Andrés Felipe Leal, Ph.D., is a molecular and cell biologist specializing in gene therapy and genome editing for rare diseases, particularly lysosomal storage disorders such as mucopolysaccharidosis IVA and GM2 gangliosidoses. He earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) with Summa Cum Laude and Laureate distinctions, and has pursued postdoctoral training at Nemours Children’s Health (USA) and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (Poland). His research focuses on CRISPR/nCas9-based genome editing, ex vivo and cell-free gene therapies, and mitochondrial and proteostasis mechanisms in inherited metabolic diseases. Dr. Leal has received international awards, including the Young Investigator Award from WORLDSymposium (2025) and IJMS (2025), authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, and served as a reviewer and guest editor for leading journals. He is currently dedicated to developing precision gene therapy approaches to advance translational solutions for patients with rare genetic disorders.