Morgan DiLeo

Morgan DiLeo is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, and Clinical and Translational Sciences. She received her PhD under the mentorship of Dr. William Federspiel from Pitt in 2011 and attended Carnegie Mellon University prior to that. Dr. DiLeo is interested in the study of translational materials, particularly for controlled release therapeutics. Her laboratory focuses on the design and testing of various drug delivery systems and regenerative biomaterials, with an emphasis on ophthalmic applications. This includes the following primary focus areas: 1) novel materials for minimally invasive retinal gene therapy delivery, 2) non-invasive controlled release ophthalmic formulations, and 3) next-generation ocular sensing systems.  

She has trained in biomaterials fabrication, including surface conjugation and imaging, and rational design of controlled release systems. Her primary goal is to use her interdisciplinary experience and network of clinicians, basic scientists, and engineers to perform translational research in novel therapeutics. In particular, her focus has been on bridging the gap between the clinical needs of patients and the engineering capabilities inherent to various biomaterials in order to expedite translation. Dr. DiLeo’s group does this by using a “bedside-to-bench-to-bedside” approach in close collaboration with clinicians to maximize the translatability of the experiments performed in her lab. Another focus area is the professional development of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to enhance their technical skillset and advance their careers. She regularly engages in numerous mentorship activities and proactively seeks out opportunities to improve the training environment in her lab. She is currently funded by the NEI, DOD, and industry sponsors, and her work has led to 6 issued patents and 4 more pending.