Professor Marcelo Rivolta is a distinguished clinician‑scientist originally from Argentina who holds MD and PhD degrees and has spent over three decades advancing inner ear regenerative research. Since 2013, he has served as Professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield, where his lab isolated stem cells from the human fetal cochlea and pioneered protocols to derive otic progenitors from pluripotent stem cells—demonstrating in animal models that these cells can graft, repair, and restore auditory function. Rivolta also founded Rinri Therapeutics as CSO, translating his work into clinical applications, with Rincell‑1 set to enter Phase I/IIa trials. He maintains roles across academia and biotech, leads international collaborations, reviews for the MRC and Wellcome Trust, and teaches future bioscientists.