Sharon C. Presnell, PhD, has led product-focused R&D in academia and industry for over 19 years. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her research in liver and prostate biology and carcinogenesis produced cell- and tissue-based technologies that were applied industrially. At Becton Dickinson (BD) she played a key role in the discovery and development of BD’s Discovery Platform and FACS^TM CAP tools for the optimization of in vitro culture environments and flow cytometry-based characterization of cells. Dr. Presnell joined Tengion, Inc. in 2007 as the vice president of regenerative medicine research, and led the discovery and early development of Tengion’s Neo-Kidney Augment^TM product.

As the chief technology officer at Organovo, Dr. Presnell has led the growth and development of the R&D organization, including evolution of the company’s technology portfolio, and has played an instrumental role in securing funds in support of corporate growth initiatives. She holds a PhD in pathology from the Medical College of Virginia.