Mahendra Rao, MD, PhD
CEO of panCELLa Inc and Implant Therapeutic
Mahendra Rao received his MD from Bombay University in India and his PhD in Developmental Neurobiology from the California Institute of Technology. Mahendra Rao is internationally known for his research involving human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and other somatic stem cells and has worked in the stem cell field for more than thirty years with stints in academia, government and regulatory affairs and industry. Dr. Rao has an extensive background teaching medical and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows at different academic institutions. Dt. Rao lead the Stem cell and Regnerative Medicine division at LiFE Technologies and then served the Director of the NIH Center of Regenerative Medicine and lead a group at the Laboratory of Stem cell Biology at the NIH focused on translational work related to Parkinsons disease and Schwann cell pathology. Dr. Rao has served on the Board of panCELLa, Thermogenesis, Aastrom, Q therapeutics and other companies involved in stem cell processing and therapy. Dr Rao also served as the Chair of the CBER (FDA) advisory committee (CTGTAC) and has served on advisory panels the governments of the U.S., Singapore and India on stem cell policy.
Dr. Rao currently serves on several editorial boards, review panels and scientific advisory boards and is currently the CEO of panCELLa Inc and Implant Therapeutics and continues his consulting work in the field of Regenerative Medicine