The Stem Cell Podcast

Dr. Bas Trietsch discusses organ-on-a-chip technology for drug discovery. Topics include CRISPR screens for neurodevelopmental disorders, cardiomyocyte regeneration in neonatal hearts, bioengineered tracheas for transplantation, organoplate technology in drug research, and the importance of comprehensive models for immune cell targeting in tumors. The discussion also covers the transition of organ-on-a-chip technology from academia to commercial viability.

Dr. Thorold Theunissen is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology at Washington University in St. Louis investigating the molecular basis of pluripotency, the mechanisms of trophoblast development, and the generation of stem cell-based embryo models.

Dr. Nicolas Rivron is a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. His group recreates embryonic development using mammalian stem cells in a dish to better understand the encoded principles of self-organization. He talks about building human blastoid models and using them to study implantation. He also discusses differences in development between mice and humans, trophectoderm stem cells, and an ethical framework for embryo models.

Dr. Laura Andres-Martin is a Research Investigator, Oncology, Dr. Daniel Paul is the Senior VP, Discovery & Platform Development, and Dr. Raeka Aiyar is the VP, Scientific & DEIB Outreach at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). This episode was recorded live and in-person at the NYSCF Research Institute. The panelists talk about NYSCF's approach to automation, their women's reproductive cancer initiative, and promoting inclusion and belonging in science. They also talk about Founder Susan Solomon's legacy and future plans to break down barriers in stem cell research.

Dr. Nathaniel Huebsch is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. His lab focuses on understanding how mechanical cues originating at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts influence signaling and fate. They are especially interested in how those cues affect heart development and disease. He talks about cardiac models and cardiomyocyte maturity.

Dr. Thomas Durcan is an Associate Professor and Director of the Early Drug Discovery Unit at the Montreal Neurological Institute. He oversees a team of 40+ research staff and students, committed to applying patient-derived stem cells towards the development of phenotypic discovery assays and 3D neuronal organoid models for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. He talks about modeling sporadic ALS in a dish, partnering with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and promoting open science.

In June 2023, we attended ISSCR 2023, the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, in Boston. We spoke with delegates about their research and impressions of the meeting, including their reasons for attending, what they were most looking forward to, and the most memorable research presented.

Dr. Thomas Zwaka is the Director of the Huffington Center for Cell-Based Research in Parkinson's Disease and a Professor of Regenerative and Developmental Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research focuses on fundamental questions surrounding stem cell biology, including how to reverse the process of differentiation and “re-program” any given cell type into a pluripotent stem cell.

In June 2023, Daylon and Arun attended the International for Stem Cell Research's (ISSCR) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the final day of the meeting.

In June 2023, Daylon and Arun attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research's (ISSCR) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the third day of the meeting.