How Do Pluripotent Cells Enable Drug Discovery?

Speakers

Sheng Ding, PhD

Scripps Research Institute
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Sheng Ding is currently associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, USA. He obtained his BS in chemistry with honors from Caltech in 1999, and a PhD in chemistry from Scripps in 2003. Ding has pioneered on developing and applying innovative chemical approaches to stem cell biology and regeneration, with a focus on discovering and characterizing novel small molecules that can control various cell fate/function, including stem cell maintenance, activation, differentiation and reprogramming in various developmental stages and tissues. Ding has published over 60 research articles, reviews and book chapters, and made several seminal contributions to the stem cell field. Ding is a cofounder of Fate Therapeutics, Stemgent, and Transfigure Medicine.

John Hambor, PhD

Cell Therapy Group
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John Hambor is currently the director of stem cell-based drug discovery with the Cell Therapy Group where he serves as a consultant for the regenerative medicine industry. Hambor was formerly the chief executive officer of CellDesign, Inc., a global research and development company that specialized in the development of customizable stem cell tools, primary cells, and reagents for applications in drug discovery & research.

Prior to founding CellDesign, Hambor was the CEO of Cognate BioServices, a contract manufacturer of cell-based products providing GMP-quality cells for clinical trials and pre-clinical studies. Previously, Hambor was an associate research fellow at Pfizer. He spent his early years as a cellular and molecular biologist in the Inflammation and Immunology therapeutic areas. Hambor later joined the Genetic Technologies Department where he focused on applying stem cell technology in drug discovery for over 10 years, eventually coordinating global efforts in stem cell research as part of the Genetically Modified Models Center of Emphasis.

Hambor also holds an adjunct faculty position at Connecticut College where he teaches Immunology. He is author of over 10 patents and 25 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and has been invited to lecture on his work at numerous international conferences. He is an active member of multiple scientific societies, serving as a member of the steering committee for the New York Academy of Sciences, organizing conference programs and chairing panel sessions. He is a scientific consultant for Expedition New England and a member of the Board of Directors for Vivo Biosciences. Hambor attended Miami University of Ohio where he graduated with BA and MS degrees in Microbiology. He received a PhD in Pathology from Case Western Reserve University and subsequently moved on to Yale where he did postdoctoral studies in Immunology.

Timothy Kamp, MD, PhD

University of Wisconsin
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Timothy Kamp is Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Kamp received his BS from the University of Notre Dame and attended medical school at the University of Chicago, receiving his doctorate in Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences and degree in medicine. Kamp completed his Internal Medicine residency training and fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He joined the faculty of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in 1996. Kamp also serves as director of the University of Wisconsin Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center.

Kamp's research focuses on human pluripotent stem cells and their applications to cardiovascular research and cardioregenerative medicine. In collaboration with James Thomson, Kamp first demonstrated that the human embryonic stem cells can differentiate into the various types of functional cardiomyocytes found in the human heart including atrial, nodal and ventricular myocytes. Kamp's current research is refining the conditions to differentiate human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells into defined populations of cardiac progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes for research and clinical applications. His laboratory is actively investigating human models of inherited cardiac diseases created using induced pluripotent stem cell technologies. Kamp and colleagues are engaged in preclinical studies in animal models of myocardial infarction evaluating various strategies employing stem cells for cardiac repair. Kamp is also co-founder of Cellular Dynamics International, a company focused on applying stem cell technologies to human health.

Matthias Stadtfeld, PhD

Massachusetts General Hospital
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Matthias Stadtfeld is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Konrad Hochedlinger at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Boston. He obtained his PhD in 2005 working with Thomas Graf at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, on developmental hematopoiesis. Stadtfeld's work focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying somatic cell reprogramming.

Catherine Zandonella

Catherine Zandonella is a science writer based in New York City, covering such topics as environmental science, public health, and applied technology. She has a master's degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Zandonella has written for a number of publications, including New Scientist, The Scientist, and Nature.