Scientific Advisory Board

The Regenerative Medicine Institute, Mexico, Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is made up of physicians, scientists and other health professionals and provides advice and guidance to the RMI activities related to medicine and health. The duties of the RMI Scientific Advisory Board include:

• Reviewing and approving documents and educational materials submitted by RMI staff to assure accuracy, validity and the non-biased nature of its content.
• Overseeing the RMI scientific publications and providing guidance regarding their overall direction and position within the scientific community.
• Overseeing the RMI research program and professional education activities.

MEMBERS:

Keith March, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Medicine, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University School of Medicine and the Krannert Institute of Cardiology Director, Indiana Center for Vascular Biology & Medicine (ICVBM) Director, IUPUI Vascular and Cardiac Center of Adult Stem Cell Therapy (VC-CAST) Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine

Keith March has dedicated his career to bringing new medical approaches to patients.  His publications include more than 100 manuscripts. He was the editor of the first book dedicated to cardiovascular gene transfer.  Dr. March’s research has resulted in more than 40 worldwide (19 U.S.) patents, with others pending. He invented the Closer, a widely-utilized patented suture-mediated closure device, used to close the puncture wound in an artery following heart catheterization. This device allows a patient to "walk off the table" after a catheterization without requiring prolonged bedrest.  Abbott Vascular, an affiliate of Abbott Laboratories, acquired the company that developed this technology in 1999 and the Closer approach is used annually worldwide in 500,000 patients.  He has served as a scientific advisor to numerous pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies.

His laboratory focuses on vascular biology, with a particular emphasis on the function and translational study of CD34+ stem cells found in the adipose tissue, which his laboratory identified as peri-vascular cells with critical roles in vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and adipose tissue regulation. Dr. March is recognized as a leading expert in the field of adult stem cell research, particularly that involving adipose-derived stromal stem cells.  In 2008, he became chair of the NIH/NHLBI DSMB that oversees cell therapy trials in the areas of heart, lung, and blood diseases. 

In addition to his research roles, Dr. March has served as the president (2007) of the International Federation of Adipose Therapeutics and Science (IFATS); and serves as the Chief Medical Advisor for the Cell Therapy Foundation.  In both affiliations, he has worked to advance collaboration as well as awareness about the significance of adult stem cells.

Howard Leonhardt
Founder, Bioheart

Dr. Howard J. Leonhardt is a member of Bioheart, Inc. Board of Directors. Dr. Leonhardt founded the firm in June 1999. He is also the Founder at World Biotec. Dr. Leonhardt is the Founder at World Medical Manufacturing Corporation, Inc., which he founded in 1986. Dr. Leonhardt served as its President from December 1998 to June 1999 and as the Chief Executive Officer from 1986 to December 1998. He was the inventor of World ... Medical's primary product, TALENT (Taheri-Leonhardt) stent graft system. Dr. Leonhardt serves as a Member of Business Advisory Board of Ascent Private Equity, LLC and Ascent Medical Technology Funds. He serves as a Consulting Professor and a Board Advisor of Florida International University’s Biomedical Engineering Institute. Dr. Leonhardt’s scientific articles have been published in a number of publications including Techniques in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and the Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery. He received Technology Venture Academy Business Plan, Competition Entrepreneurship Award in New Venture Challenge 2004 Competition at UF Event, University of Florida Center for Entrepreneurship. Dr. Leonhardt also received CEI’s Clark Butler Entrepreneur of the Year award, in 2004. He holds seven U.S. patents in the cardiovascular sciences and has numerous patents pending worldwide. Dr. Leonhardt has received an honorary Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from University of Northern California. He holds a Diploma Graduation from Accelerated International Trade from Anoka - Hennepin Technical College and attended Anoka-Ramsey Community College and University of Minnesota.

George Shapiro MD FACC
President Chief Medical Officer, Optimal Wellness Network

• High volume cardiologist in Westchester NY
• Wall Street Practice in Cenegenics
• Member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine
• Board Certified:
  • Internal Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Age Management Medicine.
• Dr. George C Shapiro has over 22 years experience in the medical field and is licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the state of New York. He is Board Certified in multiple specialties including Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Age Management Medicine.  He is currently Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College, and was Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and was Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he was a member of the medical staff from 1991-2006, and has been active in teaching and research.
• He received his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York in 1988.  He performed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York and he completed his Post Graduate training in Cardiovascular Disease at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York.
• He has been the Medical Director of the “Associates of Columbia Presbyterian Heart Institute” located in Scarsdale, NY, for the past 15 years. His main focus has been on Preventative and Age Management Medicine. In addition, he is the Medical Director of Pulse Medical Imaging located in White Plains, NY, where most of the “State of the Art” diagnostic testing and screening takes place, featuring the Toshiba 64 slice CTA scan. A technological innovation so powerful, that along with genomic medicine it has positioned us, today, within a few years of completely wiping out the number-one-killer in the western world.
• Dr. Shapiro is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, a medical society devoted to eradicating the degenerating disease of aging. He also has completed training at the world renowned Age Management Cenegenics Medical Institute, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Age Management is a medical specialty founded on the application of advanced scientific and medical technologies, for the early detection, prevention, treatment and reversal of age-related diseases.  It is a health care model promoting innovative science and research to prolong the healthy lifespan in humans.
• Dr Shapiro is a speaker and on the Clinical faculty for Nutrametrix Educational Institute.  He has presented on the physician panel for Market America a direct marketing company with over 30,000 people in attendance. He also has been a speaker for over ten Pharmaceutical companies. In, addition he was a clinical expert for various radio stations, and has been a medical consultant for the Nancy Grace show.
• He performs an extensive amount of community service that includes being a member of the Haz-Mat team for Westchester County Dept. of Emergency Services, Volunteer Firefighter for Ardsley Fire Dept. where he is also the Fire surgeon, Deputy Chief Police Surgeon for the New York State Troopers and is currently working with the AFYA foundation in setting up an Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Heart Center In Haiti.

Kristin Comella
Chief Scientific Officer, Bioheart

Ms. Comella has over 12 years experience in corporate entities with expertise in regenerative medicine, training and education, research, product development, and senior management.  Ms. Comella has been a member of the Bioheart Inc. senior management team since 2004 Ms. Comella was appointed as Bioheart’s Vice President of R&D and Corporate Development in December 2008. Since joining Bioheart in September 2004, she has played a major role in managing the product development, manufacturing and quality systems. In addition, Ms. Comella is currently and actively serving on multiple boards in the stem cell arena. Ms. Comella has over ten years of cell culturing experience including building and managing the stem cell laboratory at Tulane University's Center for Gene Therapy. She also developed stem cell therapies for osteoarthritis at Osiris Therapeutics. Ms. Comella holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida.

Ron Rothenberg, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Director and Founder of the California HealthSpan Institute in Encinitas, California

As a pioneer in the field of Preventive and Regenerative Medicine, Ron Rothenberg, M.D. was among the first group of physicians to be recognized for his expertise in this rapidly emerging field. The 10th M.D. in the world to become fully board certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Ron Rothenberg, MD founded California HealthSpan Institute in Encinitas, California in 1998 with a commitment to transform our understanding of preventive and regenerative medicine. Challenging traditional medicine's approach, California HealthSpan Institute's mission is to create a paradigm shift in the way we view the decline of fitness, cognition and quality of life: treat the cause. California HealthSpan now treats and designs custom programs for patients in California and worldwide.

Dr. Rothenberg has always challenged traditional medicine’s ability to embrace new paradigms. After graduating from Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, Dr. Rothenberg then performed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. At the time, the specialty of Emergency Medicine (like Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine) was not widely recognized by the medical community. Dr. Rothenberg was passionate about the field, and went on to teach and practice Emergency Medicine. He is a former Full Clinical Professor of Preventive and Family Medicine at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

To be ready to offer patients the advantages of the next paradigm shift in medicine California HealthSpan Institute became the first collection center for Neostem where healthy people could collect and bank their own adult stem cells for future use. Dr. Rothenberg is member of the Neostem Medical Advisory Board.

Dr. Rothenberg has educated over 25,000 physicians who have attended his continuing education seminars. As the creator and director of the Postgraduate Institute for Primary and Emergency Physicians at University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine he helped create the specialty of Emergency Medicine by training physicians as this field emerged. Over the past 10 years he lectured worldwide on Preventive and Regenerative Medicine, Hormone Optimization and Stem Cells. In addition to his work in the field of Anti-Aging and Regenerative medicine, Dr. Rothenberg remains an Attending Physician at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, California.

Omar Barakat, M.D., F.R.C.S.
Liver Transplant Department, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas

Dr. Omar Barakat is Board Certified in General Surgery by the Royal College of Surgeons. He has been in the field of organ transplantation since 1993. After completion of his fellowship in liver and kidney transplantation at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, he joined the faculty there as an attending surgeon. In 1997 he moved to Newcastle Upon-Tyne, England. During his five-year stay, he worked as an attending physician at the hepato-biliary and liver transplant unit at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle Upon-Tyne, England. Dr. Barakat rejoined Dr's. Wood and Ozaki in 2003 in their private practice. He is also currently affiliated with the Center for Liver Disease at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital where he performs liver transplants. He has a special interest in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma including Klatskin tumors as well as radio frequency ablation, chemo-embolization and SIRS*sphere treatment for primary and metastatic liver tumors. Additionally, he has interest in all phases of liver transplantation including split liver and living related liver transplants.