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The Center for Translational Vision Research Distinguished Speaker Series, also known as "Friday Seminars" showcases innovative research across the world. The seminar series has now been expanded to include lectures by experts on topics ranging from Ophthalmology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Neurobiology, Imaging, Computational Sciences to Novel Ophthalmic Treatments.
All talks are hybrid. You can join us in person at
You can also join us by zoom. Zoom link and information are on your right and in the calendar links above.
Learn More About the Distinguished Speaker Series
Dr. Michael J. Mitchell, PhD is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he leads the Mitchell Lab—an interdisciplinary group focused on biomaterials, drug delivery, and engineered nanomedicine. His research program addresses fundamental and translational challenges in overcoming biological barriers to nucleic acid and gene-based therapeutics. In particular, Dr. Mitchell’s lab develops and optimizes lipid nanoparticle (LNP) systems and other delivery vehicles for RNA, CRISPR, and immunomodulatory cargoes—with applications spanning cancer immunotherapy, genome editing, cardiovascular disease, regenerative medicine, and pregnancy-associated disorders. Among his key contributions, Dr. Mitchell has advanced high-throughput formulation strategies to tune ionizable lipids for targeted delivery, engineered LNPs to reach hard-to-target tissues (including bone marrow and placenta), and demonstrated proof-of-concept RNA therapies in preclinical disease models. His work is supported by several competitive awards and funding mechanisms, including the NSF CAREER Award and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface. He is also recognized as a highly cited researcher in the field of drug delivery and nanomedicine. In addition to his research, Dr. Mitchell is active in mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and he collaborates broadly across engineering, immunology, cancer biology, and translational medicine to accelerate new therapeutics from bench to bedside.