MBG 514 Stem Cell Biology

Stem cells sit at the intersection of developmental biology, genetics, and regenerative medicine because they are the one cell type whose identity is defined by what it can become rather than what it currently does, and this graduate course centers on the molecular logic that keeps self-renewal and differentiation in balance across embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult lineages. Most weeks pair a lecture with a primary-literature discussion, and assessment rests on two midterms and a final alongside presentations and short reports, so you are expected to read papers critically rather than just memorize pathways. It builds on a working background in molecular biology and cell biology, and connects directly to the 3D organoid, lineage-tracing, and translational-therapy work that drives much of current regenerative medicine research.