Daniel Chao, MD, PhD, spent a lot of years in the lab studying the nervous system of zebra fish and worms. No surprise, after earning his PhD in neuroscience, he wanted to move on.

Ophthalmology reeled him in. After a residency and a fellowship in the field, he moved into a multifaceted research career that includes academia, biotech, and industry.

As Senior Director of Translational and Experimental Medicine and Retina Clinical Lead for Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Chao designs and executes first-in-human and Phase II proof-of-concept studies for J&J’s assets. He’s also involved in developing biomarkers to help accelerate clinical trials and meeting with external partners.

He knows where they’re coming from. In 2019, he spun out technology he developed at UC San Diego into what is now Visgenx and became one of its scientific cofounders. Visgenx therapeutics are based on ELOVL2 gene expression, which is tied to aging in the retina and other tissues.

Companies like Visgenx, take note: Janssen Retina is interested in both internal development as well as acquisition or partnerships as a route to innovative treatments.

Listen to the conversation with Firas Rahal, MD to discover:

• The tech transfer and other pieces involved in taking Visgenx from scientific concept to funded startup.
• The mechanisms behind Visgenx’s lead product.
• His thoughts on retina gene therapy and the top three challenges to wider-spread adoption.
• How he transitioned from academic researcher to Johnson & Johnson.
• The “hustle” involved in an academic research career.