The Stem Cell Podcast

This special episode, created in partnership with the ISSCR Early Career Advisory Committee, features two rising leaders in stem cell research. Dr. Anupama Hemalatha, a Junior Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, discusses how cellular metabolism shapes stem cell behavior, tissue homeostasis, and responses to cancer-associated mutations. Dr. Verena Schwach, an Assistant Professor at the University of Twente, explores how stem cell-derived tissues and organ-on-chip technologies can model heart–brain interactions and advance disease modeling and drug safety testing.

If you’d like to nominate yourself or a colleague for our Early Career Researcher Series, submit your nomination here.

Mapping Early Human Organogenesis – Spatial transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling maps early human organ development, revealing distinct cell populations and molecular programs involved in tissue specification.

Totipotent-Like Cells Recreate Mouse Embryogenesis – Chemically induced totipotent-like stem cells generate self-organizing mouse embryo models that progress through gastrulation and early organogenesis, including the development of functional cardiac tissue.

Improving Organoid Models – A synthetic biology approach selectively eliminates abnormal cells from stem cell-derived multicellular models, improving liver organoid maturity and embryo model development.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Drs. Anupama Hemalatha and Verena Schwach

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In this special episode recorded live in Seattle, Washington at the Allen Institute for the Early Career Development Symposium. Dr. Crystal Rogers, Associate Professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Ariel Waisman, CONICET Investigator at FLENI in Argentina, explore the unique career transitions and systemic challenges faced by early-career scientists. They discuss overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating funding cuts, and adapting to new leadership responsibilities. Emphasizing the importance of strong mentorship, scientific communication, and community, they highlight how peer support and resilience are essential for sustaining scientific progress in today’s economic landscape.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Drs. Crystal Rogers and Ariel Waisman

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Dr. Lika Drakhlis is a Junior Group Leader at Hannover Medical School. She discusses how her lab uses human pluripotent stem cells to develop complex, multi-tissue organoids that model the co-development of the heart, vasculature, and foregut. She also explores how these models reveal the spatial organization and cellular interactions that shape early heart development, and how they can be used to study congenital disease and develop more human-relevant alternatives to animal models.

Building a Human–Mouse Cortex – Human cortical organoids extensively integrate into the mouse brain, forming functional neural circuits that enable behavioral studies of human neurodevelopment and disease.

Connecting the Central and Peripheral – Self-organizing neural organoids recreate the coordinated development of the spinal cord and peripheral sensory nervous system, enabling studies of development, disease, and drug effects.

Tracing the Brain’s Origins – Lineage tracing and stem cell models reveal two distinct neural progenitors that separately give rise to the forebrain/midbrain and hindbrain.

Engineering Stem Cells for Bone – A first-in-human trial suggests that engineering patients’ own mesenchymal stem cells to better home to bone may provide a safe and durable approach to treating osteoporosis.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Lika Drakhlis

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Dr. Yonatan Stelzer is a Principal Investigator at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He discusses how his lab combines developmental biology, epigenetics, and single-cell technologies to understand how cells acquire distinct identities during embryonic development. He also explores building quantitative models that track development across space and time, how extracellular signals and epigenetic mechanisms shape cell fate, and the opportunities and limitations of using AI to uncover the underlying logic of biology.

Stem Cells Drive Spinal Stenosis – Researchers identified tendon/ligament stem cells and showed that their abnormal differentiation contributes to ligament thickening and lumbar spinal stenosis.

Building Better Bones – Engineered vascularized callus organoids act as temporary biological templates that promote blood vessel formation and regeneration of large bone defects.

Regenerating Beta Cells – Loss of ALDH3B2 converts human pancreatic duct cells into insulin-producing β-like cells capable of improving blood glucose in diabetic mice.

Controlling Organ Size – A Hippo–IGF2 signaling pathway controls organ growth and liver regeneration, with IGF2 restoring impaired regenerative capacity in aged mice.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Yonatan Stelzer

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Dr. Charles Easley is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Georgia. He discusses how his lab uses pluripotent stem cells and in vitro models of spermatogenesis to investigate how environmental exposures affect male fertility. He also explores efforts to generate functional sperm from stem cells, develop regenerative therapies for male infertility, and use human-based models to advance drug discovery and male contraception.

Tracking Brain Organoid Maturation – Scientists have found that human brain organoids cultured for five years continue to mature and retain a molecular memory of time spent in culture.

Oligodendrocytes and Cognitive Aging – Changes in oligodendrocytes and reduced NRF2 signaling are linked to cognitive decline during aging, identifying a potential therapeutic target.

Maturing iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes – Generating tetraploid iPSCs produces cardiomyocytes with more mature molecular, metabolic, and functional properties than conventional iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.

Embryo Mechanics and Fertility – Reproductive aging increases embryo contractility and alters tissue mechanics, reducing the ability of embryos to implant successfully.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Charles Easley

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Dr. Abdullah Khan is an Associate Professor of Tissue Engineering at the University of Oxford and a Group Leader at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. He discusses how his lab engineers complex human tissue models to study the cellular interactions that drive development, aging, and disease. He also explores how multi-organoid systems can model interactions between tissues such as the bone marrow and heart, and how these platforms could advance disease modeling, drug discovery, and preclinical research.

Rescuing hPSC Differentiation – A chemical chromatin restoration approach reverses differentiation defects in human pluripotent stem cells, restoring their ability to generate diverse cell types and brain organoids.

A Tumor Organoid Atlas – Patient-derived tumor organoids reveal cancer-specific gene dependencies and therapeutic vulnerabilities, providing a resource for advancing precision oncology.

Mapping New Cancer Vulnerabilities – CRISPR screening of organoids and spheroids expands the Cancer Dependency Map, revealing cancer vulnerabilities and molecular subtypes missed by traditional cell lines.

Building Better Cancer Models – A large collection of next-generation cancer models captures much of the genetic and epigenetic diversity of patient tumors, creating a resource for studying cancer biology and treatment response.

Modeling Heart Valve Disease – Human iPSC-derived valve assembloid models heart valve development and reveals how mechanical forces and fluid flow shape valve formation and disease.

Heart Valves in the Lab – Stem cell-derived 3D heart valve tissues recapitulate key features of valve maturation and provide a human platform for studying inflammation and calcific valve disease.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Abdullah Khan.

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Nobel Laureate Dr. Shinya Yamanaka is the Director Emeritus of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), President of the CiRA Foundation, Professor at Kyoto University, and Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes. 20 years after the discovery of iPSCs, he discusses how his lab is advancing iPSC therapies toward the clinic while continuing to investigate the basic mechanisms underlying pluripotency, stem cell biology, and translation initiation. He also shares his vision for the future of regenerative medicine, the ethical challenges posed by emerging stem cell technologies, and the opportunities created by combining iPSC with advances such as CRISPR and organoids.

Elephant iPS Cells – Researchers have generated the first induced pluripotent stem cells from Asian elephants, providing a new platform for conservation and disease research.

Epigenetic Cell Counter – Intestinal stem cells use an epigenetic division-counting mechanism to precisely control cell fate decisions during tissue maintenance.

Reversing Bone Marrow Aging – Long-term vitamin C supplementation partially reverses age-related changes in primate bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cell function.

Human Heart Atlas – A comprehensive atlas of human cardiac organoids reveals how signaling molecules regulate heart function and identifies pathways linked to heart failure.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Shinya Yamanaka.

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In July 2026, we attended ISSCR 2026, the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, in Montreal. We spoke with delegates about their research, the scientific advances that stood out to them, and the emerging trends shaping the future of stem cell biology. They also reflect on their own conference highlights and the unique opportunities that meetings like ISSCR provide for collaboration, networking, and scientific discovery.

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In this special episode recorded live in Montréal, Canada at ISSCR 2026, Dr. Michael May, President and CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), and Dr. Janet Rothberg, Senior Director of Process and Analytical Development at CCRM, explore how stem cell discoveries can be translated into commercially viable therapies through scalable manufacturing, company creation, investment, automation, and artificial intelligence. They emphasize the importance of considering manufacturing, quality control, market selection, reimbursement, and the evolving standard of care much earlier in the development process. They also share their vision for a future in which robust bioprocessing, better use of data, and improved regulatory and reimbursement models make iPSC-derived therapies more affordable and widely accessible. 

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Drs. Michael May and Janet Rothberg

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In July 2026, Daylon and Arun attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s (ISSCR) annual meeting in Montreal, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the previous 24 hours. Here is the final of four episodes from the meeting, where they discuss the challenges of making advanced cell and gene therapies accessible, the latest progress in organoids and regenerative medicine, and the importance of balancing ambitious clinical goals with rigorous scientific evidence. They also reflect on the meeting’s broader themes, from the enduring role of developmental biology and patient advocacy to the achievements of award recipients and the growing integration of new technologies such as AI, machine learning, and advanced imaging in stem cell research.

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