Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc.

Dr. Amber Van Laar obtained her MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2009, followed by residency training in Neurology and a clinical-research fellowship in Movement Disorders at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Upon completion of training, she accepted a faculty position in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the Movement Disorders division. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Van Laar continued her academic research in the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, where she also completed a Certificate in Clinical Research from the Institute of Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

In her clinical practice, Dr. Van Laar has cared for patients living with a variety of movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. She has also contributed to the Parkinson’s disease community through volunteer work with local PD support groups and serves on the Board of Directors for the Parkinson’s Foundation of Western Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Van Laar has been researching gene therapy approaches for Parkinson’s disease since 2002. Her laboratory efforts have focused on mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, and in 2014 she received the Clinician-Scientist Development Award from the Parkinson’s Foundation and the American Academy of Neurology to investigate the therapeutic potential of gene therapy in parkinsonian models. Dr. Van Laar has also been an investigator in clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple gene therapy studies for Parkinson’s disease. 

Dr. Van Laar continues her work with gene therapy and now serves as the VP of Clinical Development for CNS Gene Therapy at Asklepios BioPharmacetuical Inc. (AskBio). She brings a unique blend of preclinical, clinical, and clinical-trial development experience to the advancement of gene therapy as a new platform to address the underlying causes of Parkinson’s disease and similar brain diseases.