Dr. Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell, PhD is the Director of Research and Development at Micregen, a pioneering regenerative medicine biotechnology company headquartered in Alderley Park, England. With nearly a decade of experience in stem cell biology and therapeutic development, Robert leads the company’s R&D portfolio to advance innovative therapeutic candidates from discovery through IND-enabling studies toward first-in-human clinical trials.
He is a key architect behind Micregen’s award-winning Secretomix® platform, a proprietary technology designed to create various stem cell secretome formulations for treating degenerative conditions. Robert specializes in the tissue regenerative properties of adult stem cell-derived secretomes, with particular expertise in skeletal muscle regeneration, extracellular vesicles, and translating preclinical research into GMP-compliant therapeutic manufacturing.
Read Secretome of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes skeletal muscle regeneration through synergistic action of extracellular vesicle cargo and soluble proteins and Fetal lung underdevelopment is rescued by administration of amniotic fluid stem cell extracellular vesicles in rodents.
His doctoral research under Professor Ketan Patel, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at the University of Reading, established foundational insights into how stem cell secretomes can be harnessed for clinical applications. Robert has authored 28 peer-reviewed publications and has been instrumental in securing over £300,000 in grant funding for Micregen’s research programs. In 2023, Robert and colleague Andrew Parnell accepted the UK Pharma Industry Awards Innovation of the Year on behalf of Micregen for their Secretomix® platform technology. Read Micregen’s Secretomix wins innovation of the year at 2023 UK Pharma Awards.
As Director of Research and Development since January 2025, Robert strategically leads and drives Micregen’s R&D portfolio, spearheading the alignment of preclinical research activities with clinical development goals. He ensures that robust data packages and regulatory documentation meet stringent MHRA and EMA requirements for a combined Phase 1/2a clinical trial in the UK targeting necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe gastrointestinal condition affecting preterm infants.
Robert oversees preparation and submission of preclinical regulatory dossiers and maintains proactive engagement with regulatory bodies, serving as a key member of Micregen’s executive board. Read Translating regenerative medicine therapies in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.
Robert’s research has demonstrated that stem cell secretomes display disease-modifying capabilities through their multi-modal action, modulating critical factors in cellular degeneration including inflammation, cellular senescence, altered intercellular communication, stem cell exhaustion, and compromised autophagy.
His landmark 2019 publication as lead author in Stem Cell Research & Therapy established that extracellular vesicles and soluble molecules within adipose-derived stem cell secretomes act synergistically to promote muscle regeneration. Read Secretome of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes skeletal muscle regeneration through synergistic action of extracellular vesicle cargo and soluble proteins.
Between February 2023 and January 2025, Robert served as Head of Development at Micregen, managing the overall translation of therapeutic products to GMP manufacturing. He identified the pre-clinical data required to complete product IMPD and regulatory documentation, led GMP manufacture at external CMOs, and worked closely with the Chief Scientific Officer on patent submissions.
Between April 2019 and February 2023, Robert served as Head of Manufacturing at Micregen, where he transferred the production of Secretomix® formulations from R&D to GMP. Robert completed the manufacture and release of GMP cell banks and managed the development and validation of product GMP release assays. In 2022, the MHRA awarded Micregen an Innovation Passport through the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), recognizing the transformative potential of their therapeutic approach.
Earlier in his career, Robert worked as Senior Scientific Researcher and Consultant at Micregen from November 2015 to March 2016, performing discovery research involving the identification and characterization of factors secreted by adult stem cells required for tissue regeneration.
Robert’s academic contributions include co-authorship on the influential 2017 paper demonstrating the clinical potential of amniotic fluid stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for accelerating muscle regeneration through enhancement of angiogenesis. His research on tarantula venom and muscle function was published in Cells in 2023.
Read Protein and Molecular Characterization of a Clinically Compliant Amniotic Fluid Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicle Fraction Capable of Accelerating Muscle Regeneration Through Enhancement of Angiogenesis and Indian Ornamental Tarantula (Poecilotheria regalis) Venom Affects Myoblast Function and Causes Skeletal Muscle Damage.
Robert earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Stem Cell Biology from the University of Reading in 2015. His doctoral research examined the hypothesis that the adult stem cell secretome provides systemic protection against tissue injury by regulating resident stem cell activity with his thesis titled Development of cell-free therapeutics to treat muscle wasting diseases. He earned his Master of Research in Post Genomic Technologies from the University of Nottingham in 2006 and his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (Honours) from the University of Essex in 2005.
Prior to his doctoral studies, Robert worked as a Production Biologist at Genetix, now a part of Molecular Devices, from June 2010 to September 2011, managing and organizing analytical testing of cell culture products and coordinating failure investigations and root cause analyses. Between October 2006 and June 2010, he worked as a Biochemist at Sigma Aldrich (now part of Merck), producing and developing a wide range of proteins and enzymes using sophisticated techniques including SDS-PAGE, chromatography, and freeze-drying. At Sigma Aldrich, he served as Poole Production Health and Safety Representative from 2007 to 2010 and Sports and Social Committee Chairperson in 2009.
Micregen was founded in 2015 following twenty years of scientific stem cell research and was selected to join the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Scale-Up Programme in 2023, recognizing it as one of the most outstanding scalable businesses disrupting their industry. The company has raised £12.2 million and maintains strategic partnerships with leading academic institutions and contract research organizations across the UK, USA, and Canada. Robert is based in Reading, England, United Kingdom.
Visit his LinkedIn profile and ResearchGate profile.