Dr. Banerjee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Banerjee’s research interest focuses on the area of process systems engineering and optimization and their applications in different chemical and bio-engineering problems. She is currently developing novel methods for differentiating embryonic stem cells to the pancreatic lineage and applying systems engineering principles in analyzing the regulatory network of the differentiating cell population. She provides expert knowledge in regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies.

Dr. Kacey Marra is a Professor in the Departments of Plastic Surgery (primary) and Bioengineering (secondary), as well as Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Plastic Surgery, at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a core faculty member in the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, where she has served as a member of the Executive Committee since 2004.

Dr. Marra has a publication record of over 140 peer-reviewed articles and over 570 abstracts in the areas of peripheral nerve repair, adipose stem cells, bioreactors, tissue engineering, wound healing, adipose stem cells, and diabetes.

Dr. Orwig is the director of the Genome Editing, Transgenic and Virus Core Facility (GETV Core) of Magee-Womens Research Institute provides state-of-the-art services for generating transgenic mice/rats and knockout mice. The facility also produces replication defective lentiviral vectors for delivering recombinant transgenes and performs teratoma and chimera analyses to evaluate stem cell developmental potential.

Dr. Lohmueller is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His areas of expertise and research interests include synthetic biology, cancer immunotherapy, adoptive T cell therapy CAR T cells, and gene therapy.

Dr. James Fisher is a recent graduate of an NIH sponsored medical scientist training program (MSTP) at the University of Pittsburgh. At present he has over a decade’s worth of experience in the development, characterization, and modification of biomimetic biomaterials and artificial organs. The general theme of Dr. Fisher’s research focuses on biomimetics, that is, using synthetic engineered systems and devices to mimic biological principles and apply them as potential therapeutics to various pathological processes.