21 Years to Fix His Ankle: The Future of Bone Regeneration! | Nina Tandon

About the video:

Noah’s 21-year journey to fix his ankle is a testament to resilience and medical innovation. At age 10, Noah broke his ankle in the growth plate, leading to multiple surgeries over two decades. Surgeons used a piece of his hip bone to lengthen his leg and make his legs the same length again. This incredible story highlights the advances in medical treatments and the determination required to overcome such a significant injury. Join us as we delve into this remarkable tale of recovery and medical triumph.

Meanwhile, Nina Tandon’s work in tissue engineering aims to revolutionize the approach to grafting bone, the second most implanted human material. Inspired by her brother Neil’s struggle with retinitis pigmentosa, Nina’s journey led her to explore biology and technology, culminating in a groundbreaking technique to grow living, personalized bone grafts. In this talk, Nina begins with Noah’s story to emphasize the need for innovation in tissue engineering, envisioning a future where stem cells from your own body can regenerate any needed body part, including bones. This discussion sheds light on the future of medical treatments and the potential to create functional human tissues.

About Nina Tandon:

Nina Tandon is CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world’s first company growing living human bones for skeletal reconstruction. She is the co-author of Super Cells: Building with Biology, a book that explores the new frontier of biotech. She has a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the Cooper Union, a Master’s in Bioelectrical Engineering from MIT, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, and an MBA from Columbia University. Her PhD research focused on studying electrical signaling in the context of tissue engineering, and has worked with cardiac, skin, bone, and neural tissue.

Tandon spent her early career in telecom at Avaya Labs and transitioned into biomedical engineering via her Fulbright Scholarship in Italy, where she worked on an electronic nose used to “smell” lung cancer. She was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, a Crain’s 40 under 40 people who have achieved success in business before turning 40, and a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer.