Dr. Abba Zubair, MD, PhD - Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic - From Mayo Clinic to Microgravity: Pushing Stem Cells to New Frontiers

Send us Fan MailDr. Abba Zubair, MD, PhD is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida ( https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/zubair-abba-c-m-d-ph-d/bio-00092417 ), where he also has served as the medical director of Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy. Dr. Zubair earned his medical degree from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Cancer Immunobiology at the University of Sheffield in England. From there, he pursued advanced training in pathology and transfusion medicine in the U.S., completing a residency at the University of Pennsylvania and a clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School. For more than two decades, Dr. Zubair led the Stem Cell Therapy Laboratory at Mayo Clinic Florida, pioneering the development of clinical-grade cell therapy products. His research has focused on mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), immune cells, and extracellular vesicles — with the aim of translating basic research into therapies for degenerative disease, brain injury, transplant-related complications, and beyond.In perhaps one of the most extraordinary bridges between earthly medicine and outer space, Dr. Zubair has sent his lab’s stem cells to the International Space Station — aiming to understand how microgravity affects cell behavior, bone loss, and regenerative potential. This research has profound implications not only for astronauts, but for patients on Earth suffering from osteoporosis, bone degeneration, and other conditions. Beyond his scientific and clinical roles, Dr. Zubair is a devoted educator and leader: in 2024 he was named Vice Dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (Florida), shaping the next generation of physicians; previously he served as Associate Dean of the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and as Dean of Education at a Mayo-Clinic affiliated hospital venture in Abu Dhabi. #AbbaZubair #MayoClinic #LaboratoryMedicine #Pathology #TransfusionMedicine #StemCellTherapy #MesenchymalStemCells #StromalCells #HematopoieticStemCells #ImmuneCells #ExtracellularVesicles #Exosomes #Secretome #RegenerativeMedicine #Immunotherapy #Bioreactors #ClinicalGradeManufacturing #CosmicRadiation #DeepSpaceExploration #Microgravity #InternationalSpaceStation #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show