Erik Aznauryan is a scientist-entrepreneur and co-founder of HarborSite, a biotechnology company developing next-generation gene insertion tools for the treatment of inherited and age-associated diseases. Trained as a bioengineer, he completed his PhD at ETH Zurich and later joined George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School, where he focused on developing novel genome editing technologies. His work blends computational genome mining with high-throughput experimental validation to discover and engineer enzymes capable of inserting full-length genes safely and precisely into the human genome. Beyond his scientific expertise, Erik has a strong track record in venture creation and translational research. He was a venture fellow at Flagship Pioneering and later a technology development fellow at the Wyss Institute, where he mobilized internal funding to launch HarborSite. As part of the Blavatnik Fellowship at Harvard, he is now advancing the company’s platform through preclinical studies in animal models. Erik’s mission is to build foundational genetic technologies that unlock curative therapies for patients with limited or no treatment options.