safety, and POC studies Worked cross-functionally with BD teams, IP teams, QC teams (RCA, GAP analysis, change controls, deviations, and CAPA)

In 2021, I worked as a senior scientist at a highly innovative gene therapy company called VeoGen Therapeutics GmbH (previously known as ViGeneron GmbH) with a mission to bring new gene therapy drug products to patients. Now they have two AAV gene Therapies in the clinical trials.

- Here, I designed innovative vectors for therapeutic programs, oversee research activities to generate invitro as well as invivo data for efficacy, safety, and clinical translation in proof-of-concept studies

- Worked with CROs for toxicology studies, efficacy and safety studies in non-human primates, and CDMOs for vector manufacturing and analytics

- In-house research scale rAAV production and analytics for innovative capsids

Before that from 2017-2021, From 2017 till January 2021, I was the head of the AAV production facility and molecular biology unit in the research group Molecular Neuroplasticity at DZNE. I studied several physiological and pathological mechanisms using mice as animal models.

Established rAAV and LVV based platform technologies (vector designing, cloning, and production of viral vectors) for gene manipulation and editing, leading to the production of more than 150 AAVs of different serotypes, systematic planning of laboratory resources & budgets

- Accomplished neuroscientist with scientific work published in high-quality journals such as Science, Cell, Nature Comm, EMBO, Progress in Neurobiology etc.

- Project leader and responsible person for Biosafety level 2 related work under the framework of European law on Gene Technology, Biosafety, and Biosecurity (§ 15 GenTSV)

- Realistic and systematic planning of laboratory resources & budgets including purchasing decision for laboratory equipments and management

- Implementation of new rAAV technologies and pragmatic solutions for future research directions

- Analyze data, generate hypotheses, and write grants, manuscripts and reports

- Presentation of scientific work at international conferences

- Proactive efforts in seeking value-adding opportunities leading to several interdisciplinary collaboration with world-renowned scientists.

In 2015, I joined the German center for neurodegenerative diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg as a postdoctoral researcher to continue my investigations on molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's diseases, Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, etc.

In December 2014, I accomplished my Ph.D. in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) with a thesis on the role of different protein complexes in excitotoxic mechanisms in neurons relevant to Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and stroke from the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.

In 2008, I did my Master of Science in Biotechnology from Madurai Kamaraj University in India.

Employment

  • Gene Therapy Consultancy Founder and CEO
    2025 - Present
  • CSL (Germany) Manager
    2024 - 2024
  • Evox Therapeutics Group Leader: AAV-Exosome Gene Therapy
    2022 - 2023
  • VeonGen Therapeutics Senior Scientist
    2021 - 2022
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen eV Head of Molecular Biology Unit
    2015 - 2021
  • Leibniz-Institut für Neurobiologie Research assitant
    2011 - 2015

Education

  • Leibniz-Institut für Neurobiologie PhD
    2008 - 2015
  • Madurai Kamaraj University School of Biotechnology Master of Science
    2006 - 2008

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (27)