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(Also with AIAA Microgravity and Space Processes Technical Committee (MSP-TC) (now Gravity Dependent Science Technology Technical Committee (GDST-TC)), and Space Settlement Technical Committee)
AIAA Los Angeles online Webinar 11/17
(On-line attendance Only)
Monday, November 17, 2025, 12 PM EST (GMT -0500) / 9 AM PST (GMT -0800)
(11/17) Stem cell research and biomanufacturing in space
Presenter / Speaker:
Arun Sharma, PhD ; Associate Professor, Director, Center for Space Medicine Research at Cedars-Sinai
(The speaker will present online remotely.)
Virtual location
You will receive a confirmation email with a URL.
Nov 17, 2025 12:00pm ET - Nov 17, 2025 01:30pm ET
Presenter / Speaker:
Arun Sharma, PhD
Associate Professor
Director, Center for Space Medicine Research
Director, CIRM Shared Resources Laboratory
Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Smidt Heart Institute
Cancer Institute
Cedars-Sinai
Dr. Arun Sharma, PhD is a stem cell biologist focusing on cardiovascular biology and space biosciences. He is an associate professor at Cedars-Sinai and is affiliated with the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, the Smidt Heart Institute, the Cancer Institute, and the Department of Biomedical Sciences. He is the director of the Center for Space Medicine Research, and the director of the CIRM Shared Resources Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai.
Research in the Sharma laboratory focuses on the applications of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for modeling cardiovascular diseases outside of the body (in-vitro). The lab utilizes cutting-edge technologies including hiPSCs, genome editing, cardiac organ-on-chips, and 3D cardiac spheroids/organoids to understand the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular disease and heart development. For example, the Sharma laboratory employs hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (personalized, beating heart muscle cells) and endothelial cells (cells lining the blood vessels) to develop novel ways to assess and alleviate the cardiovascular damage caused by cancer drugs. The lab also studies the developmental mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease and vascular malformations.
Sharma also has a unique background and interest in the space biosciences and investigates means by which stem cell biology can intersect with this emerging field. In 2016, Dr. Sharma led a project that sent human stem cell-derived heart cells to the International Space Station to study the effects of microgravity on human heart function, which was the first long-duration cell culture experiment in space. He remains an internationally-recognized leader in the space biosciences field, and his laboratory studies means of harnessing microgravity to manufacture unique biomaterials.
Sharma has published articles in leading scientific journals such as Science, Nature Biotechnology, Science Translational Medicine, Circulation Research, Nature Reviews, Stem Cell Reports, and Cell Stem Cell. His research has been featured in major news outlets such as Forbes Magazine, Newsweek, Science Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, STAT Wunderkinds, Sartorius & Science Award in Regenerative Medicine, the American Heart Association Career Development Award, the Compelling Results Award from NASA, the Igniting Innovation Award from the ISS National Laboratory, and the Donna and Jesse Garber Award for Cancer Research.
Dr. Sharma earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Duke University and his PhD in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine from Stanford University. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in cardiovascular genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is also an advocate for conveying science to general and scientific audiences through public speaking and social media.
Disclaimer: The views of the speakers do not represent the views of AIAA or the AIAA Los Angeles Section.
[AIAA Los Angeles Section], [contact@aiaa-lalv.org], [https://www.aiaa-lalv.org]
