Jeremy Hirota

Dr. Jeremy Hirota is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Respiratory Mucosal Immunology and GSK Chair in Lung Immunology at McMaster University. He has developed translational models for particulate matter, cigarette smoke, and cannabis smoke exposures, contributing to national and international discussions on cannabis and respiratory health.

As an extension from his academic R&D, Dr. Hirota is an active innovator and entrepreneur. In 2024, he co-founded Tessella Biosciences, a federally incorporated biomaterials company commercializing proprietary bioink formulations invented at McMaster University. As chief scientific officer, he has guided Tessella from IP development to revenue generation, securing pre-seed SAFE investments, government support for IP strategy and filings, and establishing global distribution partnerships. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, four patent-pending filings, with additional op-ed contributions on innovation and entrepreneurship, he is always working to integrate discovery research with real-world application, advancing respiratory health and biomaterials innovation.