Vittorio Sebastiano

Dr. Vittorio Sebastiano is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford School of Medicine. He is also honored as The Woods Family Endowed Faculty Scholar in Pediatric Translational Medicine at the Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute.

At his lab, Dr. Sebastiano and his team have spearheaded the development of a groundbreaking technology known as ERA (Epigenetic Reprogramming of Aging). This innovative approach leverages the concept of reprogramming to promote the epigenetic rejuvenation of adult cells while preserving their essential identity. Dr. Sebastiano's pioneering work on ERA has garnered prestigious accolades such as the AFAR Junior Investigator Award and the Glenn Foundation Breakthrough in Gerontology Award and coverage from worldwide press like New York Times, National Geographic, Der Spiegel, The Times, Nature Biotechnology, France 2 "Envoyé spécial".

The patented ERA technology is currently being implemented by Turn Biotechnologies, a company co-founded by Dr. Sebastiano, where he serves as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board and Head of Research.

In addition to his research program, Dr. Sebastiano plays an active role in various scientific initiatives. He serves as a member of the DIOR Beauty Age Reversal Scientific Advisory Board and is a founding member and scientific steering committee member of the Biomarkers of Aging Consortium.

Dr. Sebastiano's contributions to the field of regenerative medicine date back to his postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University in 2009. During this time, he was among the first researchers to demonstrate the efficient derivation, genetic modification, and therapeutic application of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for treating genetic diseases (Sebastiano et al., 2014, Science Translational Medicine).

Prior to his tenure at Stanford, Dr. Sebastiano pursued his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Pavia, Italy, where he conducted research on murine germ cells and preimplantation development. It was here that he made significant strides in cellular reprogramming through Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. Subsequently, he joined the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Hans Robert Schöler, where he continued his investigations into cellular reprogramming, germ cell biology, and embryonic development.