Historic first-ever honor makes the M34 co-founder the only scientist to receive Founders Awards from leading gene and cell therapy societies across three continents

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- M34 Inc. today announced that its co-founder and chief scientific officer, R. Jude Samulski, Ph.D., has received the inaugural Founders Award from the Chinese Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (CSGCT), one of the society's highest honors.

With this honor, Samulski becomes the only scientist to receive Founders Awards from leading gene and cell therapy societies in Asia, Europe and North America. He received the inaugural Founder's Award from the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in 2022 and the Founders Award from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in 2026.

Samulski, who is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern gene therapy, received the award at CSGCT's 2026 Annual Meeting in Beijing, held September 19–20. Created to recognize individuals whose scientific leadership and creativity have significantly developed or advanced the field, the Founders Award is being conferred for the first time this year.

CSGCT's emphasis on international collaboration—and its recognition of a U.S. scientist at the society's annual meeting—underscores the global nature of progress in cell and gene therapy.

"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from colleagues in China," Samulski said. "Science moves forward through collaboration across borders, and continued cooperation among researchers in the United States, China and around the world will be essential to turning promising discoveries into meaningful treatments for patients."

Samulski was the first scientist to clone adeno-associated virus (AAV) for therapeutic use, work that helped establish AAV as a foundational delivery platform for genetic medicines. Multiple FDA-approved therapies now use AAV technology that Samulski helped pioneer, including Zolgensma, a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and potentially fatal genetic neuromuscular disease.

Over more than four decades, Samulski has authored more than 250 scientific publications and is an inventor on more than 350 patents. He founded the University of North Carolina Gene Therapy Center, served as president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, and co-founded Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio), which was acquired by Bayer in a transaction valued at up to $4 billion. His fundamental discoveries and translational advances underlie multiple approved gene therapy products. At M34, he is applying that experience to new approaches for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

ABOUT M34 INC.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, M34 Inc. is a next-generation biotechnology company developing transformative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. M34 is advancing in vivo and in situ cellular transdifferentiation approaches and recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors engineered and selected directly in humans, with the goal of improving the safety, efficacy and accessibility of gene therapy for diseases of the brain and spinal cord. Learn more at www.m34thx.com. 

ABOUT COLUMBUS CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION

Columbus Children's Foundation (CCF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of gene therapies for children with ultra-rare genetic diseases. CCF works to bridge the gap between promising scientific discoveries and treatments for diseases that are often too rare to attract traditional commercial investment. Through partnerships with scientists, clinicians, families and industry, the Foundation supports programs aimed at bringing potentially life-changing therapies to children who otherwise may have no treatment options. 

MEDIA CONTACT
Patrick@TarHeelTargeting.com
www.m34thx.com 

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SOURCE M34 Inc.