Dr. Joshua Hare Named a Fellow in National Academy of Inventors
Innovative Cardiologist Recognized for Pioneering Stem Cell Therapies
Joshua M. Hare, M.D., a nationally recognized cardiologist and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Inventors (NAI) for his leading-edge research and development of stem cell therapies for heart disease.
“Dr. Hare has made major contributions to the basic, translational, and clinical development of cell-based diagnostics and treatments for damaged hearts, advancing our mission of transforming lives and serving the global community,” said
Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School. “He deserves this honor, and we are proud that he is part of our medical community.”
Since joining the Miller School in 2007, Dr. Hare has made significant contributions to the field of cardiac regenerative medicine while translating those scientific discoveries into patented cell-based products.
“There is a huge need for alternative therapies for damaged hearts, particularly since the demand for heart transplants far exceeds the supply of donor organs,” he said. “That’s one reason why cell-based therapeutics are so important.”
Dr. Hare currently serves as director of the Soffer Endowed Program in Regenerative Medicine; senior associate dean for Experimental and Cellular Therapeutics and chief science officer; the Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine (Cardiology); professor of molecular and cellular pharmacology; and professor of biomedical engineering.
“For more than 15 years, Dr. Hare has demonstrated his deep commitment to turning research discoveries into commercial therapies,” said Jeffrey Duerk, Ph.D., University of Miami executive vice president for academic affairs, provost, and chief academic officer. “He exemplifies the achievements and entrepreneurial spirit of both the National Academy of Inventors and the University of Miami.”
Dr. Hare will be officially inducted into NAI on July 27, 2023, at the academy’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. “You have demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society,” said Paul R. Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc., NAI president.
With members and fellows from a wide range of disciplines at more than 250 institutions worldwide, NAI promotes the importance of innovation and the celebration of academic invention.
Translational Research
Dr. Hare has long been interested in translational research, noting the importance of the Bayh-Dole Act, which enables universities to own, patent, and commercialize inventions developed under federally funded research programs.
“While patents are more difficult to get than research grants, they are essential for translating medical discoveries into new treatments,” he said, “If you don’t commercialize the research, a new diagnostic tool or therapy doesn’t reach the patient. A company needs to take the financial risk to develop and manufacture an innovative product.”
Dr. Hare received his first U.S. patent more than two decades ago for a molecular signature to distinguish between two types of heart failure. Since then, he has 25 disclosures and 22 U.S. patents throughout his career.
Along with patenting his findings, Dr. Hare has advanced their commercialization, serving as the scientific founder of three U.S. spin-out biotechnology companies. Heart Genomics, LLC focuses on the development of non-invasive, genomic-based, clinical diagnostic tests for patients with heart disease or heart failure. Vestion, Inc. is developing stem cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases, and Longeveron, Inc., which went public in 2021, is developing cellular therapies for chronic diseases associated with aging and other life-threatening conditions.
Advancing Cell-Based Therapies
For 15 years, Dr. Hare’s work has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Heart Association and several foundations, resulting in 264 peer reviewed publications, 56 reviews and 47 editorials, in top-tier medical, cardiology and circulation journals. He has also mentored more than 40 post-doctoral fellows, many of whom are co-inventors on his patents, reflecting both his ability to translate the entrepreneurial mindset to his trainees.
Dr. Hare’s research includes studies in adults with heart failure, those with endothelial dysfunction due to heart failure, diabetes or aging, children with complex congenital heart disease, and COVID-related heart problems. He has conducted five investigator-initiated clinical trials and uncovered important insights into the mechanisms of action underlying cell-based therapy. He is also the principal investigator on an NIH Specialized Center for Cell-Therapy (SCCT) funded stem cell study for patients with congestive heart failure.
Tags: cardiology, Dr. Joshua Hare, heart disease, National Academy of Inventors