The Stem Cell Podcast

Guest:

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.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

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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Guest:

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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Guest:

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.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

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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Guest:

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.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

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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Guest:

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.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

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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