Michal Fortuna leads non-human primate biodistribution studies for the Allen Institute’s Gene Therapy team, evaluating engineered and cell type–specific AAVs for brain and spinal cord disorders, including severe epilepsies and other neurodevelopmental diseases. A pharmacologist and systems neuroscientist, he earned his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia with Patrice Guyenet, studying how the brain senses CO₂ and controls breathing. He continued this work as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in Göttingen, where he introduced optogenetic approaches to dissect brainstem respiratory circuits. At the German Primate Center, he helped establish optogenetics in primates and coordinated a shared technology platform across multiple labs.