Chelsea Bahney, PhD

Chief Executive Officer | Regenerative Medicine Scientist

Dr. Chelsea Bahney, CEO and co-founder of Hydronovo, brings over 20 years of translational research experience at the intersection of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. With a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Oregon Health and Science University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder, she has established herself as a leader in endochondral ossification and bone regeneration research. Dr. Bahney holds 18 patents and currently serves as Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and as Program Director of Bone Repair & Regenerative Therapeutics at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. Dr. Bahney's pioneering work on nerve-tissue crosstalk in regeneration led to her NIH and CIRM-funded collaboration with Dr. Sarah Knox, resulting in their landmark 2022 Science Advances publication demonstrating functional regeneration of radiation-damaged salivary glands—the scientific foundation of Hydronovo's therapeutic platform. Dr. Bahney brings valuable industry experience from her five years as an R&D Engineer at Medtronic, where she contributed to bringing three products to market, bridging the gap between academic innovation and commercial translation.