Sarah Knox, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer | Salivary Gland Biologist

Dr. Sarah Knox, co-founder of Hydronovo and CSO, is a Professor in the Department of Cell and Tissue Biology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she has established herself as a pioneering researcher in salivary gland biology and regenerative medicine. With a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia, Dr. Knox has dedicated over two decades to understanding how peripheral nerves regulate epithelial organ development, regeneration, and repair. Her groundbreaking 2010 Science publication first revealed that parasympathetic innervation is essential for maintaining epithelial progenitor cells during salivary gland development through acetylcholine/muscarinic signaling pathways. Building on this foundational discovery, Dr. Knox's laboratory made the pivotal breakthrough that radiation-damaged salivary glands can be functionally regenerated using the muscarinic receptor agonist cevimeline delivered via a specialized hydrogel—research that directly led to the development of Hydronovo's therapeutic platform. Her innovative work has been recognized with a $2 million California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) grant and holds a patent for this regenerative approach, positioning Hydronovo to deliver the first-ever curative treatment for radiation-induced xerostomia.