Brian Kaspar is scientific founder and chief scientific officer at AveXis, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases. He is a former endowed chair and professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University and principal investigator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Kaspar’s work on gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy was Science magazine’s People’s Choice Award for 2017 Breakthrough of the Year. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he has over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters and serves on NIH review panels, several committees for the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, and the editorial board of Molecular Therapy.