Pedro Silva Couto

BIOGRAPHY

Pedro Silva Couto received his masters degree in biological engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisboa, Portugal. His thesis examined the laboratory procedures for isolating and storing mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) from the human umbilical cord. Pedro has worked for the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation since 2014, and joined the co-founders of CellTrials.org in early 2017. Pedro went back to school in 2017 to pursue a PhD in biochemical engineering at University College London (UCL). His thesis work under Dr. Qasim Rafik studied the growth of MSC and CAR-T in bioreactors. Upon completing his PhD, Pedro stayed on at UCL as a post-doc. In January 2026, Pedro became a Lecturer at the University of Bath, where he is running a research group that will focus on biomanufacturing for cellular agriculture. Together, Pedro and Frances have co-authored numerous blogs and several peer-reviewed publications. Pedro is a huge fan of the stem cells and regenerative medicine field and has contributed to the outreach efforts of professional organizations such as AABB and ISCT.  Pedro's interests also include piano, choir singing, and soccer.