David Tabatadze, PhD

President and CEO at ZATA Pharmaceuticals

Speaker

Dr. David R. Tabatadze is President and CEO of ZATA Pharmaceuticals, specializing in oligonucleotide (ON) chemistry and backbone modification technologies. Trained under Dr. Paul Zamecnik, the father of antisense oligonucleotides, he has contributed to the development of novel ON modifications and phosphoramidite-based chemistries. His work includes early advances in synthetic oligonucleotides for gene correction and the design of phosphotriester-based platforms enabling backbone engineering, improved stability, and enhanced cellular uptake. Dr. Tabatadze has led the development of scalable ON chemistries compatible with ASO, siRNA, and CRISPR modalities, supported by multiple patents and decades of experience in nucleic acid science.