Dr. Mark Davis is a distinguished chemical engineer and pioneering researcher whose work has transformed the fields of catalysis and nanomedicine. He currently serves as the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. A native Pennsylvanian born in Ellwood City, Dr. Davis earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1977, 1978, and 1981 respectively, where he was also an accomplished scholar-athlete on the varsity track team. He began his academic career at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1981, rapidly establishing himself as a rising star in catalytic science before his appointment at Caltech.
Dr. Davis's groundbreaking research in catalysis led to the discovery of novel molecular sieve materials including VPI-5, which opened new pathways for gas storage, pharmaceutical applications, and environmental control technologies. His laboratory has produced ten original research publications in Science or Nature, demonstrating the profound impact of his work on both fundamental science and industrial applications. A visionary who crosses disciplinary boundaries, he launched a highly successful drug delivery research program in the mid-1990s that eventually created the first RNAi therapeutic to reach clinical trials for cancer treatment. With over 450 scientific publications, two influential textbooks, and more than 100 U.S. patents, his innovations have fundamentally reshaped approaches to catalytic science and targeted cancer therapies.
Dr. Davis's exceptional contributions have been recognized through election to all three National Academies—the National Academy of Engineering in 1997, the National Academy of Sciences in 2006, and the National Academy of Medicine in 2011—a rare distinction achieved by only a select few scientists. As a serial entrepreneur, he founded multiple biotechnology companies including Insert Therapeutics, Calando Pharmaceuticals, Avidity Biosciences, and Dantari Pharmaceuticals to translate his laboratory discoveries into clinical applications. His leadership extends to directing the USC-Caltech MD-PhD program and the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine-Caltech MD-PhD program, where he continues to shape the next generation of physician-scientists. Currently focusing on advancing nanoparticle-based delivery systems for human clinical applications, Dr. Davis remains at the forefront of integrating chemical engineering principles with cutting-edge biomedical research to address some of medicine's most challenging problems.
