Stem and Progenitor Cell Biology

Our research program is in the areas of pluripotent stem cell biology and engineering with emphasis on study and in vitro derivation of foregut progenitors, such as respiratory and thyroid progenitors. Understanding the establishment and reconfiguration of gene regulatory networks in progenitor cells during early foregut development provides valuable insights into their cell fate decisions. We seek to apply information generated from embryonic studies to the development of robust, reproducible, and efficient protocols for in vitro differentiation of stem cells, with the ultimate goal of developing cell-based replacement therapies. To achieve these research ends, we use mouse genetic models, pluripotent stem cells, including induced pluripotent stem cells, and ex vivo culture of embryonic progenitors as well as techniques such as bulk and single cell RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq.

In addition to our basic research program, we are particularly interested in policy and regulatory issues regarding the complex path from basic scientific discoveries to safe and efficient clinical translation of cell-and gene-based treatments. This process has been degraded by hundreds to thousands of direct-to-consumer businesses in the US and abroad offering interventions with minimal to no evidence of safety and efficacy to patients with incurable and/or end-stage diseases. We have explored these questions in a variety of publications from editorials to peer-reviewed articles and led awareness and education initiatives within scientific societies such as the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT).