EP 192: From $88 to breakthroughs: Innovation in retinal gene therapy with Dr. Huma Qamar of Ocugen

<p><strong>Summary: </strong></p><p>This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Huma Qamar, Chief Medical Officer at Ocugen. They discuss her journey from arriving in the US with $88 in her pocket to leading gene therapy programs, Ocugen’s breakthrough in retinal disease, and how gene-agnostic therapies could transform treatment for conditions like retinitis pigmentosa.</p><p><br><strong>Show Notes: </strong><br></p><p><strong>0:00 </strong>Intro to The Genetics Podcast</p><p><strong>00:59</strong> Welcome to Huma </p><p><strong>01:40</strong> How Huma arrived in the US from Pakistan with $88 and went on to do medical training and research at Yale and Harvard</p><p><strong>06:47 </strong>Huma’s approach to challenges throughout her journey and how networking helped boost her career</p><p><strong>09:30</strong> Ocugen’s mission to develop therapies for retinal disease and recent successes, including obtaining pediatric breakthrough designation</p><p><strong>12:10 </strong>Te...