Raj Kishore, PhD, Named Director of Stem Cell Therapy Program at Temple's Center for Translational Medicine

Raj Kishore, PhD, has been named Director of the Stem Cell Therapy Program in the Center of Translational Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine (TUSM). He has also been appointed Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at TUSM.
 
An active and widely published researcher, Dr. Kishore's work focuses on cardiac regenerative medicine. Current research in his laboratory involves seeking a better understanding of the molecular signaling mechanisms governing directed differentiation of embryonic and adult stem cells; epigenetic modulation of stem cells to enhance their differentiation plasticity and function; recapitulation of embryonic signaling in stem cells to augment their reparative capacity in models of ischemic tissue injury; and anti-inflammatory and nano-biomaterial strategies to enhance transplanted stem cell retention, survival and function in the ischemic myocardium.
 
"I am very excited to join the faculty at Temple,” said Dr. Kishore. "There is much work being done with stem cells in the cardiac field, an area in which I have been very involved. This work is now bearing fruit and is the subject of many clinical trials. However, much remains to be accomplished in order to maximize full functional benefits of stem-cell-based therapies."
 
"My personal philosophy is that of an eternal optimist," he continued. "But I also realize that optimism alone is untenable unless supported by the evidence of concrete growth and achievements. Succeeding in the current research environment demands vision, agility, audacity—and most of all, coordination and collaborations with diverse talents and expertise to ensure success. Temple has an extremely strong cardiovascular research program and I am privileged to join hands and work closely with legendary cardiovascular scientists like Drs. Walter Koch, Steven Houser, Arthur Feldman and others. It is my plan to foster new collaborations and grow Temple's involvement in this growing and promising field of regenerative medicine."
 
"Being able to attract Dr. Kishore to Temple is a big deal," said Walter J. Koch, PhD, W.W. Smith Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology and Director of the Center for Translational Medicine at TUSM. "He solidifies what we have been trying to accomplish in translational research and adds to the overall cardiovascular excellence at Temple. Regenerative medicine will continue to play a major role in this arena and, with Raj's recruitment to Temple, we have made an initial impressive splash into this arena."
 
Dr. Kishore earned his doctoral degree in Anthropology and Immuno-Genetics from University of Lucknow in India. He later completed postdoctoral fellowships at New York Medical College, Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Case Western Reserve University. Prior to joining Temple, he served as a faculty member at Tufts University and later Northwestern University, where he was most recently Associate Professor of Medicine-Cardiology.
 
Dr. Kishore is an active researcher with many NIH grants to his credit. He is on the editorial boards of a number of professional publications, including Circulation Research, and is a reviewer for more than two dozen journals. He is very involved with the American Heart Association (AHA), serving as a member of the AHA's scientific session planning committee and chairing several scientific sessions in recent years. He has also served on numerous NIH study-section rosters and has received several accolades and awards throughout his career.