Dr. Hauswirth received his B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University and his Ph.D in Physical Chemistry from Oregon State University. After an NIH Fellowship in the Biochemistry Department at Johns Hopkins University, he joined that department as an Assistant Professor. In 1976, he joined the faculty of Molecular Genetics and in 1985 the Ophthalmology faculty at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Before turning his attention to the retina, while at UF Dr. Hauswirth is, in part, responsible for determining the mechanism of replication of adeno-associated virus (AAV) DNA and the discovery of mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in mammals, the basis of mitochondrial disease. More recently he collaborated on the first successful rescue of a dominant genetic disease in animals (ribozyme treatment in a Retinitis Pigmentosa model in rats) and the first restoration of vision for a recessive retinal disease (congenitally blind Briard dogs). He also demonstrated that AAV mediated gene therapy could cure red-green color blindness in monkeys, ranked as the third most important scientific discovery of 2009 by Time Magazine.
Dr Hauswirth’s current interests involve the delivery and testing of potentially therapeutic genes for Retinitis Pigmentosa, Achromatopsia, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and Optic Neuropathies in natural and transgenic animal models of each human disease. Dr. Hauswirth is principal investigator on numerous NIH and private foundation grants supporting this work, including a 3-University consortium grant that funds the pre-clinical stages of a gene therapy trial for LCA, a severe form of congenital early childhood blindness. He is also coPI on a related clinical trial grant for LCA2 in which the patients began treatment in 2007. In collaboration with Genzyme Corp. and AGTC, Inc, he is developing a gene-based therapy for the wet form of AMD, with the first patients in 2010. Finally, he collaborates with more than 70 PI’s around the world, primarily by designing and providing them, free of charge, AAV vectors (~125 per year) for disorders affecting essentially all parts of the eye.
Dr. Hauswirth has authored over 250 articles and reviews and has frequently served as a member of several different NIH/NEI Study Sections. He has also served as either a permanent or ad hoc member of research panels for other NIH Institutes, the NSF, the USDA, the National Geographic Society, the American Heart Association, the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Macular Vision Research Foundation as well as consulted on research grants for the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Kuwait. He is currently on the Scientific Boards of The Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Macula Vision Research Foundation. Over the past fifteen years Dr. Hauswirth has received short-term professorships from Oxford University, University of Edinburgh, University of Paris, and University of Pavia, and is currently on the editorial boards of several journals. He was recently awarded the 2001 Alcon Award for Vision Research, the 2002 Foundation Fighting Blindness Trustees Award, the 2004 John Kayser International Award for Retinal Research, the 2005 Scientist of the Year from the Hope for Foundation, Florida Scientist of the Year in 2009 and has received University of Florida Distinguished Research Professorship Awards in 1997 and 2004.