iPSC Platform

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models

Across my research, I use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a unifying platform to model human disease in a dish. By directing iPSCs into defined lineages, I generate human cellular systems for neurodegeneration, cardiac and metabolic disease, kidney pathology, and pulmonary biology. Each lineage is paired with rigorous QC, bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, and translational drug-discovery readouts.

Lineage Portfolio

One Pluripotent Source — Five Disease-Relevant Lineages

I maintain a portfolio of five iPSC-derived cell systems, each chosen for translational relevance to a specific therapeutic area. Differentiations are routinely validated by lineage-specific markers (immunofluorescence, flow cytometry), bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, and functional assays (electrophysiology, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, transepithelial resistance, contractility). Patient-derived and isogenic CRISPR-edited lines are used in parallel to dissect genotype–phenotype relationships.

Common Platform

From Pluripotency to Lineage Commitment — A Shared Backbone

Although each lineage uses tailored small-molecule cocktails and growth factors, every differentiation in my workflow shares a common upstream backbone. iPSCs are first taken through quality control (karyotype, pluripotency markers, mycoplasma), expanded on hPSC-grade matrix, and then committed to one of three primary germ layers before lineage refinement. This unified backbone makes the cells, protocols, and analytical pipelines fully interchangeable across the disease areas I work in.

Common Backbone

From Pluripotent Stem Cells to Germ-Layer Specification

Day −7 to 0

iPSC QC & Expansion

OCT4 · NANOG · SOX2 · SSEA-4

Karyotype, mycoplasma, single-cell pluripotency QC. Expand on Matrigel/Geltrex in mTeSR1 or E8.

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Day 0–3

Mesoderm

T (Brachyury) · MIXL1

CHIR99021 (Wnt activation). Branch point for cardiomyocytes & intermediate mesoderm (kidney).

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Day 0–4

Definitive Endoderm

SOX17 · FOXA2 · CXCR4

Activin A + CHIR. Branch point for pancreatic β-cells & lung organoids.

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Day 0–7

Neuroectoderm

PAX6 · SOX1 · NESTIN

Dual-SMAD inhibition (LDN/SB) + SHH/FGF8 patterning for cortical or midbrain neurons.

iPSC lineages

>90%

typical purity (lineage marker)

12+

patient + CRISPR isogenic lines

96/384

screening-ready formats

Readouts

Functional, Imaging & NGS Readouts — Shared Across Lineages

Every iPSC lineage in my work is paired with the same backbone of orthogonal readouts: high-content confocal imaging, flow cytometry, bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, and lineage-specific functional assays. Cross-lineage comparisons are made tractable through unified GSEA, KEGG, and DecoupleR transcription-factor pipelines. See the dedicated Genomics & NGS page for an end-to-end example using PARK2 KO neurons.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models

One Pluripotent Source — Five Disease-Relevant Lineages

iPSC → Neurons

iPSC → Pancreatic β-Cells

iPSC → Cardiomyocytes

iPSC → Kidney Organoids

iPSC → Lung Organoids

iPSC → Mesenchymal Cells

Genomics & NGS Readouts

From Pluripotency to Lineage Commitment — A Shared Backbone

Functional, Imaging & NGS Readouts — Shared Across Lineages