Medical Oncologist Dr. Bill Lundberg P'21 '23 Presents to Students

The CSW Science Department and SNAP (Science Nerd Advisory Posse) were thrilled to welcome Dr. Bill Lundberg P’21 '23 to campus in February for a talk focused on the process of building medicines using CRISPR. Dr. Lundberg is the CEO of Merus, an immuno-oncology company developing novel cancer therapies that work by recruiting the immune system to target cancer cells. Dr. Lundberg was formerly the chief scientific officer of CRISPR Therapeutics, a company working with CRISPR technology (which stands for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats") to introduce new technologies and treatments for diseases including Sickle Cell Disease, Beta Thalassemia, cancers, and more. 
 
In his talk, Dr. Lundberg walked the group through his own education and early introduction to the field, before talking through the basics of CRISPR — how it was developed, how it has evolved, and just how impactful the technology has been on the world of medicine. He then walked through the example of Sickle Cell Disease, explaining how the disease affects the body, and the ways in which CRISPR has successfully been able to cure a number of patients afflicted. He ended by addressing the ethics of using technologies like CRISPR, cautioning that while the benefits have been enormous, it is essential that scientists continue to follow ethical standards. 
 
Thank you, Dr. Lundberg, for an enlightening conversation!

The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.