EpiBone CEO and Co-Founder, biotech leader, and self-proclaimed "geek" Nina Tandon spoke to an eager and engaged audience in Rose-Hulman's Hatfield Hall Thursday night through a collaboration of the Swearingen Leadership Series and the Rose Research Fellows program. As Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Irene Reizman, PhD, the Alfred R. Schmidt Endowed Chair for Excellence in Teaching and creator of the Rose Research Fellows program, noted, Tandon's talk drew connections between "our cells and ourselves."

Tandon opened the evening by discussing similarities between the “bacta” tanks found in the "Star Wars" franchise, which help Luke Skywalker's body recover and regenerate after a wound, and her company. 

EpiBone is the world's first company to grow living human bone for skeletal reconstruction, creating bone and cartilage replacements from stem cells. Through 3D scanning, EpiBone develops the perfect puzzle piece to fit the patient's needs, and, according to its website, helps the body "unlock the power of its own cells to help the body heal itself." 

It's a process much more reminiscent of the technology in "Star Wars" than current joint replacement techniques, which Tandon says resemble little more than "a mix of pain meds and carpentry." 

"We are turning science fiction into science fact," she said. 

EpiBone made history twice in 2023, successfully completing a clinical trial in which they replaced the jaw bones of 6 patients with STEM cells taken from their abdomen. The company also received Federal Drug Administration approval to begin clinical trials of partial knee replacements.

Though her company is on the cusp of groundbreaking development, Tandon helped the audience focus on personal development, sharing stories of the twists and turns throughout her journey, including realizing her "dream job" was not what she actually wanted in her career. 

Tandon shared that her passion for improving human health through the intersection of biology and technology began at a young age, when her family discovered a genetic eye condition that caused her brother to go blind and her two sisters to be colorblind.

"I was fascinated by the technology of our bodies interacting with the technology we invent with our hands," she said, comparing the structure of electronics to the structure of human cells. "There's thinking that's not in the brain. Intelligence throughout the body is distributed."

Tandon encouraged students to seek learning opportunities throughout their career, noting that she still takes evening classes at a local community college to keep growing. She emphasized the importance of mentorship and taking a mentoring relationship seriously.

She also gave students advice about bringing their technologies to the marketplace through start-ups, discussing openly the challenges of persuading others to recognize the necessity of innovation.

"New technology sometimes requires business model innovation alongside technological innovation," Tandon explained. 

Tandon ended her talk with another "Star Wars" reference and a smile. "The galaxy isn't far away after all," she grinned, noting the technological breakthroughs within society's grasp. "You're on the edge of what's known." 

The Swearingen Leadership Series brings speakers to campus to encourage development of future leaders in science, engineering, and mathematics to solve complex problems. It was established through support from John Swearingen, a 1981 Rose-Hulman chemical engineering alumnus, and his wife, Anne.

The Rose Research Fellows program introduces first- and second-year students opportunities to the fundamentals of research by completing a variety of projects, with faculty mentors, in science, engineering, and mathematics areas of interest. They also get opportunities to attend virtual and campus speaker events with Rose-Hulman alumni and other guests. Students then showcase their projects in a final formal presentation to the campus community at the end of the school year.