Ann S. Tsukamoto Weissman[1] (born July 6, 1952) is an Asian American stem cell researcher and inventor.
[2][3] In 1991, she co-patented a process that allowed the human stem cell to be isolated and demonstrated their potential in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer.
[8] Ann joined StemCells Inc. in 1998, where she has held several leadership roles overseeing the isolation and application of human neural and liver stem cells for various diseases.
Under her guidance, the human neural stem cell transitioned into early clinical development for all three components of the central nervous system: the brain, spinal cord, and eye.
The biological potential and activity of these cells were demonstrated in some patients, mirroring the results observed in preclinical rodent studies.