Dr. May Griffith

Biography

May Griffith is a prominent researcher in the field of tissue engineering with a focus on corneal regeneration using biomaterials. In December 1999, she and her collaborators produced the first functional tissue equivalent to human corneal tissue, which was published in the journal Science and garnered significant public attention. The corneal equivalents have applications that are valuable for the pharmaceutical and consumer product industries as they eliminate the need for animal testing. Recently, Griffith and her team, including Dr. David Carlsson from the National Research Council of Canada, developed a prototype for grafting as a substitute for human donor tissues. The biosynthetic corneas from this initiative are currently undergoing trials, with preliminary results indicating that these new biomaterials enable the regeneration of host tissues. Griffith's success is largely attributed to her ability to establish and coordinate collaborations with other scientists worldwide to address complex challenges in the field. Her work has led to several significant academic and industry partnerships, as well as invitations to present at international ophthalmology conferences. She holds the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Stem Cells in Ophthalmology and is the director of the Biomaterials Corneal Regeneration unit at the Université de Montréal.

Research Interests

Awards