Timothy A Blenkinsop

Timothy A Blenkinsop is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Cell, Developmental & Regenerative Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He leads a research laboratory focused on understanding retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) biology and developing regenerative therapies for ocular diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and SARS-CoV-2 ocular infection.

• Education: PhD in Neuroscience from New York University Medical Center, BS in Biological Sciences from University of Wisconsin at Whitewater
• Research Interests: Retinal regeneration, epigenetic regulation of RPE, stem cell-based therapies, and immunological considerations in cell transplantation

His research spans three major areas: (1) developing in vitro and in vivo models of RPE diseases for drug screening, (2) investigating the epigenetic and molecular architecture of adult RPE, and (3) optimizing transplantation methods using adult human RPE. Recent publications emphasize stem cell-derived RPE, SARS-CoV-2 ocular infection mechanisms, and biomaterials for retinal scarring prevention. Current collaborative projects involve global teams of over 30 individuals.

• Scientific Awards: Hong Leong Visiting Professor (2017-2019)

Dr. Blenkinsop advises graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, with notable alumni including Dr. Marie Fernandes and Dr. Lauren Schiff. His lab operates within the Black Family Stem Cell Institute and Department of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai, pioneering GMP production pipelines for adult human RPE transplantation and exploring novel pathways like p38 MAPK, c-Jun, and FOXS1 in ERM formation.