Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Showing 1-100 of 147 Results
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Ash A. Alizadeh, MD/PhD
Moghadam Family Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research is focused on attaining a better understanding of the initiation, maintenance, and progression of tumors, and their response to current therapies toward improving future treatment strategies. In this effort, I employ tools from functional genomics, computational biology, molecular genetics, and mouse models.
Clinically, I specialize in the care of patients with lymphomas, working on translating our findings in prospective cancer clinical trials. -
Lay Teng Ang
Assistant Professor of Urology
BioAs a stem cell biologist, I aim to understand the mechanisms through which stem cells differentiate into progressively specialized cell types and to harness this knowledge to artificially generate pure populations of desired cell types from stem cells. My work over the past ten years has centered on pluripotent stem cells (PSCs, which include embryonic and pluripotent stem cells), which can generate any of the hundreds of diverse cell types in the body. However, it has been notoriously challenging to guide PSCs to differentiate into a pure population of a given cell type. Current differentiation strategies typically generate heterogeneous cell populations unsuitable for basic research or clinical applications. To address this challenge, I mapped the cascade of branching lineage choices through which PSCs differentiate into various endodermal and mesodermal cell types. I then developed effective methods to differentiate PSCs into specific lineages by providing the extracellular signal(s) that specify a given lineage while inhibiting the signals that induce the alternate fate(s), enabling the generation of highly-pure human heart and bone (Loh & Chen et al., 2016; Cell) and liver (Loh & Ang et al., 2014; Cell Stem Cell) from PSCs. My laboratory currently focuses on differentiating human PSCs into liver progenitors (Ang et al., 2018; Cell Reports) and blood vessel cells (Ang et al., 2022; Cell).
I earned my Ph.D. jointly from the University of Cambridge and A*STAR and was subsequently appointed as a Research Fellow and, later, a Senior Research Fellow at the Genome Institute of Singapore. I then moved my laboratory to Stanford University as a Siebel Investigator and Instructor at the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine. In 2024, I am jointly appointed in the Stanford Department of Urology and Stem Cell Institute as an Assistant Professor.
I am an Additional Ventures Catalyst to Independence Fellow, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Career Development Awardee, Faculty Women’s Forum’s Inspiring Early Academic Career Award recipient, and Stanford-HBMC Recognizing Individuals for Support and Empowerment Award recipient. I have mentored over 31 trainees and currently mentor seven lab members, including two postdoctoral fellows, one research assistant, two CIRM interns, and one undergraduate intern. -
Rosa Bacchetta
Professor (Research) of Pediatrics (Stem Cell Transplantation)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsIn the coming years, I plan to further determine the genetic and immunological basis of diseases with autoimmunity or immune dysregulation in children. I believe that much can still be learned from the in depth mechanistic studies of pediatric autoimmune diseases. Genomic analysis of the patients' samples has become possible which may provide a rapid indication of altered target molecules. I plan to implement robust functional studies to define the consequences of these genetic abnormalities and bridge them to the patient's clinical phenotype.
Understanding functional consequences of gene mutations in single case/family first and then validating the molecular and cellular defects in other patients with similar phenotypes, will anticipate and complement cellular and gene therapy strategies.
For further information please visit the Bacchetta Lab website:
http://med.stanford.edu/bacchettalab.html -
Philip Beachy
The Ernest and Amelia Gallo Professor, Professor of Urology, of Developmental Biology and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsFunction of Hedgehog proteins and other extracellular signals in morphogenesis (pattern formation), in injury repair and regeneration (pattern maintenance). We study how the distribution of such signals is regulated in tissues, how cells perceive and respond to distinct concentrations of signals, and how such signaling pathways arose in evolution. We also study the normal roles of such signals in stem-cell physiology and their abnormal roles in the formation and expansion of cancer stem cells.
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Michael F. Clarke, M.D.
Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor of Cancer Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Clarke maintains a laboratory focused on two areas of research: i) the control of self-renewal of normal stem cells and diseases such as cancer and hereditary diseases; and ii) the identification and characterization of cancer stem cells. His laboratory is investigating how perturbations of stem cell regulatory machinery contributes to human disease. In particular, the laboratory is investigating epigenetic regulators of self renewal, the process by which stem cells regenerate themselves.
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Agnieszka Czechowicz, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Stem Cell Transplantation)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Czechowicz’s research is aimed at understanding how hematopoietic stem cells interact with their microenvironment in order to subsequently modulate these interactions to improve bone marrow transplantation and unlock biological secrets that further enable regenerative medicine broadly. This work can be applied across a variety of disease states ranging from rare genetic diseases, autoimmune diseases, solid organ transplantation, microbiome-augmentation and cancer.
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Tushar Desai
Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBasic and translational research in lung stem cell biology, cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, and acute lung injury/ARDS. Upper airway stem cell CRISPR gene correction followed by autologous stem cell transplantation to treat Cystic fibrosis. Using lung organoids and precision cut lung slice cultures of mouse and human lungs to study molecular regulation of lung stem cells. Using transgenic mice to visualize Wnt protein transmission from niche cell to stem cell in vivo.
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Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD
Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor and Professor of Radiation Oncology (Radiation Therapy)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory focuses on two main areas: 1) cancer stem cell biology and 2) novel biomarkers for identifying the presence of malignant cells (diagnostic), predicting outcome (prognostic), and predicting response to therapy (predictive). Areas of study include cancers of the lung, breast, and gastrointestinal system. Clinically I specialize in the treatment of lung cancer and applications of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and perform both prospective and retrospective clinical studies.
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Asiri Ediriwickrema MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study hematopoiesis which is the complex process of producing blood cells that are essential for maintaining our basic health and well being. Our mission is to learn how these individual cells change as people age and develop cancer. Blood cell production is driven by the hematopoietic stem cell which gives rise to an incredible diversity of cells throughout life. Our research focuses on how dysregulation of this process leads to cytopenias and hematologic malignancies. We have expertise that spans clinical medicine, functional hematology, molecular and cellular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and machine learning. By integrating advanced experimental and computational methods, we are examining blood cell development and function at single-cell resolution to advance patient diagnostics and treatment.
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Heather Gentner
Director of Finance and Administration (SoM), Stem Cell Bio Regenerative Med Institute
Current Role at StanfordI am the Director of Finance and Administration for the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (ISCBRM) in the School of Medicine. I oversee and carry out administrative and financial related functions for the department.
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Natalia Gomez-Ospina
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Genetics)
Current Research and Scholarly Interests1. Genome Editing and HSPC-Based Therapeutics
Dr. Gomez-Ospina’s research focuses on developing autologous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell therapies using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Her work includes targeted integration of therapeutic transgenes into genomic safe-harbor loci, optimization of editing efficiency and safety, and development of transplantation and conditioning strategies that preserve long-term engraftment. A major goal is to create reusable, mutation-agnostic therapeutic platforms that can be adapted across diseases. Her translational work also extends to GMP manufacturing, analytical development, and IND-enabling studies needed to move genome-edited HSPC products toward clinical trials.
2. Neurometabolic and Neurodegenerative Disease Therapeutics
A major area of interest is the development of definitive therapies for lysosomal storage disorders and other neurogenetic diseases, including MPS I, Gaucher disease, Krabbe disease, progranulin deficiency, and Friedreich’s ataxia. Her laboratory investigates how hematopoietic-derived cells can deliver therapeutic proteins to peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. This includes strategies to enhance microglial replacement, improve CNS engraftment, and harness myeloid cells as therapeutic vehicles. The broader objective is to establish cell-based approaches capable of treating both inherited neurometabolic disorders and more common neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Rare Disease Genetics, Functional Genomics, and Lysosome Biology
Dr. Gomez-Ospina also studies the molecular basis of rare and undiagnosed genetic disorders. Through clinical genetics, international collaborations, and the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network, her work contributes to novel disease-gene discovery, functional validation of candidate variants, and definition of genotype–phenotype relationships. Her laboratory also investigates lysosomal biology and develops systems-level approaches, including the Lysosome Disease Atlas, to connect lysosome-associated genes with cellular function and human phenotypes. These efforts aim to improve diagnosis while identifying new disease mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.
For more information go to our website:
https://www.gomezospina.com/ -
Stefan Heller, PhD, MS
Edward C. and Amy H. Sewall Professor in the School of Medicine and Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on the inner ear, from its earliest manifestation as one of the cranial placodes until it has developed into a mature and functioning organ. We are interested in how the sensory epithelia of the inner ear that harbor the sensory hair cells develop, how the cells mature, and how these epithelia respond to toxic insults. The overarching goal of this research is to find ways to regenerate lost sensory hair cells in mammals.
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Marco Herrera
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
BioNon-viral gene delivery enthusiast. Focused on optimizing non-viral delivery using LNPs to all applications as it pertains to varied nucleic acid delivery applications :).
Equally invested in developing logic-gated CAR T cells for the treatment of AML. -
Siddhartha Jaiswal
Associate Professor of Pathology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe identified a common disorder of aging called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). CHIP occurs due to certain somatic mutations in blood stem cells and represents a precursor state for blood cancer, but is also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. We hope to understand more about the biology and clinical implications of CHIP using human and model system studies.
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Calvin Kuo
Maureen Lyles D'Ambrogio Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study cancer biology, intestinal stem cells (ISC), and angiogenesis. We use primary organoid cultures of diverse tissues and tumor biopsies for immunotherapy modeling, oncogene functional screening and stem cell biology. Angiogenesis projects include blood-brain barrier regulation, stroke therapeutics and anti-angiogenic cancer therapy. ISC projects apply organoid culture and ko mice to injury-inducible vs homeostatic stem cells and symmetric division mechanisms.
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Kyle Loh
Associate Professor of Developmental Biology (Stem Cell)
BioHow the richly varied cell-types in the human body arise from one embryonic cell is a marvel and mystery. We have mapped how human embryonic stem cells develop into over twenty different types of cells. This roadmap allowed us to generate enriched populations of human brain, blood, blood vessel, bone, and other cells in a Petri dish from embryonic stem cells, with implications for developmental biology, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine. Additionally, we have an emerging interest in exploring deadly biosafety level 4 viruses together with our collaborators.
Kyle attended the County College of Morris and Rutgers, and received his Ph.D. from Stanford (working with Irving Weissman), with fellowships from the Hertz Foundation, National Science Foundation and Davidson Institute for Talent Development. He then continued as a Siebel Investigator, and later, as an faculty member at Stanford. Kyle is a Packard Fellow, Pew Scholar, Human Frontier Science Program Young Investigator and Baxter Foundation Faculty Scholar. His research has been recognized by the NIH Director's Early Independence Award, ISSCR Early Career Impact Award, Forbes 30 Under 30, Harold Weintraub Graduate Award, Hertz Foundation Thesis Prize and A*STAR Investigatorship. -
Dr. Michael T. Longaker
Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor in the School of Medicine and Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe have six main areas of current interest: 1) Cranial Suture Developmental Biology, 2) Distraction Osteogenesis, 3) Fibroblast heterogeneity and fibrosis repair, 4) Scarless Fetal Wound Healing, 5) Skeletal Stem Cells, 6) Novel Gene and Stem Cell Therapeutic Approaches.
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Wan-Jin Lu
Basic Life Research Scientist, Stem Cell Bio Regenerative Med Institute
BioDr. Wan-Jin Lu is a Research Scientist in Dr. Phil Beachy's lab. Wan-Jin grew up in Taiwan, obtained her B.S. in Zoology at National Taiwan University and completed her PhD in Genetics and Development at UT Southwestern in the lab of Dr. John Abrams. Her Ph.D. research involved the identification of the evolutionary conserved function of the tumor suppressor gene p53 that ensures the quality control of germ cells. She then moved to the Bay Area, where she was a Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in the Beachy lab. Her work currently focuses on understanding the function of Hedgehog signaling in taste receptor cell homeostasis and delineating the mechanisms of taste receptor regeneration after chemotherapy-induced loss.
Since 2017, she has been collaborating with Tabula Muris And Tabula Sapiens Consortium to investigate taste receptor stem cell renewal and regeneration in the Beachy lab. Her work has received funding support from California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, and NIH (R21 and R01). -
Ravi Majeti MD, PhD
Director, Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Virginia and D. K. Ludwig Professor and Professor of Medicine (Hematology/Stem Cell Institute)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Majeti lab focuses on the molecular/genomic characterization and therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in human hematologic malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our lab uses experimental hematology methods, stem cell assays, genome editing, and bioinformatics to define and investigate drivers of leukemia stem cell behavior. As part of these studies, we have led the development and application of robust xenotransplantation assays for human hematopoietic cells.
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Matteo Amitaba Mole'
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive, Perinatal & Stem Cell Biology Research)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsWe study how the human embryo implants inside the maternal uterine tissue to establish a healthy pregnancy and the underlying maternal-embryo communication.
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Michelle Monje
Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery, of Pediatrics, of Pathology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Monje Lab studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of postnatal neurodevelopment. This includes microenvironmental influences on neural precursor cell fate choice in normal neurodevelopment and in disease states.
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Hiromitsu (Hiro) Nakauchi
Professor of Genetics (Stem Cell)
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTranslation of discoveries in basic research into practical medical applications
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Yusuke Nakauchi, MD, PhD
Basic Life Research Scientist, Stem Cell Bio Regenerative Med Institute
BioDr. Yusuke Nakauchi is a scientist specializing in stem cell biology, focusing on normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), pre-leukemic HSCs, and leukemia stem cells (LSCs).
From 2005 to 2014, he trained and practiced as a clinical hematologist in Japan, where he witnessed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) cure patients with otherwise fatal blood cancers—and saw many others suffer long-term complications from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Having saved many patients, yet lost others he could not save, he became convinced that overcoming the limitations of leukemia treatment would require a deeper understanding of both normal HSCs and the LSCs responsible for relapse.
This conviction led him to pursue basic research. In 2010, he began his PhD in the laboratory of Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi at the University of Tokyo, where he developed allele-specific anti-HLA monoclonal antibodies as a novel therapeutic strategy for GVHD—the first work to demonstrate that anti-HLA antibodies could be used therapeutically in HLA-mismatched transplantation. This research also revealed the importance of detailed chimerism analysis for understanding early post-transplant changes in a patient's blood and HSCs, a theme he later continued at Stanford. As a graduate student, he also contributed to work on iPSC-derived T cell therapy and a large-scale single-cell study of HSC aging.
In 2014, building on this clinical and research foundation, Dr. Nakauchi joined Professor Ravindra Majeti's laboratory at Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow. His research there centered on TET2, one of the most frequently mutated genes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and clonal hematopoiesis. Using CRISPR/Cas9 editing in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, he developed a tractable model of TET2-mutant pre-leukemia, showing how TET2 loss reshapes epigenetic and transcriptional programs to drive clonal expansion—and how azacitidine plus vitamin C could restore normal function in TET2-mutant cells. His work now extends to antibody-based approaches to GVHD, single-cell analysis of CMML stem cells, and advanced in vivo mouse models, pursued through collaborations across and beyond Stanford.
Dr. Nakauchi's long-term goal is to bring personalized medicine to patients with AML and other blood cancers, believing that comparing normal HSCs, pre-leukemic HSCs, and LSCs at single-cell resolution is key to understanding—and ultimately preventing—leukemia. Drawing on years as a clinician who witnessed many patients lose their lives to AML, he is driven by the conviction that discoveries in stem cell biology will one day help cure and prevent the disease. -
Gernot Neumayer
Sr Res Scientist-Basic Life, Stem Cell Bio Regenerative Med Institute
Current Role at StanfordSenior Scientist
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Aaron Newman
Associate Professor of Biomedical Data Science
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur group develops computational strategies to study the phenotypic diversity, differentiation hierarchies, and clinical significance of tumor cell subsets and their surrounding microenvironments. Key results are further explored experimentally, both in our lab and through collaboration, with the ultimate goal of translating promising findings into the clinic.
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Roeland Nusse
Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory studies Wnt signaling in development and disease. We found recently that Wnt proteins are unusual growth factors, because they are lipid-modified. We discovered that Wnt proteins promote the proliferation of stem cells of various origins. Current work is directed at understanding how Wnt signals lead to the proliferation of stem cells and on understanding Wnt signaling during repair and regeneration after tissue injury.
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Lucy Erin O'Brien
Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMany adult organs tune their functional capacity to variable levels of physiologic demand. Adaptive organ resizing breaks the allometry of the body plan that was established during development, suggesting that it occurs through different mechanisms. Emerging evidence points to stem cells as key players in these mechanisms. We use the Drosophila midgut, a stem-cell based organ analogous to the vertebrate small intestine, as a simple model to uncover the rules that govern adaptive remodeling.
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Anthony Oro, MD, PhD
Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab uses the skin to answer questions about epithelial stem cell biology, differentiation and carcinogenesis using genomics, genetics, and cell biological techniques. We have studied how hedgehog signaling regulates regeneration and skin cancer, and how tumors evolve to develop resistance. We study the mechanisms of early human skin development using human embryonic stem cells. These fundamentals studies provide a greater understanding of epithelial biology and novel disease therapeutics.
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Theo Palmer
Professor of Neurosurgery, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMembers of the Palmer Lab study the biology of neural stem cells in brain development and in the adult. Our primary goal is to understand how genes and environment synergize in influencing stem cell behavior during development and how mild genetic or environmental risk factors for disease may synergize in their detrimental effects on brain development or in the risk of neuronal loss in age-related degenerative disease.
