Samantha is an enthusiastic Science Communicator completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. Her doctoral research focuses on brain development and stem cell biology, under the supervision of renowned scientist Dr. Derek van der Kooy. We talk with Sam about her research and also about how she embraces science communication, using it to tell her science story!

Featured Resource: STEMdiff™ Cerebral Organoid Kit

Most Americans Believe Funding Science Pays Off – A new survey shows that government funding of basic science enjoys widespread support among U.S. adults, but most people have no idea how much or how little government money goes to scientific research.

Gene Edited Monkeys Offer Hope for Heart Disease Patients – Researchers have used gene-editing tools in adult monkeys to lower animals’ blood cholesterol levels, suggesting a treatment for heart disease.

Gene Drive Passes First Test in Mammals – A controversial technology capable of altering the genomes of entire species has been applied to mammals for the first time.

Nerve Cells That Help Control Hunger Identified – Scientists found that somatostatin neurons in the tuberal nucleus, which is known to exhibit pathological or cytological changes in human neurodegenerative diseases, plays a crucial role in regulating feeding in mice.

Stem Cells Repair Muscle After Heart Attack in Monkeys – According to a new study, injecting stem-cell-derived cardiac cells after a heart attack may help repair damaged tissue.

New iPSC Reprogramming Method – Scientists succeeded in converting human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells by activating the cell’s own genes.

Muscle Stem Cells Derived from Teratomas – Researchers have developed a process to regenerate skeletal muscle cells in mice with muscular dystrophy.

Human iPSC-Derived Natural Killer Cells – In a new study, researchers report that similarly modified natural killer (NK) cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) also displayed heightened activity against a mouse model of ovarian cancer.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Samantha Yammine

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