The IRM’s five standing research programs focus on critical cell types and body systems. These programs support interdisciplinary groups of researchers that are advancing our understanding of how the body maintains tissue and organ function. Our researchers are pioneering ways to model neuron growth, restore fertility to chemotherapy patients, and control cell development to generate or preserve bone, muscle, and other tissues. Click below to learn more about these exciting programs.
Epithelial Stem Cells
Program Leaders George Cotsarelis, MD cotsarel@pennmedicine.upenn.edu Pantelis Rompolas, PhD rompolas@pennmedicine.upenn.edu The cells that constitute our skin and line our organs are the first line of defense against injury and illness. These vital barriers are replenished by epithelial stem cells. IRM researchers study epithelial stem cells throughout the body to find ways to improve wound healing, heal the lungs after viral infection, reverse baldness, and … Continue reading Epithelial Stem Cells
Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Program Leaders Wei Tong, PhD tongw@chop.edu Ivan Maillard, MD, PhD imaillar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu Humans produce hundreds of billions of blood cells every day, thanks to the incredible regenerative potential of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). To create all those oxygen-carrying red blood cells and pathogen-fighting white blood cells, HSCs follow very specific development pathways. IRM researchers are exploring … Continue reading Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Neurodevelopment & Regeneration
Program Leaders Hongjun Song, PhD shongjun@pennmedicine.upenn.edu Frances Jensen, MD, FACP frances.jensen@uphs.upenn.edu The nervous system’s capacity for growth and change underlies everything from proper mental development to the body’s coordination and movement. IRM researchers study how neurons develop in different stages of life, why the neurons in limbs regenerate better than in the brain, and how … Continue reading Neurodevelopment & Regeneration
Reproductive Medicine
Program Leaders Kotaro Sasaki, MD, PhD ksasaki@upenn.edu Nicolas Plachta, PhD Nicolas.Plachta@pennmedicine.upenn.edu Kathleen O'Neill, MD kathleen.o'neill2@pennmedicine.upenn.edu The Program in Human Development and Reproduction focuses on the establishment of innovative approaches to study the key processes needed for the production of healthy offspring. The Program nucleates a multidisciplinary group of scientists uniquely poised to impact basic and … Continue reading Reproductive Medicine