Michael D. West, Ph.D., who has served on the BioTime Board of Directors since 2002, is a pioneer in the field of stem cell research and has extensive academic and business experience in age-related degenerative diseases, telomerase molecular biology and human embryonic stem cell research and development.

Prior to joining BioTime, Dr. West served as President and Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology, Inc, a company engaged in developing human stem cell technology for use in regenerative medicine. Dr. West also founded Geron Corporation where he initiated and managed programs in telomerase diagnostics, oligonucleotide-based telomerase inhibition as anti-tumor therapy, and the cloning and use of telomerase in telomerase-mediated therapy wherein telomerase is utilized to immortalize human cells.

He initiated and managed the original collaborative effort that led to the first isolation of human embryonic stem and embryonic germ cells. Dr. West is an inventor named on over 60 patents and patent applications in the field of biotechnology and also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. West received a B.S. Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1976, an M.S. Degree in Biology from Andrews University in 1982, and a Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989 concentrating on the biology of cellular aging.