Home

UCSC aerial photo of monterey bay and campus

Welcome to the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cell at UC Santa Cruz!

ISSCR conference hall exhibitors

Join the IBSC at Industry Day 2024!

Interior view of lab space with lab bench visible

IBSC Achievements and Mission Statement

Since 2006, the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC) at UC Santa Cruz has supported and worked to advance stem cell research by promoting interdisciplinary discoveries in biology, engineering, and information science. The IBSC has supported over 70 Trainees since its inception in 2005, and aims to continue to do so for many years to come through its diverse Training Programs.

Note: Predoctoral Trainees include both Master’s (M.S.) and Doctorate (Ph.D.) level Graduate Students.

IBSC Achievements

Established: 2005

2006 – 2014

  • Predoctoral Trainees Supported: 16
  • Postdoctoral Trainees Supported: 26

2021 – Present (2024)

  • Predoctoral Trainees Supported: 11
  • Postdoctoral Trainees Supported: 28
IBSC slug logo with transparent background

The IBSC Slug and Our Community

Our logo design, the IBSC slug, represents a “self-renewing” version of the UC Santa Cruz mascot Sammy the Slug. Stem cells are defined by their ability to self-renew and differentiate. Self-renewal is the process by which stem cells divide to make more stem cells. Stem cell differentiation is the process by which a more specialized cell is formed from a stem cell.

As our Trainees progress through their respective Training Program(s), they too “differentiate” into more specialized versions of themselves in alignment with their career goals and program aims. Trainees engage with and benefit their own scientific and greater communities through a variety of activities. These include Teaching and Mentorship (IRACDA); Patient Engagement (CIRM); Scientific Community Outreach (CIRM); and more, extending this “self-renewal” to the renewal and betterment of their own communities now and wherever they may go in their careers in the future. A special thanks to all CIRM Trainees who organized and volunteered at the December Jacob’s Heart Pajama Drive, and to all those who donated!

Cell culture image from microscope

About the IBSC

Welcome to the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC) at UCSC, a hub for stem cell and biomedical research and training. Established with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in 2005, the IBSC is home to a variety of Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Training Programs geared towards preparing the next generation of researchers, faculty, and community oriented scientists.

In 2005, CIRM funded our initial training program, fostering the development of the UCSC Shared Stem Cell Facility and other key projects. The IBSC’s home in the Biomedical Sciences Building is a testament to our growth, made possible by both external and internal support.

In 2021, CIRM’s continued support enabled a new training program for our postdoctoral fellows and PhD students, further strengthening our commitment to advancing stem cell biology. Join us in leading the way in preparing the next generation of scientists for a diverse array of careers and advances in stem cell biology!at the forefront of this transformative field.

The IBSC is an invited member of the “Circle of Stem Cell Institutes and Centers” by The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).

IBSC Directors

Lindsay Hinck is a Distinguished Professor in MCD Biology. She earned her Ph.D. in cancer biology from Stanford University and did her postdoctoral training at UCSF in neuroscience. In 1998 she established her lab at UCSC. The Hinck lab addresses the public health concern of lactation insufficiency by studying stem/progenitor cells in the mammary gland (breast). Not every woman builds a plentiful milk supply during pregnancy. Consequently, the Hinck lab is dedicated to understanding how mammary epithelial progenitors multiply and differentiate to generate cells with milk-producing capacity. 

Camilla Forsberg is a Professor in Biomolecular Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Wisconsin and pursued postdoctoral training in Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University. In 2007 she established her lab at UCSC. The Forsberg Lab works to solve key controversies in hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions through the investigation of blood cell production by hematopoietic stem cells. By studying this over time through the human lifespan, the Forsberg lab aims to provide a better understanding of the basis of blood disorders from prenatal life into aging.

IBSC Directors Camilla and Lindsay posing in front of Biomed Building
Committee meeting with wooden table - Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

IBSC Executive Committee

The Executive Committee for the IBSC consists of Camilla Forsberg, Lindsay Hinck, Sofie Salama, Zhu Wang, and Austin Jelcick.

Sofie Salama

+

Primary Research Focus: Genome evolution, comparative genomics, alternative splicing, and functional genomics

Sofie Salama’s work involves using pluripotent stem cells from a variety of primate species and high throughput sequencing methods to study how genome evolution affects human development and disease. Since 2004, she has collaborated closely with Professor David Haussler, Scientific Director of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. They co-direct a Molecular Biology (Wet) Lab that was initially funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and is located in the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells. She has funding from NIH-NHGRI to explore the mechanisms by which transposable elements lead to new gene regulatory programs important for the evolution of new traits as well as funding from NIH-NIMH to study the role of human-specific genomic innovations on brain development and disease.

Visit the Haussler-Salama Lab

Zhu Wang

+

Primary Research Focus: Adult stem cells and cancer stem cells in the prostate

Zhu Wang is an Associate Professor in MCD Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in developmental biology with Daniel Kalderon at Columbia University and received postdoctoral training in cancer biology with Michael Shen at Columbia University Medical Center.

Visit the Wang Lab

Austin Jelcick

+

Austin Jelcick serves as the Program Manager for the IBSC. He earned his Ph.D. in genetics, cell biology, and anatomy with Neena Haider at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He previously worked in managerial, logistics, marketing, and business development roles in industry.

IBSC Advisory Committee

Bari Holm Nazario (B.A. CSU San Jose) and Ben Abrams (Ph.D. UCSC) make up the Advisory Committee for the IBSC.

Bari Holm Nazario

+

Bari Holm Nazario is the Facilities and Flow Cytometry Manager (QB3/IBSC Staff). She earned her B.A. in Social Sciences at the CSU San Jose and has worked with flow cytometry since 1979 at Stanford University and in industry.

Ben Abrams

+

Ben Abrams is the Director of the Life Sciences Microscopy Center Facility Manager (PBSCi/IBSC Staff). Ben earned his Ph.D. at UCSC and has run the Micoscopy Center since 2011.

Labeled image of peony organoid

Additional Information

+

Stem Cell Research at UCSC

Stem cell research at UCSC focuses on the basic biological systems operating in the processes of self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. Research projects at UCSC address five key questions:

How can we replace damaged cells

Offering hope for treating Parkinson’s, stroke, and Alzheimer’s and for advances in wound healing.

How can we control what stem cells become

Essential to the development of stem-cell-based therapies for immune system diseases, type 2 diabetes, and remediation of genetic defects.

How do stem cells work in living systems

Useful for developing bone marrow stem cells that can resist the toxicity of certain cancer chemotherapies, for improving clinical applications of stem cell therapy, for addressing neurodevelopmental disorders, and for a big-picture understanding of developmental systems.

Can we overcome the technical hurdles

UCSC labs are developing new technologies to help overcome the unique technical challenges associated with stem cell biology and therapies.

Seeing the big picture – and mining it

To get a handle on the mountains of stem cell data coming from California laboratories, UCSC develops computer and mathematical programs to help understand stem cell behavior.

Stem cells hold great promise for curing or mitigating the effects of many diseases and injuries. But before a single clinical trial can commence, basic research must take place to uncover the pathways, mechanisms, and cellular effects of potential stem-cell-based cures. Basic research is also needed to overcome technological hurdles, such as how to ensure that stem cells work effectively when injected into a living organism. Investment in basic research of the kind done at the IBSC is an essential step toward stem-cell based cures.


Stem Cell Related Links

  1. Hub of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Meetings 2022
  2. International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR): A closer look at at Stem Cells
  3. ISSCR: Nine things to know about Stem Cell Treatments
  4. National Institutes of Health (NIH): Stem Cell Information
  5. NIH: Guide to clinical trials
  6. NIH: Worldwide Clinical Studies Database (privately and publicly funded)
  7. Unapproved Stem Cell Cell Therapies (FDA warning)
  8. The Niche: Knoepfler Lab Stem Cell Blog
  9. California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
  10. CIRM: Stem Cell Education Portal
  11. CIRM: Information about Proposition 14 in California
contact us banner with wooden balls with communication icons

Contact the IBSC

Want to reach out to the IBSC to learn more about our programs, attend one of our upcoming events, meet current Trainees and hear about their day-to-day life, or something else? Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Mastodon, and send us a DM, give us a call or send us an email if you want to reach out!

Reminders Banner with Clock Image

Upcoming Reminders

First Interim Report for 2024 Trainee-Mentor Meeting Report DUE APRIL 30
Reporting Reminders Trainee-Mentor Meeting Report due dates and frequency have been updated! Read More
Rigor and Reproducibility (R&R) coming soon in 2024