Shyam Patel is the Associate Vice President Preclinical Development at CIRM where his team manages funding programs that advance a broad portfolio of cell and genetic therapies toward clinical trials. In his roles at CIRM, Shyam is responsible for launching and managing funding programs, industry alliances, and helping to develop and execute strategic plans.  Prior to CIRM, Shyam led NanoNerve, Inc., where he and his team developed tissue-engineered medical devices for tissue regeneration. He was also on the teaching faculty in Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Shyam received a BS in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in Bioengineering from the Universities of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco.