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Joseph Thakuria

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Epstein paid for novel genetic testing in apparent effort to explore ... cnn.com CNN Feb 6, 2026 39 facts

claimJoseph Thakuria, a senior doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston and an affiliate of a large-scale genomic studies project at Harvard Medical School, performed genetic testing for Jeffrey Epstein.

measurementIn June 2014, Joseph Thakuria sent Jeffrey Epstein an invoice for $2,000 for sequencing a portion of Epstein's genome, which included $1,000 for exome sequencing and $1,000 for sequencing fibroblasts.

quoteJoseph Thakuria wrote to Jeffrey Epstein: "I’m only offering this to Jeffrey. Because of all the labor involved, there’s simply not enough bandwidth to offer this to more than a handful of people right now."

quoteJoseph Thakuria stated: "Mr. Epstein was enrolled in the Personal Genome Project, which would study his genetic predisposition to various health conditions. At one point, a $2,000 check was provided to cover DNA sequencing. I was a physician-researcher and he [Epstein] was a research subject."

claimThe invoice sent by Joseph Thakuria to Jeffrey Epstein in June 2014 included an estimated cost for 'personalized longevity studies' that proposed using gene editing.

claimJoseph Thakuria proposed editing Jeffrey Epstein’s stem cells using CRISPR gene-editing technology to introduce mutations believed to increase longevity.

measurementAn invoice provided to Jeffrey Epstein by Joseph Thakuria listed the cost of creating new stem cells starting at $10,000.

measurementAn invoice provided to Jeffrey Epstein by Joseph Thakuria indicated a cost of $11,400 for sequencing Jeffrey Epstein's whole genome, or $21,000 if including both of his parents.

accountIn February 2014, Joseph Thakuria sent a proposal to Jeffrey Epstein requesting funding for a private project to sequence patients' genomes to identify genetic drivers of diseases, while also suggesting genetic investigations specifically for Epstein.

accountJeffrey Epstein's assistants and Joseph Thakuria continued to exchange emails regarding research follow-ups until at least 2015.

claimJoseph Thakuria stated to CNN that Jeffrey Epstein was interested in the genetics of facial features, but that "The Venus Project" ultimately received no funding and involved no actual research.

claimJoseph Thakuria stated to CNN that 'The Venus Project' was a preliminary idea of Jeffrey Epstein's that did not proceed.

accountJeffrey Epstein threatened to report Joseph Thakuria to his superiors if research results were not delivered quickly.

claimMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has no record of approving Joseph Thakuria for the studies described in the emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Joseph Thakuria.

quoteJoseph Thakuria wrote in a June 2014 invoice regarding the 'Venus Project': "[Epstein] mentioned 200 participants being in this project — I can deliver on this ‘Venus’ research."

claimJoseph Thakuria stated that Jeffrey Epstein was interested in the genetics of facial features, but that no funding or research occurred for the project.

claimIn February 2014, Joseph Thakuria sent a proposal to Jeffrey Epstein requesting funding for a private project to sequence patients' genomes to identify genetic drivers of diseases, while also suggesting genetic investigations specifically for Jeffrey Epstein.

quoteJoseph Thakuria stated regarding potential research funding from Jeffrey Epstein: "We also had early discussions about his potentially funding research, but that never materialized."

claimMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is an affiliate of Harvard, but Joseph Thakuria was not directly employed by Harvard or the Wyss Institute, which oversees the Personal Genome Project.

quoteJoseph Thakuria wrote in a June 2014 invoice: "Jeffrey and [I] briefly discussed a genomic research studying [sic] I’m dubbing the Venus project (he’ll know what this). I can do this for him but doing this work would be greatly aided by having some good bioinformatic infrastructure."

accountJoseph Thakuria was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein by George Church, a Harvard genomics researcher, as a potential research subject for the Personal Genome Project.

measurementJeffrey Epstein's staff sent a $2,000 check to Joseph Thakuria on the same day the invoice for genetic testing was received.

claimGeorge Church, a Harvard genomics researcher, introduced Joseph Thakuria to Jeffrey Epstein as a potential research subject for the Personal Genome Project.

claimJoseph Thakuria, a senior doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and an affiliate of a genomic studies project at Harvard Medical School, performed novel genetic tests for Jeffrey Epstein several years after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution.

measurementThe total cost for the full breadth of research projects proposed by Joseph Thakuria to Jeffrey Epstein was $193,400.

claimJoseph Thakuria proposed editing Jeffrey Epstein's stem cells to introduce mutations believed to increase longevity using CRISPR gene editing technology.

accountJeffrey Epstein threatened to report Joseph Thakuria to his superiors if research results were not delivered quickly.

quoteJoseph Thakuria stated regarding potential research funding from Jeffrey Epstein: "We also had early discussions about his potentially funding research, but that never materialized."

quoteJoseph Thakuria expressed regret regarding his past association with Jeffrey Epstein, stating: "I feel terrible about what his victims went through, and I regret at that time not knowing more about his background and the extent of his crimes."

measurementJoseph Thakuria billed Jeffrey Epstein $160,000 for a research project titled "The Venus Project" in an invoice dated June 2014.

measurementJoseph Thakuria left Massachusetts General Hospital in 2022.

quoteJoseph Thakuria wrote to Jeffrey Epstein regarding the exclusivity of his proposed genetic services: "I’m only offering this to Jeffrey. Because of all the labor involved, there’s simply not enough bandwidth to offer this to more than a handful of people right now."

measurementJoseph Thakuria left Massachusetts General Hospital in 2022.

claimJeffrey Epstein provided a saliva sample for the genetic testing requested in the invoice sent by Joseph Thakuria.

measurementIn June 2014, Joseph Thakuria sent Jeffrey Epstein an invoice for $2,000 for sequencing part of Jeffrey Epstein's genome, which included an estimated cost for personalized longevity studies involving gene editing.

quoteJoseph Thakuria stated: "I feel terrible about what his victims went through, and I regret at that time not knowing more about his background and the extent of his crimes."

measurementThe $2,000 invoice sent by Joseph Thakuria to Jeffrey Epstein included $1,000 to sequence the exome portion of Jeffrey Epstein's genome and $1,000 to sequence fibroblasts, which are cells found in connective tissue used in research aimed at reversing aging.

claimMassachusetts General Hospital has no record of approving Joseph Thakuria for the studies described in the emails between Jeffrey Epstein and Joseph Thakuria.