Deputy Director & Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Robert Signer is a stem cell biologist whose trailblazing work on protein production and homeostasis opened the door to unchartered areas of investigation into aging and longevity science. Dr. Signer is currently the Deputy Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Discovery Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Regenerative Medicine at UC San Diego. He also holds appointments in the Department of Bioengineering and at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology.
Previously, Dr. Signer trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He earned a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto. Dr. Signer has published multiple high-profile papers in top tier scientific journals, including Nature, Cell, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Cell Biology, Blood, and Genes and Development. He has presented leading-edge scientific discoveries around the world, including at the International Society for Stem Cell Research, the American Society of Hematology, and SXSW and he was recently featured in WIRED magazine. His discoveries have been recognized by numerous awards from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, and the American Cancer Society, among others. He was named a Distinguished International Young Investigator in Stem Cell Research and received the prestigious Janet Rowley Award from the International Society of Experimental Hematology in 2024. Coupled with his excellent track record of discovery, Dr. Signer is one of the foremost thought leaders in stem cell, aging and longevity science.