The School of Medicine and Office of Research and Graduate Education are proud to announce the selection of Dr. Jeffrey Chamberlain as the 2026 Inventor of the Year! The Inventor of the Year Award recognizes a UW researcher whose work has the potential to radically improve healthcare through the translation of research from the bench, with industry partnerships, to products or processes with major impacts on health. Selection is based on the researchers’ contributions to the bioscience sector and to the UW faculty community, and contributions to the UW Co-Motion mission to extend the impact of UW research through new partnerships that encourage investment in innovation.

Dr. Jeffrey Chamberlain is a leader in gene therapy whose career spans more than four decades of innovation in muscular dystrophy research. After earning his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and completing postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine, he established his first laboratory at the University of Michigan. He now serves in faculty roles in the Department of Neurology and the Department of Medicine: Division of Medical Genetics in addition to serving as Director of the Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center and holds the McCaw Endowed Chair in Muscular Dystrophy. A past president of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and a Fellow of the AAAS, Dr. Chamberlain has been recognized with major honors, including the ASGCT Outstanding Achievement Award and the Muscular Dystrophy Association Legacy Award, reflecting his lifelong impact on the field.

Dr. Chamberlain’s research has driven transformative advances in genetic diagnostics and therapeutic development, resulting in more than 35 patents and numerous technologies licensed to biotech companies. His early work led to multiplex PCR methods used widely in prenatal and carrier testing, while later breakthroughs established viral vector platforms and AAV-based delivery systems that enable body wide gene transfer to muscle. His team’s development of micro-dystrophin therapies paved the way for the first FDA-approved gene therapy for muscular dystrophy and has already reached thousands of patients worldwide. These innovations, along with his role in founding multiple biotechnology companies, exemplify his exceptional contributions to translating scientific discovery into real-world treatments and commercial impact.

We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Chamberlain at a reception this fall. If you have any questions about the Inventor of the Year Reception, please contact somevent@uw.edu.