Melanie Matheu, PhD
CO-FOUNDER, CEO
Dr. Matheu co-founded Prellis Biologics in October 2016, with the mission to create fully vascularized human tissues and organs for transplantation. Her realization that the tiny blood vessels necessary for creating human organs could be replicated using the laser technology at the center of her PhD thesis work, led to development of the blended engineering and biology approach Prellis is using to solve the human organ shortage. Dr. Matheu is an expert in laser-based imaging of the immune system and developed Prellis' platform technology. She brings her multi-disciplinary experience in specialized laser microscopy, cell biology, physiology, and biophysics to address the unsolved biomedical challenge of rapid 3D printing of large, vascularized tissues. 

Noelle Mullin, PhD
CO-FOUNDER, CSO
Dr. Mullin, PhD, joined Prellis Biologics as a co-founder in October 2016, with the goal of developing novel approaches to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Dr. Mullin is a specialist in cancer, stem cell and developmental biology, with a passion for understanding how cell-cell interactions, cell environment, and extracellular signaling events direct gene expression and cell differentiation state. Utilizing laser-based nanoprinting techniques developed at Prellis Biologics, Dr. Mullin believes it will be possible to develop 3D tissue scaffolding that can recreate the stem cell niche, providing a vast improvement over standard two-dimensional stem cell culture systems. This will facilitate the large scale production of vascularized 3D tissue systems for use in regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical testing.

Johan Borglin
LEAD OPTICAL ENGINEER
Dr. Borglin received his Ph.D. in Gothenburg, Sweden, before moving to San Francisco and joining Prellis Biologics. He has a background in engineering physics, and for his Ph.D. he designed and constructed an experimental multi-photon microscope for imaging of human skin. At Prellis, he applies his experience in light-bending to further develop the company's 3D printing technology. He enjoys exploring the world, both near and far, and will get a drivers license any day now.

Christopher Rogers, MS
OPTICAL ENGINEER
Christopher has a broad background in both engineering and physics. He  is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University in the group of Hideo Mabuchi, where his research interests span non-linear optics, quantum optics, and optical information processing. More specifically, he is interested in fabricating non-linear optical devices using 2D materials, and also in integrating optical parametric oscillators with the silicon photonics platform.  With Prellis, Chris enjoys applying laser and free-space optics expertise to advance 3D printing technology.

Aparna Krishnamoorthy, PhD
BIOCHEMIST
Aparna's research interests include lipid-protein interactions, spontaneous stem cell differentiation and biomarkers of kidney injury and repair. She obtained her PhD from UC Berkeley and brings a diverse background in metabolic diseases, molecular biology and biotechnology to Prellis. Aparna is excited to be part of a multi-disciplinary team made of biologists and optical engineers, passionate to create an impact in areas of organ transplantation and therapeutics. At Prellis, she is driven by the scientific challenges involved in reintroducing vascular networks into fully functional organs and its significant impact on our society. Aparna believes in the company's technology and envisions a world where individuals can live beyond their medical boundaries. Beyond science, Aparna is an Odissi dancer, a doodler and a part-time theater artist. 

Erik Busby, PhD
BIOCHEMIST
Dr. Busby has a background in optics, materials development, and process engineering.  He comes to Prellis from the semiconductor industry where he worked as a Senior Development Engineer. Erik completed a PhD and postdoctoral appointment in spectroscopy, laser optics, and nanomaterials. At Prellis, he applies his expertise to improve our optical capabilities and develop our data architecture. Erik is passionate about pushing the boundaries of optical 3D printing technology.

Hazal Petkas Akbal
SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Hazal received her Masterʼs degree at San Francisco State University. Prior to joining Prellis Biologics, she was a part of a stem cell lab at University of California, San Francisco for 5 years where she gained extensive stem cell biology, cell culture and cell biology experience. She is super excited about Prellisʼ 3D printing technology and its potential applications. In addition to her passion for science, she loves crocheting, board games, and baking shows.

Ruby Silvera
INTERN
Ruby is in the process of completing an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Reading in England and is interning with Prellis as part of her degree program. She looks forward to being a part of the highly impactful work that Prellis is doing and expanding her repertoire of skills along the way, including understanding the creation of medical products and how they are brought to market.

Barrett Belkin
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Barrett is an Executive Assistant with an extensive background in C-Level Executive support. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a degree in Communications and Film Studies. Though not a scientist, Barrett is thrilled to be working with the team at Prellis Biologics and the incredible advances that are being made. 

Risa Patterson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Risa is a Graphic Designer specializing in print and digital design. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Advertising and an Art minor. Her skills include screen printing, marketing materials, and visual identity graphics. She has also worked as a Producer on multiple large scale outdoor advertising projects, adapting and overseeing production design for a variety of clients. When Melanie asked her to join the Prellis Biologics creative team, she leapt at the chance, because she believes in its amazing team and groundbreaking technology. 

Mary E. Dickinson, PhD
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Dr. Dickinson is an internationally recognized expert in imaging, bioengineering, and vascular biology, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Her work involves the development of novel imaging strategies to define the genetic and environmental causes of congenital birth defects and to develop engineering strategies for tissue repair and replacement. In addition to Dr. Dickinson’s research efforts, she serves as the Director of the Optical Imaging and Vital Microscopy core, as an Executive Member of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and Principal Investigator for the NIH Knockout Mouse Project. Dr. Dickinson is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers.

Ian Parker, PhD, FRS
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Ian Parker’s research involves the application and development of novel imaging technologies to study physiological and pathological cellular processes. He has elucidated the ubiquitous mechanism by which cells generate a hierarchy of local and global calcium signals to control essential functions; discovered how disruptions in this mechanism may underlie neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and autism; and (together with Prellis co-founder Melanie Matheu) pioneered the use of lasers for visualizing the motility and interactions of cells in the immune system. His findings are published in over 200 peer-reviewed papers, which have been cited nearly 20,000 times. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London (the National Academy of the UK and world’s oldest scientific society, including Newton, Darwin and Einstein among previous Fellows),  and a Fellow of the American Academy for Advancement of Science.

Alsu Zamaleeva, PhD
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Dr. Zamaleeva is an accomplished scientist with broad expertise in bioengineering and nanotechnology. She has more than 10 years’ research experience in biochemistry, cell biology, and materials science. Dr. Zamaleeva is passionate about smart biomaterials for tissue engineering and therapeutics delivery. She joined the Prellis Biologics team in 2017 to develop novel approaches and methods for cell and tissue engineering that, in combination with Prellis Biologics’ technology, can greatly advance translational research and regenerative medicine.

Richard Hutton
ADVISOR AND MEDIA STRATEGIST
As a long-time science journalist and filmmaker, Richard focuses on emerging communication and media trends, both for Prellis Biologics and in his teaching at UC Santa Barbara. Previously, Richard ran Vulcan Productions. Vulcan’s feature films included Independent Spirit Award winner for Best Picture Far From Heaven and the critically acclaimed Hard Candy. Documentaries included the Peabody Award-winning Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial; the Emmy Award-winning Rx for Survival; the Peabody and Grammy Award-winning No Direction Home: Bob Dylan; and the critically acclaimed series Evolution. As Advisor to Prellis, he will help shape its communication, branding, and positioning strategies.