Kevin Esvelt

Kevin Esvelt is the director of the Sculpting Evolution group at the MIT Media Lab, which focuses on developing innovative methods to study and influence ecosystem evolution for the benefit of both humanity and the natural world. Before joining the Media Lab, Esvelt worked at the Wyss Institute with George Church, contributing to the development of CRISPR genome engineering and exploring microbial ecosystem engineering. He also invented phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE) at Harvard University. Esvelt is widely credited as the first to describe the use of CRISPR gene drives to alter wild populations in an evolutionarily stable manner. His recent work includes developing 'daisy drives,' a technology that enables local communities to modify wild organisms in ecosystems to prevent disease.