Dr. Niklason is the founder, President and CEO of Humacyte. Dr. Niklason founded Humacyte in 2005, while still a professor at Duke University. Humacyte is a regenerative medicine company currently performing Phase III trials of engineered blood vessels for dialysis access and for treatment of vascular trauma. Dr. Niklason's scientific career has focused primarily on regenerative strategies for cardiovascular and lung tissues. She was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2014, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015, and elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2020. She was also named (along with Bill Gates and Joe Biden) as one of 34 leaders who are changing healthcare by Fortune Magazine in 2017. Niklason was the founder of Niklason received her PhD from the University of Chicago in Biophysics in 1988, and received her MD from the University of Michigan in 1991. Dr. Niklason completed her medical training in anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1996. She was a professor at Duke University from 2998 - 2005, before moving to Yale University.