Dr. Dana Larocca

Dana Larocca, Ph.D. is VP, Discovery Research at AgeX Therapeutics; VP, Research and Development at ReCyte Therapeutics; and Founder and CEO of Mandala Biosciences.

Dana is the author of over 40 scientific publications and inventor of 23 patents and patent applications in the fields of immunotherapy, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine.

As VP of Discovery Research at AgeX Therapeutics, Dana’s current focus is on induced tissue regeneration. Her team is developing ways to reactivate embryonic programs in adult cells to restore tissue health that has been lost to aging and injury. At ReCyte Therapeutics, their mission is to develop stem cell therapeutics that restore function to aging and injured cardiovasculature.

Prior to working at ReCyte, she founded Mandala Biosciences in 2008, where she served as CEO. She raised over $3M in non-dilutive funding from grants. During this time she managed a team focused on developing targeted nanoparticle probes for identifying, tracking, and manufacturing purified therapeutic stem cells. Dr. Larocca previously held joint positions at Advanced Cell Technology (now Astellas) and the Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute.

Dana earned a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor’s in Biology from Ithaca College. She did her postdoctoral training at Harvard University.