Stanford's Center for Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology has been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The grant is one of a select few intended to help institutions form "networks that foster communication, innovation and high-quality research in a particular area of science. They also provide a stimulating, multidisciplinary environment that attracts both established and promising new investigators.”
Stanford stem cell biologist Renee Reijo Pera, PhD, is the director of the center, which was launched last year. Other main participants are developmental biologist Margaret Fuller, PhD, and Aaron Hsueh, PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology. According to Reijo Pera:
One of the significant concepts behind this translational center is that we aim to take stem cell research results derived from model organisms, especially flies and mice, and translate our knowledge to applications in human health. Over the last 50 to 100 years we have amassed a backlog of exquisite basic science data describing germ line and embryo development that has not been applied to humans. We haven’t yet reached the promise for translating such findings to potential therapeutics and diagnostics.
The center is to be housed in the Lorry Lokey Stem Cell Building and will study some of the earliest events in development - in humans as well as lab animals - in an effort to advance human reproductive health. This grant is its first funding.
