# John Ramunas

> John Ramunas, PhD, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rejuvenation Technologies Inc., a Mountain View, CA biotechnology company pioneering mRNA-based telomere extension therapy to reverse cellular aging. A serial entrepreneur turned neuroscientist, Ramunas spent his PhD at Stanford's Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology inventing the first safe, nonimmunogenic TERT mRNA drug - a technology now protected by 50+ patents. His company, backed by Khosla Ventures and Y Combinator, is advancing a pipeline targeting fatal orphan diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and liver cirrhosis, with the long-term vision of a single therapy taken every few years to prevent age-related disease.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Rejuvenation Technologies Inc.
- **Organizations:** Rejuvenation Technologies Inc., Stanford University (Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology), Y Combinator (S18)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Undergraduate (Electrical Engineering, transferred to Biochemistry), University of Waterloo, PhD, Neuroscience - Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology (advisors: Prof. Helen Blau, Prof. Juan Santiago), Stanford University, Postdoctoral Researcher, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Invented the first safe, nonimmunogenic TERT mRNA telomere extension drug during PhD at Stanford, Co-inventor on 50+ granted patents across 7 patent families (through 2046), Published landmark 2015 FASEB Journal paper showing transient mRNA rapidly extends telomeres in human cells (182+ citations)

## Career timeline

- **~1994** — Enrolled at University of Waterloo in Electrical Engineering
- **1998** — Learned about artificial telomere extension, switched major to Biochemistry
- **~2000s** — Founded Pathways Development, a software company, as an early entrepreneurial venture
- **~2005** — Began PhD at Stanford University, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology under Prof. Helen Blau
- **2007** — Published early stem cell imaging research in Molecular Therapy
- **2014** — Completed Stanford PhD - dissertation on telomere extension using modified TERT mRNA
- **2015** — Landmark FASEB Journal paper published: transient TERT mRNA rapidly extends telomeres in human cells
- **2016** — Co-founded Rejuvenation Technologies Inc. with Prof. Helen Blau and Glenn Markov
- **2018** — Rejuvenation Technologies accepted into Y Combinator Summer 2018 batch
- **2020** — First major US patent granted (US 10,525,075) for telomere extension compounds and methods
- **2023** — Raised $10.6M seed round led by Khosla Ventures; received CIRM award for pulmonary fibrosis program
- **2024** — FDA INTERACT clearance received; speaking at BIO International Convention 2024
- **2025** — Raising $10M seed extension; 3 investigator-initiated trials planned; clinical readouts expected Q3 2027

## Achievements

- Invented the first safe, nonimmunogenic TERT mRNA telomere extension drug during PhD at Stanford
- Co-inventor on 50+ granted patents across 7 patent families (through 2046)
- Published landmark 2015 FASEB Journal paper showing transient mRNA rapidly extends telomeres in human cells (182+ citations)
- 1,266 total research citations, h-index of 15
- Also invented the simplest micropump (miniature peristaltic pump), patented by Stanford
- Led Rejuvenation Technologies to raise ~$15.2M total including $10.6M seed from Khosla Ventures
- Y Combinator Summer 2018 batch company
- Received CIRM award of $3.98M for pulmonary fibrosis program
- FDA INTERACT clearance for telomere extension therapeutic
- Served as Subject #1 in company's first human longevity trial
- Speaker at BIO International Convention 2024 and 2025

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Speaking at BIO International Convention 2025 in Boston (June 16-19, 2025)
- **2025-01** — Raising $10M seed extension to fund three investigator-initiated clinical trials; readouts expected Q3 2027
- **2024-01** — FDA INTERACT clearance received for telomere extension therapeutic; spoke at BIO International Convention 2024
- **2023-09** — Raised $10.6M seed round led by Khosla Ventures with Shanda Ventures, Asymmetry Ventures, Merchant Adventures, and Longevity Tech Fund
- **2023-09** — CIRM awarded $3,984,942 for telomerase mRNA program targeting pulmonary fibrosis

## Links

- Website: https://rejuvenationtech.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnramunas/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/jwramonas

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-ramunas
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-30