Laura Niklason Explained

Laura Elizabeth Niklason is a physician, professor and internationally recognized researcher in vascular and lung tissue engineering. She is the Nicholas M. Greene Professor of Anesthesiology and Biomedical Engineering at Yale University[1] and co-founder, chief executive officer and president of Humacyte, a regenerative medicine company developing bioengineered human tissues.[2]

Her work on lab-grown lungs was recognized as one of the top 50 most important inventions of 2010 by Time magazine.[3] [4] Niklason was included on Fortune’s “Digital Health Care Leaders” list in 2017 for her work in regenerative medicine.[5]

Niklason was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2014.[6] In 2015, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.[7] In 2020, Niklason was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for cardiovascular tissue engineering, lung regeneration, and biomedical imaging.[8] [9] She holds more than 30 issued or pending patents in the United States.

Early life and education

Laura Niklason was born in Evanston, Ill. She earned a B.S. in physics and a B.A. in biophysics from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign campus) in 1983. She holds an M.D. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Chicago. Niklason completed her medical training in anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1996.[10]

Career

Niklason was a faculty member at Duke University from 1998 to 2005. In 2004, Niklason along with Drs. Shannon Dahl and Juliana Blum, co-founded Humacyte, a company based in Durham, North Carolina, that is pioneering the development and manufacture of off-the-shelf, universally implantable, bioengineered human tissues to improve the lives of patients and transform the practice of medicine.[11] In 2006, Niklason joined the faculty at the Yale School of Medicine, where she currently serves as an adjunct professor of anesthesia and biomedical engineering.[12]

In 2010, Niklason and her colleagues were able to successfully produce an engineered rat lung that could inhale and exhale carbon dioxide.[13] In 2013, Niklason along with Duke researcher Dr. Jeffery Lawson, developed a bioengineered blood vessel, which Lawson grafted into an artery in a Duke patient's arm.[14]

In 2016, Niklason was named as the Nicholas M. Greene Professor of Anesthesiology and Biomedical Engineering at Yale.[15] As part of a research team, Niklason conducted clinical trials into the effectiveness of giving patients experiencing kidney failure bioengineered blood vessels.[16]

In 2020, Niklason was appointed CEO and president of Humacyte.[17] Under Niklason’s leadership, the company went public through a merger with Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp in 2021.[18] [19] [20] [21]

Niklason, a renowned world leader in cellular therapies and regenerative medicine, continues to maintain an active scientific laboratory, and speaks globally on her research in vascular and non-vascular tissue engineering.

Philanthropy

The Brady W. Dougan and Laura E. Niklason House at University of Chicago was named for her.[22]

Awards and honors

Niklason is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including:

Publications

Niklason is the co-author of more than 120 publications. A selected list follows:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Laura Niklason, PhD, MD. 2021-09-21. medicine.yale.edu. en.
  2. Web site: Company. 2021-09-21. HUMACYTE. en-US.
  3. Web site: Staff . The Entrepreneurs . PharmaVOICE . August 6, 2018.
  4. News: Park. Alice. 2010-11-11. The 50 Best Inventions of 2010 - TIME. en-US. Time. 2021-09-21. 0040-781X.
  5. Web site: 34 Leaders Who Are Changing Health Care. 2021-09-21. Fortune. en.
  6. Web site: National Academy of Inventors. 2021-09-21. en-US.
  7. Web site: anonymous. Prof. Laura Niklason Elected To The National Academy of Medicine. 2021-09-21. Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. en.
  8. Web site: anonymous. Laura Niklason Elected To The National Academy of Engineering. 2021-09-21. Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. en.
  9. News: Dr. Laura Elizabeth Niklason . October 9, 2023 . United States National Academy of Engineering.
  10. Web site: Organizer/Speaker- Cell Symposia: Engineering Organoids and Organs. 2021-09-21. www.cell-symposia.com.
  11. Web site: Executive Voice: Her Durham firm pioneers transformation of medicine. 2021-09-21. www.bizjournals.com.
  12. Web site: Lab Members. 2021-09-21. medicine.yale.edu. en.
  13. Petersen. Thomas H.. Calle. Elizabeth A.. Zhao. Liping. Lee. Eun Jung. Gui. Liqiong. Raredon. MichaSam B.. Gavrilov. Kseniya. Yi. Tai. Zhuang. Zhen W.. Breuer. Christopher. Herzog. Erica. 2010-07-30. Tissue-Engineered Lungs for in Vivo Implantation. Science. 329. 5991. 538–541. 10.1126/science.1189345. 0036-8075. 3640463. 20576850. 2010Sci...329..538P.
  14. Web site: Surgeons at Duke University Hospital Implant Bioengineered Vein. 2021-09-21. Duke Health. June 6, 2013 . en.
  15. Web site: Staff . Dr. Laura Niklason appointed the Nicholas Greene Professor . Yale News . August 6, 2018. 2016-01-06 .
  16. Web site: Xie. Abigail. Bioengineered blood vessels shown to be effective in patients with kidney failure. The Chronicle. August 6, 2018.
  17. Web site: 2020-11-20. Humacyte Appoints Founder Laura Niklason MD, PhD as President and Chief Executive Officer. 2021-09-21. www.businesswire.com. en.
  18. Web site: Humacyte Announces Successful Closing of Business Combination with Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. Humacyte, Inc.. 2021-09-21. humacyte.gcs-web.com. en.
  19. News: Franklin. Rebecca Spalding, Joshua. 2021-02-17. Human tissue developer Humacyte agrees to SPAC merger to go public. en. Reuters. 2021-09-21.
  20. Web site: Did You Expect It Would Take This Long To Go Public?. 2021-09-21. www.lifescienceleader.com.
  21. Web site: Pioneering regenerative med scientist Laura Niklason takes her company public in the latest big SPAC deal. And that gives her a shot at making biotech history. 2021-09-21. Endpoints News. en.
  22. Web site: Brady W. Dougan and Laura E. Niklason House The University of Chicago Campaign: Inquiry and Impact. campaign.uchicago.edu. en. 2018-08-08.
  23. Web site: FiercePharma 2021 Fiercest Women: Laura Niklason, Humacyte. 2021-11-15. www.fiercepharma.com. November 15, 2021.
  24. Web site: 2021 Life Sciences Awards: Humacyte. 2021-09-21. www.bizjournals.com.
  25. Web site: Previous Award Winners. 2021-09-21. ACLPS. en-US.
  26. Web site: WITI - Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D.. 2021-09-21. www.witi.com.
  27. Web site: CNBC. 2016-06-07. 2016 CNBC's Disruptor 50. 2021-09-21. www.cnbc.com.
  28. Web site: Humacyte. 2021-09-21. FierceBiotech. January 23, 2017. en.
  29. Web site: Ward. Logan. Mechanics. the Editors of Popular. 2011-10-03. 11 Brilliant Innovators: Breakthrough Awards 2011. 2021-09-21. Popular Mechanics. en-US.
  30. Web site: Laura E. Niklason, MD. Ph.D. COF-0809 - AIMBE. 2021-09-21. en.
  31. Book: Read "Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering From the 2000 NAE Symposium on Frontiers in Engineering" at NAP.edu. 2001. 10.17226/10063. 978-0-309-07319-6. en.