Spotlight on… Mark Ma, ALS Researcher and Entrepreneur

Born and raised in Dalian, China, Mark Ma grew up in an environment where he often felt unable to speak freely. As a tall and physically different child, he was frequently stereotyped by peers and teachers as a troublemaker, even when he had done nothing wrong. A member of the LGBTQ community in a socially conservative environment where differences were rarely openly discussed, Mark grew up feeling judged as a minority.

In college, Mark joined a national TV show as a co-host, interviewing global celebrities like Jackie Chan across 30 episodes. Curious by nature, Mark used the platform to ask value-driven questions that went beyond surface-level admiration, often probing topics like family expectations, personal responsibility, and ethics. While his intent was to better understand the individuals behind the public image, many viewers criticized him online for challenging widely accepted norms and authority figures. While other co-hosts gained popularity for aligning with audience expectations, Mark drew criticism for thinking differently and speaking candidly.

After graduating from Zhejiang University, Mark moved to Boulder, Colorado, to pursue a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering. As a young researcher, Mark knew early on that he wanted to help those living with rare diseases, as they are often overlooked compared to individuals with more common conditions. Mark’s empathy for these communities, stemming from his upbringing, pushed him to work in critical and immediate research with Genentech, a South San Francisco based biotech firm focused on developing medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases.

In 2023, Mark began searching for a program that would teach him the business side of medicine and biotechnology. Mark was challenged on his decision to apply broadly applicable technology to rare diseases like ALS, which some viewed as commercially limited. He soon found his place at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where long-term impact and innovation for underserved populations were viewed as strengths rather than constraints. Mark received his MBA in December 2025. While at Stanford, Mark networked directly with hundreds of professionals, including his mentor, who taught him how to be at the forefront of a biotech startup, which had been a dream of his for several years.

“I had a very transformative experience at Stanford GSB. Here, they value diversity. Even though I was trained as a scientist with very little business knowledge, the Stanford staff were willing to teach me using their research and experiences from the past 20, 30, 40 years of their lives, and teach you from the beginning. Without GSB, I would not have met my mentor, who trained me to be on the front seat of a biotech startup.”

– Mark Ma

Mark’s experience in biomedicine opened the door to the neurodegenerative field. The staff he met at Stanford, many of whom had personal connections to ALS, introduced Mark to the community. He credits his Operations, Innovation, and Technology course for giving him the opportunity to talk directly with patients in the ALS space. Meeting Bernie Zipprich, Program Director of Project Mosaic, who is living with ALS, had a profound impact on Mark and reinforced his interest in helping those affected by the disease.

In 2025, Mark, along with professors Kristi Anseth and Hideyuki Okano, began developing a preclinical stage life sciences company. He and his team aim to build regenerative therapies designed to restore lost function, starting with neurodegeneration. Using AI to guide cells and research, his in-stealth startup focuses on learning how to restore lost neurons, replace lost cells, and create an environment for biomaterials for ALS patients and other neurodegenerative disease patients.

“For anyone entering the biotech research field, remember this: Lead with curiosity, stay anchored in empathy. Chase what matters.

To everyone living with ALS, you are not invisible. Cutting-edge research and technology can bring a new landscape to diseases, and we are working every day to make this possible.”

– Mark Ma