SciMed Biotech Podcast with Dr. Ned Swanson of PolarityBio

Dr. Ned Swanson of PolarityBio

Healing From the Inside Out with Functionally Polarized Skin

When Dr. Ned Swanson set out to become a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, he never imagined his path would lead to the frontlines of regenerative medicine. But after training at Penn, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins, he made a bold pivot—leaving clinical practice to co-found PolarityBio with a mission to unlock the body’s innate healing potential.

In this episode, Dr. Swanson joins us to unpack the science and strategy behind PolarityBio’s SkinTE®—an autologous, multicellular therapy that aims to regenerate full-thickness, functionally polarized skin using a patient’s own cells. We explore how SkinTE® challenges the status quo in chronic wound care, why preserving cellular polarity is so critical, and what it takes to scale tissue regeneration into a commercial therapy.

Ned also shares what it’s been like to bridge the worlds of surgery, startup leadership, and FDA clinical trials—and why he believes regenerative biology is only just getting started.

Whether you're deep in biotech or just curious about the future of healing, this conversation offers an insightful look at one of the most exciting frontiers in medicine.