In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Mark Skylar-Scott, PhD, bioengineer and researcher at Stanford University, whose work sits at the forefront of 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Skylar-Scott explores the bold challenge of organ manufacturing — why it’s one of the hardest problems in medicine, and why there is good reason for optimism. He explains how advances in bioprinting, vascular engineering, and scalable cell production are opening new possibilities for creating functional human tissues and, one day, whole organs.

In this conversation, Dr. Skylar-Scott shares his journey from engineering and early 3D printing to pioneering work in bioprinting. He discusses why blood vessels are the central bottleneck in building living tissue, how biology and engineering must work together, and what it takes to scale from millions of cells in a dish to the hundreds of billions required to build an organ like the human heart.

Looking ahead, Dr. Skylar-Scott discusses progress toward large-animal models and what it will take to move organ manufacturing closer to clinical reality.

As part of our ongoing series from Stanford’s Department of Medicine — bringing together scientists and clinicians shaping the future of healthcare — this episode offers a thoughtful, grounded look at the forward momentum in organ printing and regenerative medicine.

Thank you for listening!

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