Britney Pennington

Britney Pennington is the Director of Process Development at Regenerative Patch Technologies, a California-based biotechnology company focused on developing stem cell-based therapies for retinal diseases.12 She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Santa Barbara, where she graduated in 2014.3 Prior to her doctoral studies, Pennington completed her undergraduate education at Florida Institute of Technology, graduating summa cum laude with dual B.S. degrees in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in 2008.13

Pennington's career has been centered on stem cell research and its applications in treating eye diseases. After completing her Ph.D., she continued her academic research as a postdoc in the Clegg Lab at UC Santa Barbara, where she developed the world's first cryopreserved implant of adherent-RPE derived from human embryonic stem cells.3 In 2017, she joined Regenerative Patch Technologies, where she has been involved in the GMP-production of clinical-grade RPE implants for use in clinical trials for age-related macular degeneration.3

Her work at Regenerative Patch Technologies involves developing stem cell-based implant technology for treating retinal diseases, particularly age-related macular degeneration (AMD).4 The company's lead product, CPCB-RPE1, is a bioengineered implant consisting of human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells on a synthetic substrate, designed to replace damaged RPE cells in patients with AMD.56

Pennington's expertise extends beyond research and development. She has experience in teaching, having served as an Associate Instructor of Stem Cell Biology in Health and Disease at UCSB and as an adjunct faculty teaching Cell Biology at Westmont College.3 She is also involved in STEM outreach activities, participating in mentorship programs and giving presentations to various community groups.3