Dr. Loring is a globally recognized pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research development in both industry and academia. In 2001, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines made by her company, Arcos BioScience, were among the few approved for NIH funding. At the Burnham Institute (now Sanford-Burnham-Prebys) in 2004, she started the first hESC laboratory courses and wrote the first laboratory manual for stem cell technology. Dr. Loring joined Scripps Research institute in 2007 as a Professor and the Founding Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine. In 2018, she founded Aspen Neuroscience based on her work on developing a personalized stem cell-based neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease and served as its first CSO. Aspen recently announced treatment of the first cohort of patients in its Phase 1 clinical trial. Dr. Loring’s scientific publications include landmark studies that have been cited 20,000 times, including pioneering studies of the genomics and epigenetics of pluripotent stem cells. She serves on scientific journal editorial boards, international grant review committees, scientific advisory and ethics boards, and boards of patient advocacy foundations. She is the recipient of the Stem Cell Pioneer award, Rosalind Franklin Society Award, was elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and was named as one of the Most Influential Women in Advanced Therapies. In addition to human stem cell therapies, she is exploring broad applications of pluripotent stem cells, including for rescue of endangered species and for investigating the effects of space flight on the nervous system. Dr. Loring is dedicated to public education and is frequently interviewed by the press, which has called her a “stem cell guru,” “stem cell evangelist,” and the “stem cell godmother”. She will talk about the experience of founding Aspen Neuroscience and the current state of the clinical work. If time remains, she’ll talk about her current explorations of the effects of microgravity on the nervous system.

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