Nicole Wagner, Ph.D., is president and CEO of LambdaVision, a biotechnology company developing a protein-based artificial retina to treat patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases. Dr. Wagner has secured >$17M in funding to accelerate research, development, and commercialization of the technology. Her research has recently involved the production of artificial retinas on the International Space Station (ISS), which is establishing new commercial opportunities to manufacture products in microgravity with direct clinical benefit. Dr. Wagner obtained her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the University of Connecticut in 2013. During the course of her Ph.D. research, she spent her graduate career working on optimizing light-activated proteins for applications in devices, and she played a critical role in the proof-of-concept experiments which helped to found LambdaVision. Her accolades include the Connecticut Technology Council’s Women of Innovation Award, Connecticut Magazine’s 40 Under 40, the 2020 Women in Aerospace Achievement Award, the 2021 BioCT Rising Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Healthcare Technology Report’s Top 25 Women Leaders in Biotechnology for 2021, Hartford Business Journal’s Power 50 for 2022, the 2023 NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal, and the 2024 Petit Family Foundation Women in Leadership Award.  Dr. Wagner serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Women in Science Executives’ Club, the Connecticut Technology Council, the American Society for Gravitation and Space Research, as well as the ISS National Lab User Advisory Committee as the Chair of the Applied R&D Subcommittee.