Preeti Ashok, PhD

Head of Cell Biology

Dr. Preeti Ashok leads the team’s efforts in human pluripotent stem cell culture, robust ventricular cardiomyocyte differentiation, and bioengineered cardiac tissue fabrication as Head of Cell Biology at Medera’s Novoheart.

Dr. Ashok's Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Tufts University involved the optimization of a 2D xeno-free cardiac differentiation environment and scaling up to a 3D stirred-suspension system. It also included the proteomic analysis of secreted extra-cellular vesicles at each stage of differentiation, identifying key factors that guide differentiation. She then worked at Cytovia Therapeutics, generating iPSC-derived natural killer (NK) cells for clinical applications and testing their functionality.  Dr. Ashok also has a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, and did her B. Tech at Anna University in Chennai, India. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals.