Daniel Chao
Vice President & Head of Clinical Development Surrozen
Dr. Daniel Chao is a retina specialist and physician scientist with over 15 years of experience in ophthalmic research and drug development. He previously held leadership roles at ADARx Pharmaceuticals and Johnson and Johnson, leading multiple ophthalmology programs from discovery through late-stage development. Dr. Chao completed his MD and PhD in Neurosciences from Stanford University School of Medicine, ophthalmology residency at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at University of California San Francisco. He began his career as a faculty member at UC San Diego and currently serves as a Volunteer Assistant Professor at UC San Francisco.
Seminars
Thursday 21st January 2027
Panel Discussion: How Can We Improve Clinical Translation by Bridging the Gap Between Preclinical & Human Studies
11:00 am
- Discuss common causes of translational disconnect in efficacy, durability, safety, and immunogenicity from preclnical studies to humans
- Compare the strengths and limitations of rodent, rabbit, minipig, and nonhuman primate models for disease modeling, PK/PD characterization, biodistribution, and safety assessment.
- Discuss the potential of organoids, microphysiological systems, ex vivo human ocular tissues, and computational modeling to complement or replace traditional animal studies.
- Discuss common deficiencies, evidence gaps, or study design limitations that lead to regulatory questions, delays, or clinical holds for preclinical IND packages
