Jean Bennett

Biography

Jean Bennett, M.D., Ph.D., tenured professor of Ophthalmology and Cell and Developmental Biology, and vice chairman for research in Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) School of Medicine, is a pioneer in retinal gene therapy and internationally recognized for her work in this field. She has developed gene transfer approaches to test treatment strategies for retinal degenerative and ocular neovascular diseases, to elucidate retinal differentiation pathways and to identify pathogenetic mechanisms that lead to blindness. In addition, her laboratory has developed gene transfer approaches to treat syndromic diseases resulting in vision loss, studies the immune response of the eye to viral vectors, and characterizes and utilizes cell specific promoters for the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. Recently she was named the F.M. Kirby Professor of Molecular Ophthalmology. Her research, conducted at Penn over the past 16 years, has established the scientific underpinnings which made it possible to test the first potential definitive retinal gene therapy treatment for patients with blinding retinal degenerations. Dr. Bennett is the principal investigator of the Foundation Fighting Blindness-funded The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)-Penn Pediatric Center for Retinal Degenerations and the Scientific Advisor of a clinical trial that evaluates the safety and efficacy of gene augmentation for a Leber Congenital Amaurosis. This study was initiated in the fall of 2007 at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Research Interest

retinal gene therapy