Dr. Thomas Conlon is the Chief Scientific Officer of the Michelson Found Animals Foundation and is an expert in recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors.
Dr. Conlon completed his undergraduate degree in genetics at Texas A&M University and his PhD in genetics/biomedical studies at the University of Florida. As the Director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center (PGTC) Toxicology Core and a member of the Pediatrics faculty for 13 years, he facilitated efficient, cost-effective, and rigorous preclinical testing of gene therapy vectors, with a special emphasis on recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors.
Dr. Conlon has brought 14 gene therapy trials to the FDA with approval. He has been at the forefront of collaborations between the PGTC, the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine to identify means for treating congestive heart failure, types of Retinal Degeneration and Glycogen Storage Disease Type IA in humans, as well as two types of cardiac problems experienced in dogs.
He has also served industry sponsors by performing safety studies and regulatory consultations for clinical trial approval. Dr. Conlon was the 2014 recipient of the “See the Lights” award from the The Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation for excellence in the fight against children’s genetic diseases and is a member of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.
