PepGel Announces the Appointment of Theodore Bernstein as Chief Executive Officer

WINSTON-SALEM, NC, UNITED STATES, June 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PepGel, LLC, an innovator in hydrogel-based regenerative medicine technologies, proudly announces that it has appointed Theodore (“Ted”) Bernstein as Chief Executive Officer.

An accomplished business leader in the healthcare and life science sectors, Mr. Bernstein brings over 30 years of executive leadership and commercial expertise to PepGel. He will spearhead the commercial expansion of PepGel’s existing PGmatrix™ hydrogel products and formulate strategies for the development of new innovative technologies and solutions for the regenerative medicine market.

“We are delighted that Ted has joined us as CEO. With our novel hybrid PGmatrix™ hydrogels showcased at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s Test Bed, PepGel has made significant advances in hydrogel technology development. Ted’s extensive senior leadership and business acumen will greatly enhance our commercial prospects,” said Xiuzhi Susan Sun, Ph.D., Founder, Chairperson, and Chief Technology Officer of PepGel and Professor, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM).

“I am thrilled to join Dr. Sun and the PepGel team. I look forward to facilitating the continued success of PepGel and enabling its growing contributions to regenerative medicine research, development, and advances in patient care applications,” said Mr. Bernstein.

“When Dr. Sun and PepGel joined WFIRM and our community’s thriving regenerative medicine ecosystem last year, I was impressed by her aptitude for developing inventive technologies. The addition of Ted’s incredible talents and humble brilliance will be transformative for PepGel’s commercial success and growth,” said Dr. Anthony Atala, Executive Director of WFIRM. Dr. Atala’s comments were echoed by Tim Bertram, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Regenerative Medicine Engine, funded by the National Science Foundation and based in North Carolina.

Mr. Bernstein began his executive career at Massachusetts General Hospital, building on experiences in clinical laboratories and life science research. He gained transaction and regulatory expertise as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and later leveraged these skills at investment banking firm Wasserstein Perella & Co., creating significant value for healthcare and retail businesses. Mr. Bernstein further honed his industry knowledge as a senior investor in healthcare, life sciences, and tech-enabled services at hedge funds and in private equity. Mr. Bernstein has also founded and led successful enterprises related to healthcare and finance.

A native of West Virginia, Mr. Bernstein holds degrees from several prestigious institutions: a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master of Public Health from Yale School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University.

PepGel is an integral partner in the Regenerative Medicine Engine. Dr. Sun was recruited to Winston-Salem not only to serve as a professor and researcher at WFIRM but also to relocate PepGel’s headquarters to Innovation Quarter’s Sparq Labs. Leaders at WFIRM and the Regenerative Medicine Engine recognized that she and her company would be an asset to both organizations and that PepGel could grow rapidly with the resources offered in the ecosystem. Dr. Sun and Mr. Bernstein were introduced through local business accelerator Winston Starts – another integral partner of the Regenerative Medicine Engine – where Mr. Bernstein serves as a mentor to company founders.

About PepGel – PepGel, LLC is a commercial-stage regenerative medicine innovator specializing in products based on its hydrogel technologies. The Company’s PGmatrix™ hydrogels mimic the human extracellular matrix, enabling cells to grow physiologically, self-organize, and develop into biologically relevant 3D colonies, organoids, and tissues. PGmatrix™ hydrogels offer significant benefits, including cytocompatibility with primary cells and cell lines, user-friendly handling for cell encapsulation and isolation, and support for spheroid formation. PepGel is pursuing applications of its innovations in drug discovery, disease modeling, stem cell (i.e., hiPSCs) research and technologies, tissue engineering, and in vivo drug delivery.

Xiuzhi Susan Sun, Ph.D.
PepGel, LLC
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