Regenerative Medicine and Rolling Stone

Alan J. Russell

Alan J. Russell, director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, was named by Rolling Stone as one of “The 100 People Who Are Changing America” in the magazine’s March 18, 2009, issue.

Rolling Stone said Russell is changing “how we heal. Russell is pioneering regenerative medicine—ways for damaged tissues and organs to repair and rebuild themselves. Current project: an artificial ovary so women with cancer could undergo radiation treatment and still be able to have children.”

As for Russell’s “signature move,” the magazine said it is “wowing lecture audiences with photos of gruesome wounds that are miraculously healed from his futuristic therapy.”

In addition to being director of the McGowan Institute, which is a Pitt and UPMC venture, Russell serves as University Professor of Surgery and has secondary appointments in the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology. Russell also is the executive director of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative and director of the National Tissue Engineering Center.