Jan Nolta, Ph.D.

Jan A. Nolta, Ph.D., is the Director of the UC Davis Cell and Gene Therapy Center in the Institute for Regenerative Cures at University of California Davis Health in Sacramento. She also serves as the Scientific Director of the large UC Davis Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Facility, and as Principle Investigators of the California State Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program. A scientist with more than 30 years’ experience with human stem cells, gene therapy, and clinical trial development, Jan Nolta has published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the stem cell field and was Editor-in-Chief for the journal STEM CELLS 2013 through 2025.

The UC Davis cell and gene therapy program has a large number of basic, translational, and clinical scientists collaborating to work toward regenerative medicine-related cures for a spectrum of diseases and injuries. Nolta is helping UC Davis teams develop numerous clinical trials of gene and cell therapy, with 50+ stem cell/regenerative medicine therapies already in the clinic, and over twenty in the pipeline.

Jan Nolta is a native of Northern California, trained in Los Angeles and Washington University, and has been back at UC Davis in Sacramento now for 18 years. She is a first-generation faculty member- first in her family to obtain a college degree. A major driving force throughout her career has been to provide service to teams working toward novel cures, and to foster a strong sense of community and teamwork. The UC Davis Cell and Gene Therapy Center is committed to fostering teamwork, to training the diverse science and healthcare work force of the future, and to continuing to improve and deliver these novel cutting-edge therapies for patients who currently have few other options.