BioAsia’s Genome Valley Excellence Award to be presented to Bruce Levine

The Genome Valley Excellence Award, an integral part of the annual BioAsia Life Sciences conference in Hyderabad, will be presented at this year’s edition to Bruce Levine — Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine — for his outstanding contributions to cell and gene therapy, engineered T cells and cancer immunotherapy.

Dr Levine’s research has redefined the frontiers of cell and gene therapy, translating bold scientific ideas into lifesaving clinical realities. His pioneering work has enabled the safe and effective genetic modification of human cells, laying the scientific foundation for a new generation of personalised, living medicines. Through seminal discoveries and first-of-their-kind clinical studies, he has played a pivotal role in advancing engineered T-cell and CAR T-cell therapies, contributing directly to the emergence of the first FDA-approved gene therapies for cancer. These breakthroughs have not only changed treatment paradigms for previously incurable malignancies but have also established new standards for translational biomedical research, BioAsia organisers said in a release on Tuesday.

“We are proud to present the Genome Valley Excellence Award 2026 to Dr. Bruce Levine, whose pioneering work in CAR T-cell therapy and gene editing has significantly advanced global cancer care. His innovations set new benchmarks in immunotherapy. Telangana remains committed to recognising such contributions, shaping the future of medicine,” Industries and IT Minister D.Sridhar Babu said.

A two-day conference that is set to get under way here at BioAsia 2026 on February 17 with ‘TechBio Unleashed: AI, Automation and the Biology Revolution’ as its theme, will examine how AI, advanced biology and intelligent manufacturing are converging to fundamentally transform how therapies are discovered, developed and delivered worldwide.