In this week’s blog, we would like to introduce you to the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientific Officer of Personalized Stem Cells, Inc. Dr. Robert Harman is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, with a Master’s in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, which focuses on epidemiology. For the majority of Dr. Harman’s career, he has worked as a biotechnology entrepreneur. He and his partners successfully founded, expanded, and sold two biotech companies. He currently serves as CEO for PSC and VetStem Biopharma, a veterinary regenerative medicine company.
Why Stem Cells?
Dr. Robert Harman
Dr. Harman’s fascination with stem cells began when he attended a presentation and saw stem cells beating in a petri dish. The video, which demonstrated the ability of stem cells to differentiate into cardiac cells, inspired Dr. Harman to delve deeper into the science of stem cells. He recognized the potential of stem cell therapy and the need for alternative therapeutic modalities for difficult veterinary conditions and thus, VetStem was born.
In 2002, he and PSC President and COO, Michael Dale, co-founded VetStem Biopharma, the first US-based commercial veterinary adipose stem cell company. Equipped with over 15 years of data from the veterinary stem cell business, Dr. Harman and Mr. Dale went on to co-found PSC in 2018. You can read more about this transition in our previous blog.
His Life’s Work
Dr. Harman has dedicated most of his career to the development of stem cell therapy as a first choice treatment option. He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He delivers regenerative medicine presentations across the globe and serves on the board of directors for the American College of Regenerative Medicine. He is also a founding member and Vice President of the International Association of Cellular and Regenerative Veterinary Therapies.
The Doctor Becomes the Patient
While Dr. Harman knows more about stem cells than most, his belief in their therapeutic capabilities was solidified with his own successful treatment with stem cell therapy. Several years ago, Dr. Harman had his shoulder treated with his own stem cells for a rotator cuff injury. To add to that, his mother, daughter and multiple family horses, dogs, and cats have also been successfully treated with stem cell therapy for a variety of conditions. As such, Dr. Harman is a true proponent of stem cell therapy and continues to drive research and investigate new stem cell treatment protocols