Research

USS Translational Research Grants

Shannon Boye, PhD

Shannon Boye, PhD

Dr. Shannon E. Boye is a Professor and Associate Chief of the Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy in the University of Florida’s Department of Pediatrics. She graduated with a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Florida in 2006. The focus of her research is developing viral vector-based gene therapies for the treatment of inherited ocular disease. Her current focus areas are 1) Developing dual AAV vector platforms that are capable of delivering large transgenes (> 5kb) to address Usher syndrome, 2) Developing AAV-CRISPR/Cas9-based therapies to address dominant inherited retinal disease, 3) Developing AAV-based approaches for delivery of genes to the trabecular meshwork to address treatments for primary open angle glaucoma, 4) Developing AAV-based gene therapies to address the ocular phenotype of broader, systemic disease, and 5) Supporting a Phase I/II clinical trial for the treatment of autosomal recessive GUCY2D-Leber congenital amaurosis-1 (LCA1) Dr. Boye has authored over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts, multiple textbook chapters, is actively involved in grant and manuscript review, and is the recipient of several major awards including the ARVO Foundation/Merck Innovative Ophthalmology Research Award in Gene Therapy and Eye Disease, the Foundation Fighting Blindness Board of Director’s Award, the ARVO Foundation/Pfizer Ophthalmics Carl Camras Translational Research Award, a University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship, and the Gund Harrington Scholar Award for excellence in gene therapy research. She is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Atsena Therapeutics, a clinical-stage startup company focused on developing gene therapies for inherited retinal disease and optimizing AAV vectors for safe and efficient gene delivery to patient retinas.