David completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University, graduating with a B.S. in Biology. He then went on to complete his MD and PhD degrees at Harvard/MIT where he completed his dissertation research in the laboratory of Feng Zhang. In the Zhang lab he was involved in the initial studies demonstrating the utility of CRISPR-Cas enzymes for manipulating DNA and RNA in human cells. These enzymes are currently being developed as clinical therapeutics. His PhD research was runner-up for Science breakthrough of the year and was featured in popular news outlets such as BBC, NPR and the Economist. As a fellow David plans to work to develop the next generation of DNA and RNA editing technologies to treat genetic hematologic diseases.