Dr. Mauro Ferrari is a distinguished leader and innovator in the field of biomedical engineering with a focus on nanotechnology applications for healthcare. He currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, having joined in 2019 after a decade-long tenure as President and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute. Dr. Ferrari earned his initial PhD in Mathematics from the Università di Padova in Italy before completing both an MSc and PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His unique interdisciplinary background was further enhanced by medical studies at The Ohio State University, establishing the foundation for his pioneering work at the intersection of engineering, physics, and medicine.
As the founder of biomedical nano/micro-technology, Dr. Ferrari's research has fundamentally transformed approaches to drug delivery, cancer treatment, and medical diagnostics. His leadership as Special Expert on Nanotechnology at the National Cancer Institute from 2003 to 2005 was instrumental in establishing the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, which has grown into the world's largest program in medical nanotechnology. Dr. Ferrari has contributed numerous groundbreaking innovations throughout his career, including the first nanofluidic systems in 1992, microchip-cell hybrid therapeutic implants in 1995, and silicon-based therapeutic particles in 1998. His development of multi-stage vectors for systemic therapy in 2008 and formulation of transport oncophysics in 2011 represented paradigm shifts in targeted drug delivery approaches. Most notably, his landmark study published in Nature Biotechnology demonstrated the first successful elimination of lung metastases in mice with triple negative breast cancer, representing a transformative advance in metastatic cancer treatment.
Dr. Ferrari's influence extends beyond his laboratory as he has mentored generations of scientists and shaped research directions across multiple institutions. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Italy and the European Academy of Sciences, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Currently, he maintains active entrepreneurial engagements as CEO of DXT Pharmaceuticals, Director at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, and Scientific Founder of BrYet US, demonstrating his commitment to translating scientific discoveries into clinical applications. With over 350 publications and seven books to his name, Dr. Ferrari continues to advance the field of nanomedicine while developing innovative approaches to address previously intractable medical challenges.
