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Darwin J. Prockop, MD, PhD

Darwin J. Prockop, MD, PhD is the Director of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Stearman Chair in Genome Medicine at Scott & White in Temple, Texas.  He received his A.B. in Philosophy from Haverford College in 1951 and a M.A. in Animal Physiology from Brasenose College at Oxford University in 1953. He was awarded his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1956 and worked at the National Institutes of Health from 1956-1961 while earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from George Washington University.  He rose to rank of professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania 1961-72.  He was Chair of Biochemistry at UMDNJ Rutgers Medical School 1972-1986, Chair of Biochemistry and Director of the Jefferson Institute for Molecular Medicine at Jefferson Medical College 1986-1996, Director of the Center for Gene Therapy at Hahnemann/Allegheny/Drexel 1996-2000, and Director of the Center for Gene Therapy at Tulane University Health Science Center 2000-2008.  Dr. Prockop has authored or co‐authored over 500 publications and is a frequent speaker at distinguished international events pertaining to matrix biology and stem cell science. Amongst his many accomplishments are appointments to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Medicine.  Dr. Prockop joined the faculty at Texas A&M University System Health Science Center in August 2008.

Dr. Prockop’s current research involves the study of adult stem or progenitor cells from bone marrow referred to as mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent stromal cells, or MSCs. The cells have the remarkable ability to home to injured tissues and repair them by a variety of mechanisms that include differentiation, immune modulation, suppression of inflammation, and stimulation of tissue-endogenous stem/progenitor cells.  The cells are being studied in a variety of models for human disease that include heart disease, lung diseases, diabetes, stroke, and head trauma.  In addition, plans are being developed to use the cells in clinical trials in patients.