Meet Dr Jade Jaffar: leading the way in veterinary stem cell research

Meet Dr Jade Jaffar: Bringing Human Medical Biobanking to Australian pets

At Elita Genetics, we’re driven by a vision to transform pet healthcare, fuelled by a deep love for our own pets and a commitment to science, innovation, and progress. That’s why we brought on Dr Jade Jaffar, our formidable founding scientist, whose expertise in biobanking is set to shape the future of pet healthcare in Australia.

With a career dedicated to advancing biomedical research, Jade has built and managed biobanks focused on human diseases, ensuring high-quality sample collection, processing, and storage to support discoveries in personalised medicine. Now, she’s bringing that same level of precision and care to veterinary medicine, leading the development of Elita Genetics’ stem cell bank to give pet owners access to new treatment possibilities.

We sat down with Jade to talk about her journey into cell biology, her passion for biobanking, and what excites her most about the future of stem cell research for pets.

What sparked your interest in cell biology?

I’ve loved biology for as long as I can remember, nature, living systems, and understanding how the smallest building blocks come together to create something as complex as a whole organism. But what really pulled me into cell biology was seeing how this process could go wrong and cause disease.

It wasn’t until my later years of university that I became truly fascinated by it. At the time, we were just beginning to unlock new insights into genetics and cancer, and cell biology was at the forefront of that progress. Advances in imaging meant we could watch individual cells grow in real time, high-throughput genetic assays allowed us to study more genes than ever before, and there was a growing understanding of cancer as a disease rooted in cell behaviour. It was an exciting time, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.

For those who may not know, what is biobanking, and why is it important?

Biobanks are long-term storage facilities for biological samples, along with the clinical information linked to their donors. A common example is egg and sperm freezing for family planning, but biobanks also play a critical role in medical research and treatment development.

Their importance lies in ensuring the consistent, temperature-sensitive collection, processing, and storage of valuable, often irreplaceable, tissues. By maintaining high-quality samples, biobanks help accelerate the discovery of new therapies in two key ways: first, they allow biological resources to be securely and ethically shared across multiple research groups, ensuring donated material is fully utilised and not wasted. Second, they provide a genetic snapshot of a donor’s biological state at a specific moment in time, enabling long-term studies that lead to more effective treatments.

Was there a defining moment that set you on the path toward biobanking?

Biobanking has been a constant part of my scientific life. Most clinical labs rely on some level of sample storage for research, so from the moment I started working as a research assistant in ovarian cancer, it was always there in the background.

But one moment really stuck with me. I was at the University of Washington Medical Center, digging through hundreds of freezer boxes in a dimly lit hospital back room, retrieving urine samples from ovarian cancer patients. They were stored as best as they could be at the time, plastic vials, packed away without much thought that someone might need them again.

I had to thaw them, extract a portion, and transfer it into a new vial to take back to the lab. Why? Because we were developing a test to detect ovarian cancer early, hoping to find the first signals of disease in those samples. That moment crystallised for me just how vital biobanking is. Every medical breakthrough starts with a well-preserved sample, and without careful collection and storage, we lose the opportunity to make those discoveries.

What motivates you most about the work you do?

I’m motivated by the potential impact of my work. Every sample stored properly today could be the key to a treatment that helps a pet in the future. That’s why I love biobanking, it’s about preserving opportunities for better care.

What excites me most about being part of Elita Genetics is that we share the same goal: improving the quality of life for our pets, the vets who treat them, and the owners who love them. The idea that a pet’s stem cells, collected at their healthiest, could be used to help them years down the track is incredibly powerful.

What’s one misconception about biobanking you often come across?

That samples just sit in storage indefinitely. A biobank isn’t a museum, it’s only as valuable as the use of its stored samples. The goal isn’t to collect and forget, but to ensure these samples are available when they’re needed, whether that’s for a future treatment or critical research.

How does your experience in human biobanking translate to pets and benefit veterinary medicine?

Mammalian cells share many similarities, at the end of the day, we’re all animals. I approach veterinary biobanking through the One Medicine principle, applying the same rigorous standards used in human biobanking to pet samples. By treating every pet sample with the same care and precision as a human sample, we’re building a high-quality biological reference database that will be essential in developing effective stem cell therapies.

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What do you see as the single biggest benefit of storing your own (or your pet’s) cells?

Genetics is one of the biggest variables in medicine, whether for humans or animals. By storing your pet’s own cells, you remove that complication, ensuring any future treatments are a perfect match. It’s a way to future-proof their healthcare with the best possible starting point: their own biology.

In your opinion, what are some of the most exciting uses of stem cells that are happening globally right now?

One of the most exciting developments is the growing use of stem cells to treat osteoarthritis, it’s becoming more developed in human medicine alongside being used routinely in veterinary care in other markets like the US and UK.

Beyond that, as populations age, both humans and dogs are facing more age-related diseases, including neurological decline similar to dementia. Right now, clinical trials are underway in both species to explore how stem cells could help treat these conditions. It’s an area with huge potential, and I’m excited to see where this research leads for both human and veterinary medicine.

Beyond storing cells for potential future treatments, what does the big-picture future of stem cell banking look like to you?

Because our treatments are autologous, I see a future where stem cell banking is seamlessly integrated into routine veterinary care. Ideally, we could monitor a pet’s health over time and identify when intervention might be beneficial, before disease even develops, using stem cells in a more preventative way.

Beyond that, stem cells could also play a bigger role in recovery. We already know they can speed up healing in open wounds, and I imagine their use expanding to broader applications in regenerative medicine, helping pets heal faster and stay healthier for longer.

What excites you most about building Elita Genetics?

Coupling biobanking with therapy development has been a long-term goal of mine, but commercialising biobanks, especially in the human space, is no easy task. With pets increasingly needing these therapies and veterinary medicine evolving, the opportunity to develop and apply these treatments is bigger than ever. Elita Genetics has given me the chance to put my money where my mouth is, demonstrating how we can run a successful biobanking service while advancing personalised medicine for pets. It’s an exciting space to be in, and I’m eager to see how far we can take it.

What’s been the most rewarding part of working with Elita so far, and what do you hope pet owners take away from the work we’re doing?

The most rewarding part has been working with a team that shares the same grand vision, people just as invested in making this a reality as I am. Stem cell treatments that are truly personalised for your pet’s genetic uniqueness aren’t some sci-fi fantasy; they’re being developed right now. I hope pet owners see that this isn’t just the future of medicine, it’s happening, and they can be part of it.

With experts like Dr Jade Jaffar leading the way, the future of pet healthcare is already taking shape. Stem cell banking isn’t just an idea: it’s a tangible step toward giving pets better treatment options throughout their lives. If you’re interested in storing your pet’s stem cells, join the waitlist today, or reach out with any questions at hello@elitagenetics.com, we’d love to chat.

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