Hans Keirstead

Hans Keirstead is a medical scientist and entrepreneur specializing in stem cell research.

Early life and education

Keirstead received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, winning the Cameron Award for the best Ph.D. thesis in the country, with his thesis constituting the first demonstration of functional regeneration of the injured adult spinal cord. He went on to complete four years of post-doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge, where he was the youngest person elected to two senior academic posts, Fellow of the Governing Body of Downing College and Senate Member of the University of Cambridge.

Career

In 2000, Keirstead left his position at the University of British Columbia, where his spinal cord research had been funded by Rick Hansen's charitable foundation. He joined the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.

Keirstead has advised U.S. senators and members of Congress on health care and biotechnology. He testified on the state's biotech industry to the California State Senate in 2002 amidst a national debate about stem cell laws and policy in the United States. In his academic career, he mentored more than 100 students and published more than 100 manuscripts.

He launched medical research startup companies in Orange County and is currently CEO at AIVITA Biomedical. Other corporate affiliations include Neuron Therapeutics, Inc., Caladrius Biosciences, Inc., Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC, International Stem Cell Corporation, NeoStem Oncology, LLC, Ekso Bionics Holdings, Inc., and ALPHAEON Corporation.

In 2013, Keirstead took a leave of absence from UC Irvine to conduct tests in the private sector. He joined California Stem Cell, Inc., also based in Irvine, as its president and CEO. His first focus after the leave of absence was trials for targeting skin cancer cells using stem cells from the cancer itself to train the immune system.

In 2016, Keirstead founded AIVITA Biomedical, a private biotechnology company focused on cancer and developing a treatment that is proving to be the most effective to ever reach the final phase of clinical trials. Since its inception, the company began four clinical trials in multiple countries to test its cancer vaccine technology in glioblastoma, ovarian cancer and melanoma. Additionally, AIVITA is beginning trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AV-COVID-19.

Using the same stem cell technology, Keirstead became the first person to transform stem cells into a product that improves the appearance of facial skin. The proceeds from all ROOT OF SKIN sales are directed towards AIVITA’s cancer research programs.

Keirstead announced in June 2017 that he would run for Congress as a Democrat, challenging a seat held by Dana Rohrabacher in California's 48th congressional district. In a 2018 interview with ABILITY Magazine, Keirstead said "We don’t have anyone [in Washington] with a broad, deep understanding of the healthcare system, for example, not a one. 435 members, and there’s no one there with a broad, deep understanding of what is 20 percent of our economy. We need that." He conceded the Democratic Party primary to Harley Rouda on Sunday, June 24, 2018 after a very close race. His campaign appears to have been targeted by a cyberattack.

Personal life

His wife, Niki, is a neuroscientist specializing in Alzheimer's disease. They have one son.