Emily’s Entourage Announces Addition of Maria P. Limberis, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board

In her career dedicated to airway gene therapy research, Dr. Limberis was the first to demonstrate that lentiviral-based gene therapy “corrects” the CF airway defect in an animal model of the disease.

Maria Limberis, PhD, joins the Scientific Advisory Board for Emily’s Entourage

Emily’s Entourage (EE), an innovative 501(c)3 foundation that accelerates research for new treatments and a cure for the final 10% of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), including those with nonsense mutations, today announced the addition of Maria P. Limberis, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Limberis joins 9 other SAB members, a group composed of top researchers, clinicians, and health industry leaders in CF research and care. The SAB plays a critical role in identifying, evaluating, and facilitating scientific and clinical projects to advance EE’s objective to speed lifesaving breakthroughs for people with CF who do not benefit from currently available treatments.

Dr.  Limberis has dedicated her research career to the discovery and development of novel gene therapies for the potential treatment of CF airway disease. Through her doctoral research at the University of Adelaide and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia, Dr. Limberis developed a novel gene therapy regimen for lungs affected by CF, involving a compound found naturally in the lungs that ‘conditions’ the lungs to allow diseased airway cells to take up the therapeutic CF gene. The results, published in Human Gene Therapy in 2002, were the first to demonstrate that lentiviral-based gene therapy “corrects” the CF airway defect in an animal model of CF. This research has served as the foundation of many gene therapy studies, and is cited in more than 155 publications.

“Dr. Limberis’ extensive gene therapy research experience is an important addition to our SAB as we continue our pursuit to drive the development of therapies for the final 10% of people with CF,” said Chandra Ghose, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Emily’s Entourage. “To ensure no one with CF is left without effective treatment options, especially those with nonsense and rare mutations of CF, exploring gene-based modalities is critical. We are thrilled to add Dr. Limberis’ expertise in this area to our team of advisors in support of our mission.”

Dr.  Limberis currently serves as the Vice President of Research at Spirovant Sciences, Inc. Previously, she was a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, leading preclinical R&D and translational gene therapy programs in CF and airborne infectious diseases.

“I am delighted to be joining the SAB of Emily’s Entourage and look forward to contributing to its mission of finding a cure for all patients with CF,” said Dr. Limberis.

Dr. Limberis joins the following members on the Scientific Advisory Board:

• David M. Bedwell, PhD
• Jennifer Bomberger, PhD
• Kevin Foskett, PhD (board chair)
• Denis Hadjiliadis, MD
• Patrick Harrison, PhD
• Batsheva Kerem, PhD
• Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, MD, MSCS, ATSF
• Ted J. Torphy, PhD
• David B. Weiner, PhD

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About Emily’s Entourage

Emily’s Entourage is an innovative 501(c)3 that accelerates research for new treatments and a cure for individuals in the final 10% of the cystic fibrosis (CF) population that does not benefit from currently available mutation-targeted therapies, including those with nonsense mutations of CF. Since 2011, Emily’s Entourage has awarded millions of dollars in research grants, launched a now-acquired CF gene therapy company, developed a patient registry and clinical trial matchmaking program to accelerate clinical trial recruitment, and led worldwide efforts to drive high-impact research and drug development. The organization has been featured in national media, including the New York Times, STAT, CNN, People, and more. Learn more at emilysentourage.org. 

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