Michael Nestor

As the Scientific Engagement Lead for Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC. Michael Nestor is responsible for external engagement with regional academic research institutions, start-ups and investment partners and portfolio management. He will also collaborate with the Head of JLABS @ Washington, DC and Johnson & Johnson Innovation colleagues in sourcing and evaluating innovative companies with the aim to foster a productive life science ecosystem and bring value to Johnson & Johnson’s pipeline.

Michael joins JLABS @ Washington, DC from his time as an Executive Branch American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science and Technology Policy Fellow (AAAS STPF) in the Office of Science at The Department of Energy (DOE). At the DOE, Michael was focused on synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and biosecurity initiatives.

Michael was Director of Neural Stem Cell Research at The Hussman Institute for Autism where he lead his own group studying autism by creating brain organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells. His lab developed a multiplexed high-throughput CRISPR and drug-screening platform. Michael served as Co-Chair of the Neural Stem Cell Working Group at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine and as a venture advisor to the UM Momentum Fund and the Abell Foundation. Finally, Michael ran his own human stem cell consulting company, Synapstem.

Michael received his PhD in Neuroscience from The University of Maryland, School of Medicine where he was trained as an electrophysiologist and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and The New York Stem Cell Foundation, where he was also a Staff Scientist. Michael was also an NIH IRACDA Fellow at Rutgers University, focused on teaching in minority-serving institutions and helping increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in science.