Jeanne Loring, PhD

Advisor to Aspen Neuroscience, Professor Emeritus Scripps Research

Dr. Loring is an internationally recognized pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research, having begun her work on these cells more than 20 years ago. She has extensive experience in both academia and industry, and is currently Professor emeritus at Scripps Research in La Jolla, CA, and advisor to Aspen Neuroscience, the company she founded to develop a cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease, using dopamine neurons derived from autologous induced pluripotent stem cells. Her publications include landmark studies of the genomics and epigenetics of pluripotent stem cells, with a focus on safety and efficacy of cell therapies. Dr. Loring serves on scientific journal editorial boards, grant review committees, scientific advisory and ethics boards, and the BOD for a patient advocacy foundation. She is the recent recipient of a Stem Cell Pioneer award and a Rosalind Franklin Award. She is a American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow and was named as one of the 11 Most Influential Women in Advanced Therapies. She is interested in development of broad applications of pluripotent stem cells, including for rescue of endangered species and for investigating the effects of space flight on the nervous system.  In the press, she has been called a “stem cell evangelist” and the “godmother of stem cells”.