Dr. Daniel Saris, MD, PhD

SAB Chair

Dr. Saris serves as a Consultant/Surgeon in the Department of Orthopedics and is the Chair of Sports Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He holds the distinction of being both a Professor of Orthopedics and the inaugural Professor of Regenerative Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Saris completed his medical degree at the University of Amsterdam before earning his PhD with a focus on joint preservation from the University of Utrecht, Netherlands. His career is marked by significant leadership roles, including serving as President of the International Cartilage Repair Society, a Board member of the Arthroscopy Society, and Chairman of the ACL Consensus Group.

Renowned for his expertise in knee surgery, Dr. Saris is internationally recognized for his work in surgical regenerative medicine and cartilage repair using cell technology. His research endeavors are dedicated to enhancing the regenerative capabilities of the musculoskeletal system, with a particular emphasis on improving both treatments and understanding of knee conditions.

Dr. Saris has played pivotal roles in groundbreaking clinical trials, including being the lead author and Principal Investigator (PI) for the ChondroCelect trial, which contributed to the EMA registration of the first Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP). He was also the lead author and PI of the international multicenter trial on Matrix-induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI), which facilitated FDA approval of this innovative cartilage cell therapy.