Speaker
Description
Our understanding of human development beyond implantation has been historically limited by the lack of suitable in vitro models. I will present our lab’s work on developing advanced stem cell-based systems that model post-implantation stages without the use of intact human embryos. Building on knowledge gained from early developmental biology, we have assembled stem cell populations representing embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages into integrated, embryo-like structures. These stem cell-derived models recapitulate key events of early morphogenesis, including the specification of primordial germ cell precursors. By focusing on these highly controlled models, we are uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms that shape early human development, and opening doors to studying processes that were previously out of reach.
