David Ulkoski

David Ulkoski has over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. From 2005 to 2008, they were a Medicinal Chemistry Lab Intern at Cytokine Pharmasciences Inc., where they manufactured small molecules at a multi-gram scale and performed chemical analysis using HPLC and Proton NMR. David was also responsible for developing an effective chemical sequence for the synthesis of a key aspect of a breakthrough HIV integrase inhibitor. From 2008 to 2011, they were a Scientist I / Chemist at EXPRESSION GENETICS, INC, where they developed synthetic scale-up procedures in order to manufacture chemical compounds at a multi-gram scale for construction, development, and testing of RNAi delivery formulations. David was responsible for the synthesis, purification, and analytical analysis of basic and liganded lipid and polymer-based RNAi delivery reagents, and was involved in the construction of scientific manuscripts and SOPs for the synthetic processes for each product. From 2011 to 2018, they were a Post-doctoral Researcher and Graduate Research Assistant at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. In this role, they were responsible for the development of biopolymeric gene and drug delivery vectors through the synthesis, purification, and analytical analysis of amphiphilic ABC tercopolymer containing poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(amino acids) capable of nanoparticle formation, DNA complexation, and drug encapsulation. Finally, from 2018 to 2023, they were an Associate Principal Scientist, Senior Scientist, and Post Doctoral Fellow at AstraZeneca. In this role, they were responsible for synthesizing and developing novel ionizable lipid and polymer-based delivery materials for gene therapy, as well as being a technical advisor for CRO scale ups of lipid and polymer-based propriety materials. In 2023, they became the Associate Director at Korro Bio, Inc.

David Ulkoski obtained their Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Product Development from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2006. David then went on to earn their Masters of Science in Chemistry from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2013. Finally, they completed their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biotechnology Science & Engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2017.