R. Jude Samulski, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, M34 Inc.

Dr. R. Jude Samulski is a leading innovator in gene therapy and Co-Founder/CSO of M34 Inc., a company advancing AAV-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. He was the first to clone AAV for therapeutic use, enabling multiple FDA-approved gene therapies, including Zolgensma®.

As cofounder of AskBio, he helped guide its development through a $4B acquisition by Bayer. A former director of the UNC Gene Therapy Center and past president of ASGCT, Dr. Samulski has authored over 250 publications and holds more than 350 patents.

His work has earned numerous accolades, including the ESGCT Founder’s Award and the 2025 Carolina Alumni Faculty Service Award. Widely regarded as a founder of the field, his innovations have shaped the trajectory of gene therapy from bench to bedside.

His work has received numerous honors, including the ESGCT Founder’s Award and the 2025 Carolina Alumni Faculty Service Award. Widely regarded as a founder of the field, Dr. Samulski’s innovations continue to shape the translation of gene therapy from the lab to real-world treatments.

Sheila Mikhail, JD, MBA

Co-Founder and Executive Chair, M34 Inc.

Ms. Mikhail is a visionary biotech entrepreneur and legal strategist whose leadership has helped shape the modern landscape of gene therapy and biomanufacturing.

She is Co-Founder and Executive Chair of M34 Inc., and also Co-Founder and CEO of Jurata Thin Film, a biotechnology company revolutionizing drug delivery with proprietary thin-film technology that allows room-temperature storage of biologics and vaccines.

Ms. Mikhail previously co-founded and served as CEO of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio), where she scaled the company from zero to 1000 employees across four countries and led its sale to Bayer for up to $4 billion.

She has founded and built multiple other gene therapy companies—including Bamboo Therapeutics (sold to Pfizer), Chatham Therapeutics (sold to Baxter), and Viralgen/TAAV (sold to Bayer)—raising over $250M in capital and advancing programs for diseases like Pompe, Parkinson’s, and Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.

Trained as both an attorney and CPA, Sheila holds degrees from Northwestern Law and Chicago Booth. Her recognitions include Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year and Fierce Pharma’s Fiercest Women in Life Sciences.