Hopewell Foundation

Regenerative Medicine Initiative

Turning Hope Into Reality

The Hopewell Foundation for Regenerative Medicine is dedicated to advancing patient-specific regenerative solutions for craniofacial and nasal reconstruction - restoring form, function, identity, and dignity to patients who deserve better options.

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Happy patients laughing together in a warm clinic setting

Our Mission

Accelerating patient-specific regenerative solutions for nasal reconstruction.

The Hopewell Foundation for Regenerative Medicine is dedicated to accelerating the development and clinical translation of patient-specific bone and cartilage technologies for nasal reconstruction, including emerging advances in 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering.

Read our mission

Our Origin

The Founding Story

The Hopewell Foundation was not created in a laboratory. It was created through lived experience.

At 27, I underwent what I believed would be a routine nasal procedure. I chose a surgeon with exceptional credentials, respected, recognized, and affiliated with top institutions. I was certain I was in good hands.

What I didn't understand, and what many patients are never fully told, is that the nose is not just cosmetic. It is an incredibly delicate and complex structure: a framework of cartilage, bone, and soft tissue.

When one part changes, everything changes.

Read the full story
Katharine Derrey, Founder of the Hopewell Foundation, at the FDA
Katharine Derrey advocating for patients at the FDA

Patient Voices

Personal journeys behind the need for safer treatments

“
The financial cost was overwhelming. The emotional cost was deeper still. A real solution wouldn't just change lives, it would finally break the cycle.
Patient, age 34
“
I asked if he specialized in revisions. The secretary laughed and said some patients have had up to seven revisions. I realized this wasn't a solution, it was a pattern.
Anonymous
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I remember wondering if I would ever recognize myself in the mirror again. I still hold onto the hope that one day, I will.
Patient advocate
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The pain wasn't just in my nose, it was in my chest. Every breath, every movement, was a reminder of what my body had gone through.
Rib graft patient
See real patient journeys →

The Problem

Craniofacial reconstruction is rarely a single procedure - and the current standard of care is failing patients.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of patients face complex craniofacial and nasal reconstruction following skin cancer, trauma, failed prior surgeries, autoimmune conditions, and congenital differences. For these patients, reconstruction is not straightforward and is rarely complete in a single surgery.

The current standard of care requires surgeons to borrow healthy tissue from one part of the body to repair another - ribs, ear cartilage, forehead flaps. Each procedure creates a new wound to address the original one. Patients undergo three, four, five surgeries. Recovery is measured in years. The financial toll is staggering - often $30,000 to $60,000 or more per procedure, almost never covered by insurance.

There is currently no patient-specific engineered alternative available anywhere in clinical use. Not for nasal bone. Not for cartilage. Not for turbinate tissue. This is not a gap at the margins of medicine. It is the entire standard of care.

We believe patients deserve better. We are working to build it.

Abstract glass molecular structure representing regenerative medicine

The Vision

Regenerative medicine is the next frontier in craniofacial reconstruction.

Through 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering, and stem cell science, it will soon be possible to create:

  • Patient-specific bone and cartilage built from the patient's own CT scan data
  • Functional tissue restoration including turbinate and airway reconstruction
  • Reconstruction without sacrificing healthy tissue elsewhere in the body
  • Reduced surgical stages, donor site morbidity, and recovery time
  • Equitable access to advanced regenerative solutions for every patient who needs them

Innovation in medicine should not happen in isolation. It should happen with patients at the center.

Patient making heart shape with handsBlack and white portrait

Mission Statement

Accelerating patient-specific regenerative solutions for nasal reconstruction.

The Hopewell Foundation for Regenerative Medicine exists because patients deserve better options. We are a patient-led nonprofit dedicated to advancing regenerative medicine for individuals who need craniofacial and nasal reconstruction - those who have been failed by the current standard of care, who have sacrificed healthy tissue from their ribs and ears, and who have been told that nothing better exists.

Our primary focus is nasal reconstruction - one of the most complex and underserved areas in reconstructive medicine. We advocate directly with the FDA, support the development of patient-specific bone, cartilage, and functional tissue technologies, and connect our growing patient community with researchers and clinicians working to bring regenerative solutions from the laboratory to the patients who need them most.

We believe the future of reconstruction should not require sacrificing healthy tissue elsewhere in the body. We are building that future - with patients at the center of every decision.

The Technology

Redefining what is possible in reconstruction.

Across leading research institutions and clinical environments, scientists and surgeons are already developing advanced approaches to rebuild complex structures using engineered bone and cartilage. These technologies are not theoretical, they are actively being studied, refined, and validated in laboratories around the world.

Moving beyond simple substitutes to create living, regenerative tissues that restore the structural and mechanical essence of natural bone.

Read about 3D Technology
Laboratory petri dish
Smiling woman restored after 3D bioprinted nasal reconstruction

Why It Matters

When structural failure occurs, it does not just affect the body - it affects everything.

The effects of craniofacial reconstruction complications extend far beyond the physical. Many patients experience significant psychological distress - anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma symptoms - particularly during prolonged and uncertain recovery.

Research confirms that 63% of patients who experience complications following facial procedures screen positive for PTSD. 20% of all surgical patients experience postoperative traumatic stress. These are not marginal findings. They are the lived reality of the community we serve.

The Hopewell Foundation was founded by a patient who lived this. That is not incidental to our work. It is foundational to it.

Read more about patient impact

Our People

Built at the intersection of lived experience, science, and clinical innovation.

Founders

Katharine Derrey

Katharine Derrey

Founder & President

Patient advocate and founder of the Hopewell Foundation. Her personal experience with complex nasal reconstruction and ongoing studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling drive the Foundation's mission.

Ana-Maria Cîrjan

Ana-Maria Cîrjan

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Leads the organization's strategic growth, overseeing business development, partnerships, and long-term organizational strategy.

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Board of Directors

Our board carries legal fiduciary responsibility for the Foundation's governance, finances, and mission.

Katharine Derrey

Katharine Derrey

Founder & President

Ana-Maria Cîrjan

Ana-Maria Cîrjan

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Read full bio →
Zahraa Mahmoud

Zahraa Mahmoud

Chief of Staff

Leads patient advocacy operations and community engagement for the Foundation.

LF

Lorelei Frohlich

Treasurer

Oversees the financial management and stewardship of the Foundation.

Advisory Board

Our advisors bring expertise in patient access, regulatory pathways, policy, regenerative medicine strategy, and organizational leadership.

Dr. Kay Horsch

Dr. Kay Horsch

Advisor - Regenerative Medicine & Strategy

PhD in Cell Biology, University of Basel. Non-profit executive and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience at the intersection of regenerative medicine, medical technology, and organizational leadership.

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Stephen Martin

Stephen Martin

Advisor - Patient Access & Right to Try Policy

U.S. Lead at Infinita and Operations Lead of the Montana Experimental Treatment Review Board. Expert in patient access strategy and state-level clinical pathways for experimental treatments.

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Position Open

Surgeon Advisor

We are seeking a board-certified craniofacial or reconstructive surgeon to advise on clinical translation and surgical strategy.

Scientific Advisory Board

Our scientific advisors guide the Foundation's research priorities and technology evaluation.

Dr. Melanie Generali

Dr. Melanie Generali

Chair - Scientific Advisory Board

Scientific Head of the Cell and Tissue Engineering Division and Head of the iPSC Core Facility at IREM, University of Zurich.

Read full bio →
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Position Open

Regulatory Science Advisor

We are seeking a biomedical researcher with expertise in FDA regulatory pathways for regenerative medicine and medical devices.

Patient Advisory Council

Our patient advisors ensure every decision the Foundation makes is grounded in lived experience.

Ashley Stephenson

Ashley Stephenson

Patient Advocate

Cancer survivor and craniofacial reconstruction patient. Ashley has been a central voice in Hopewell's FDA advocacy work and patient community building.

JOC

Join Our Council

We want to hear from you

Are you a patient who has navigated craniofacial or nasal reconstruction? hello@hopewellregenmed.org

Our Mission

To advance and responsibly translate regenerative cartilage and bone technologies, ensuring equitable access for patients in need of nasal reconstruction.

Get in Touch

We'd love to hear from you

Organizations We Support

AESNV - Asociación de Enfermos de Síndrome de Neuhaus Vascular