Tina Fordham
Author, Mad World | Founder, Fordham Global Foresight | Wall Street's First Chief Global Political Analyst | Geopolitics & PQ Expert
Emmanuelle Charpentier
2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry | Co-Inventor of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing | Founding Director, Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens | Co-Founder, CRISPR Therapeutics
Emmanuelle Charpentier co-invented CRISPR-Cas9, the gene-editing tool that earned her the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and led to the first approved CRISPR medicine. As founding director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens and co-founder of CRISPR Therapeutics, she speaks to both discovery and commercialization. Leaders in healthcare, pharma, and technology gain a clear view of where gene editing is going and what it will ask of them.
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Emmanuelle Charpentier biography
Speaker Emmanuelle Charpentier is a French microbiologist, geneticist, and biochemist whose research laid the foundation for CRISPR-Cas9, the gene-editing technology that has reshaped modern biology. She shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jennifer Doudna, the first Nobel Prize in a science category awarded solely to women. She is the Founding, Scientific and Managing Director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, an independent institute she established in 2018, and an Honorary Professor at Humboldt University.
Charpentier studied at the University Pierre and Marie Curie (now Sorbonne University) and earned her PhD in microbiology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Her research career took her to The Rockefeller University, NYU Medical Center, the Skirball Institute, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States, then to the University of Vienna, Umeå University in Sweden, and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Hannover Medical School in Germany. Her study of how bacteria defend themselves against viruses revealed a molecular system that can be reprogrammed to cut DNA at a chosen site, a tool now widely described as genetic scissors.
From Laboratory Insight to Approved Therapy
Charpentier carried that discovery well beyond the lab. With Rodger Novak and Shaun Foy, she co-founded CRISPR Therapeutics and ERS Genomics to develop the technology for patients and to license it across the research community. CRISPR Therapeutics went on to co-develop Casgevy, the first approved CRISPR-based medicine, for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Her work has been honored with the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Japan Prize, the Harvey Prize, and the Tang Prize, as well as induction into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame and election as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. She belongs to scientific academies in Europe, Asia, and North America.
As a speaker, Emmanuelle Charpentier gives audiences a firsthand account of how curiosity-driven research becomes technology that changes medicine. She explains with precision where gene editing is heading, what it asks of regulators and industry, and why patient investment in fundamental science pays off. Among Nobel Prize speakers, few can speak to both discovery and commercialization from direct experience, and she leaves executives, clinicians, and policymakers with a clearer view of the science and the responsibility that comes with it.
Emmanuelle Charpentier Speaking Videos
Emmanuelle Charpentier founder of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology
Emmanuelle Charpentier - 21st Century Genetics: Genes at Work
Emmanuelle Charpentier Keynote Topics
CRISPR-Cas9 began as a question about how bacteria fight off viruses and became one of the most powerful tools in modern biology. Charpentier explains in clear, accessible terms how the system works, why it changed research almost overnight, and where it is now being applied across medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Audiences come away with an expert's view of the technology's real potential and its current limits, and of the decisions it will require from business leaders, regulators, and society.
The path from a 2012 research paper to Casgevy, the first approved CRISPR-based medicine, ran through company building, patent strategy, clinical development, and years of persistence. Charpentier shares what she learned as a scientist who co-founded CRISPR Therapeutics and ERS Genomics, and what it takes to move an idea from the laboratory to patients. Leaders in research-driven industries gain a practical understanding of why fundamental science is the starting point for every major breakthrough and how to protect the conditions that make it possible.
Which genetic changes should be allowed, which should not, and who should decide? Charpentier leads a candid, balanced discussion of the ethical questions raised by CRISPR, from somatic therapies for inherited disease to germline editing and the wider social consequences of reshaping biology. She combines a scientist's understanding of what the technology can actually do with an awareness of the policy debate, giving healthcare, pharmaceutical, and public affairs audiences a framework for decisions they will increasingly face.
Charpentier built laboratories in several countries and worked for years without wide recognition before her research changed the field. She reflects on what that path taught her about resilience, intellectual independence, and pursuing fundamental questions instead of fashionable ones. This keynote resonates with organizations focused on women in science, diversity in STEM, scientific leadership, and the long-term thinking that produces transformative results.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Emmanuelle Charpentier
Why Emmanuelle Charpentier?
Emmanuelle Charpentier is the co-inventor of CRISPR-Cas9 and a 2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and she has seen her discovery travel all the way to an approved therapy through CRISPR Therapeutics, the company she co-founded. Few speakers can address gene editing, biotechnology, healthcare innovation, and scientific leadership with the same authority. Her keynotes give executive audiences in life sciences, pharma, technology, and policy both depth and perspective. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check her availability for your next event.
What is CRISPR-Cas9 and how does it work?
CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing system adapted from the immune defense bacteria use against viruses. A guide RNA directs the Cas9 enzyme to a specific DNA sequence, where it makes a precise cut that allows genes to be disabled, corrected, or replaced. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna described how to program the system in a landmark 2012 paper in Science, and it is now used in laboratories worldwide across medicine, agriculture, and basic research.
What was the first approved CRISPR-based therapy?
The first approved CRISPR-based therapy is Casgevy, a treatment for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia co-developed by CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Regulators in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union approved it beginning in 2023. CRISPR Therapeutics was co-founded by Emmanuelle Charpentier, which makes Casgevy a direct example of her Nobel-winning research reaching patients.
What topics does speaker Emmanuelle Charpentier cover at events?
Emmanuelle Charpentier speaks on the science and future of CRISPR gene editing, the ethics of genetic intervention, the role of fundamental research in driving innovation, the path from academic discovery to commercial therapy, and leadership and careers in science. Her talks are especially relevant for audiences in life sciences, healthcare, pharma, biotech, and public policy. Reach out to Aurum Speakers Bureau to discuss how her keynote can be shaped around your event's theme and audience.
How to book Emmanuelle Charpentier as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Emmanuelle Charpentier as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Emmanuelle Charpentier's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Emmanuelle Charpentier or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Emmanuelle Charpentier speaking fee?
Emmanuelle Charpentier speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Emmanuelle Charpentier to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Emmanuelle Charpentier.
How can I contact Emmanuelle Charpentier?
We only work with Emmanuelle Charpentier on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Emmanuelle Charpentier and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Emmanuelle Charpentier speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Emmanuelle Charpentier for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Emmanuelle Charpentier for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Emmanuelle Charpentier is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Emmanuelle Charpentier for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
