John Rossi

Dr. Rossi is Lidow Family Research Endowed Chair and Professor in the Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope. He currently serves as the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean’s Chair, and Dean of Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences. He served as an Associate Director of Laboratory Research – City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center for City of Hope. He joined City Of Hope, Inc. (COH) in 1980 as an Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He was Chairman of the Division of Biology in 1992. In 1993, COH bestowed its highest honor upon him by naming him to its Gallery of Medical and Scientific Achievement for his pioneering work at the molecular level in the battle against AIDS and other major diseases.

Dr. Rossi received a BA in biology from the University of New Hampshire and a PhD in microbial genetics from the University of Connecticut. Following a post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular genetics at Brown University Medical School, he has been on the faculty of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, CA.

Dr. Rossi is widely regarded as a World Leader in the development of RNA interference and in clinical research with nucleic acids for the treatment of various diseases. His present focus is on enhancing the intracellular efficacy of ribozymes, small RNAs and siRNAi and their application to gene therapy for HIV and cancer.

He is the Editor in chief of Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids, along with Deputy Editor of Molecular Therapy. He also is an Editor for JBC, Editor in chief BMC Biotechnology and Human Gene Therapy. In 2002 he received the Merit Award from the Division of AIDS of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Rossi was honored with the American Association for Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Speaker Award in 1991. He has authored more than 275 peer-reviewed papers and more than 70 book chapters.

Dr. Rossi Co-Founded Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and is its Chairman. He also Co-Founded Calando Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He serves as a Member of the Scientific Advisory Boards for a number of companies including: Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Calando Pharmaceuticals, Inc., SEKRIS Biomedical, Inc., Arrowhead Research Corp, Kylin Therapeutics Inc., VIRxSYS Corporation, Benitec Biopharma Limited (also known as Benitec Ltd.), Nanoviricides, He served as the Director of Salus Therapeutics Inc. and Cytogenix Inc.