Human Gene Therapy - April 2023 - 248

248
IN MEMORIAM
He followed that up by defining the mechanisms by which
Rep78/68 serves as a bifunctional transcription regulator in
different phases of the AAV life cycle.5
When Nick returned to Florida in the mid-1990s, he
gave me an opportunity to join him in the next phase of the
AAV story, the in vivo application ofAAV gene therapy in
animal models and patients. That was the mission of the
University of Florida Gene Therapy Center, which later
became the Powell Gene Therapy Center, a mission shared
by our amazing colleagues there in that era, including
Barry Byrne, Bill Hauswirth, Ken Berns, Arun Srivastava,
Sergei Zolotukhin, Richard Snyder, Roland Herzog, Rob
and Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, and many others.
At that point in the mid-to-late 1990s, Nick's influence
on my own life and career became very profound. I
learned from his example about the calm and clear-eyed
rigor required to advance the science by ''listening to your
data,'' especially when it runs counter to your expectations.
Throughout my 11 years at Florida, I always
benefited from his mentorship in how to interact with
collaborators, competitors, and partners. The skills that I
learned from him have formed the basis of my approach
to professional life.
On a personal level, I am so grateful to our friend for the
effect that he had on my life, welcoming me to Gainesville
and making me feel at home with Gator football and
Sonny's Barbecue. But most especially, Nick introduced
me to my wife, Kye, and tolerated our laboratory romance
with wry humor and unspoken support. I moved to UMass
in 2007, but every time I saw Nick since then he continued
to be a close friend and mentor. He was always like another
big brother for me.
When Nick passed away after a long battle with prostate
cancer, I reflected on what a big part of my life and career
he had been, and what a big void had been created for the
people that he mentored. Knowing Nick, I would have to
think that if he read this, he wouldjust chuckle, say ''Yeah,
right'' and tell us all to get back to work.
Terry Flotte
University ofMassachusetts Chan Medical School
I first met Nick in the early 1980s as a young postdoc
and have regularly met and talked with him since then. He
was an attentive listener, who impressed with a deep understanding
of AAV biology combined with high creativity
to find solutions off the beaten path. His kindness
and supportive attitude will be much missed.
Regine Heilbronn
Charite´ Universita¨tsmedizin Berlin/EpiBlok
Therapeutics GmbH
Nick Muzyczka was a significant presence in the AAV
and gene therapy fields for many years. Nick was involved
in AAV research as one of three well-established AAV
research laboratories, along with Ken Berns and Barrie
Carter. Research in Ken's laboratory was mostly focused
on AAV DNA replication and latency, Barrie's laboratory
emphasized AAV molecular genetics, and Nick's labora
Human Gene Therapy - April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Human Gene Therapy - April 2023
