TABLE OF CONTENTS
News & Events
Anjon Audhya, PhD, appointed inaugural vice dean for research at the School of Medicine and Public Health
Stem Cell Reports cover story highlights research from Owen Tamplin
SCRMC member awarded for mentoring undergraduates
SCRMC member receives Vilas Award
Welcome to the newest SCRMC members
Events
Clinical trial tests new cell therapy to manage kidney transplant rejection
The Program for Advanced Cell Therapy, or PACT, a collaboration between UW Health and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, will test the use of a patient’s own mesenchymal stromal cells. In this approach, cells taken from the patient’s lip are used to treat a specific type of organ rejection called T-cell mediated rejection, also called acute cellular rejection. The technique was advanced by Sara McCoy, a SCRMC member and assistant professor of medicine, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, who practices rheumatology at UW Health.
SCRMC investigators will advance musculoskeletal research through four innovative projects
Led by Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) investigators and supported by a gift from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), these projects will investigate a wide variety of questions including how an improved model for human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs)-derived neural crest-derived cells (NCC) can be applied to orthopedic repair, why muscle stem cells change as humans age, and whether exercise impacts can rejuvenate aging bone marrow stem cells.
Cell therapy for Sjögren’s disease earns FDA Fast Track designation
This new therapy offers an innovative regenerative medicine approach that leverages the immune system-stimulating and tissue-restorative potential of interferon-γ-primed autologous mesenchymal stromal cells, according to Sara McCoy, assistant professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and a SCRMC member. The therapy, which is currently being investigated in a Phase 0 clinical trial, was developed by the UW Program for Advanced Cell Therapy, a partnership between UW Health and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, which is led by Jacques Galipeau, MD also a SCRMC member.
Your gift will foster breakthroughs in regenerative medicine by supporting research and training, academic education, and faculty collaboration.
Donate here or contact Pete Schmeling if you would like more information on how to give.
Congratulations to the Bruce Family Innovation & SCRMC Trainee Award Winners
The SCRMC Research Training Awards Program provides unique, interdisciplinary training for five future leaders in stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Additionally, this program will foster interdisciplinary collaborations among campus investigators.
The SCRMC and the awardees would like to thank the Bruce family and those who philanthropically support the SCRMC and make these awards possible.
Congratulations to the 2026 SURF Award Winners!
The Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center labs will welcome five new members this summer, as a part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), which supports motivated University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduate students as they pursue research in stem cell science and regenerative medicine.
Thank you to WiCell for supporting this program!
The SSSCR will be opening membership starting in September 2026. The group will be having biweekly meetings starting September 2026 with guest speakers, socials, and opportunities for networking/professional development!
The current officers are: Co-Chairs – Aditi Boddu and Arnav Mahajan, Secretary – Suraksha Kodgi, Marketing – Grace Nwankwo, Finance – Jessica Kellerman, Outreach – Grace Schauz, Events – Sophia Ullman.
Click here to join or learn more!
Call for Presenters: Present your research at an upcoming SCRMC-GSA meeting
Looking for a supportive space to practice your research presentation, get feedback, and connect with the UW stem cell community?
The SCRMC Graduate Student Association (GSA) is currently seeking graduate student and postdoctoral presenters for our upcoming monthly research meetings. These trainee-led sessions are designed to provide a relaxed, low-pressure environment to present your work, refine upcoming talks (prelims, committee meetings, conference presentations, job talks, etc.), and engage in scientific discussion with peers working in regenerative medicine and stem cell fields.
Meetings are typically held on the third Thursday of each month from 5–6 PM in Engineering Hall (specific room is listed on the Google Calendar event) and include attendees from across the stem cell and regenerative medicine community. Talks are usually 30–45 minutes, followed by discussion, networking, and idea exchange. Importantly, no PIs are present, making this a collaborative space for trainees at all stages.
Presenters have flexibility in the style and content of their presentation, and dinner/food for the meeting is fully sponsored by SCRMC.
Interested in presenting? Sign up here
Questions? Reach out to us at:
uwstemcellroundtable@gmail.com
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SCRMC member Anjon Audhya has been named the vice dean for research at SMPH. The role serves as the chief research officer for the school. Learn more about his new role here.
Additionally, Audhya is one of four UW scholars to be honored with a Vilas Research Professorship.
Stem Cell Reports cover story highlights research from SCRMC member Owen Tamplin
Stem Cell Reports recently highlighted “GABA produced by multiple bone marrow cell types regulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells” as their cover story. This research was conducted by SCRMC member and assistant professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology, Owen Tamplin, PhD, and members of his lab. Dr. Tamplin shares a brief description of the research at this link.
SCRMC member awarded for mentoring undergraduates
Alexey Glukhov a SCRMC member and associate professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, received the University of Wisconsin–Madison Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities.
SCRMC member receives Vilas Award
Junsu Kang, a SCRMC member and associate professor of Cell and Regenerative Biology, received the Vilas Early-Career Investigator Award. This honor recognizes research and teaching excellence in faculty who are relatively early in their careers. The award provides flexible research funding for three years.
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David Dean, PhD
The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) is pleased to welcome David Dean, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
We invite you to learn more here and encourage you to connect with Dr. Dean at ddean8@wisc.edu.
Ting Fu, PhD
The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) is pleased to welcome Ting Fu, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy.
We invite you to learn more here and encourage you to connect with Dr. Fu at ting.fu@wisc.edu.
Bryce LaFoya, PhD
The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) is pleased to welcome Bryce LaFoya, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry.
We invite you to learn more here and encourage you to connect with Dr. LaFoya at lafoya@wisc.edu.
Sara McCoy, MD, PhD
The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) is pleased to welcome Sara McCoy, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology.
We invite you to learn more here and encourage you to connect with Dr. McCoy at ssmccoy@medicine.wisc.edu.
Raunak Sinha, PhD
The Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) is pleased to welcome Raunak Sinha, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Neuroscience and Director, Neuroscience Training Program.
We invite you to learn more here and encourage you to connect with Dr. Sinha at raunak.sinha@wisc.edu.
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Thank you to everyone who attended the 20th Annual WI Stem Cell Symposium!
On April 15, more than 200 faculty, researchers, industry members, and students joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center and the Biopharmaceutical Technology Center Institute for a day exploring the fundamental questions in regenerative biology. The program, “Decoding the Regenerative Dialogue Between Inflammatory and Stem Cell Pathways,” included speakers from around the world who specialize in musculoskeletal tissues, including muscle, bone, and cartilage.
Additionally, the conference hosted the winners of the Wisconsin Stem Cell Graduate Scholar Award. This program co-sponsored by the SCRMC, selects senior graduate students to present posters at the Symposium, present a short talk at the SCRMC Seminar series, and meet with UW faculty to learn about postdoctoral opportunities in stem cell biology. Generous travel awards covering transportation, food, hotel, and registration, are provided to selected nominees.
Bottom row left to right: Aishwarya Krishnan, Washington University in St. Louis; Infencia Xavier Raj, Washington University in St. Louis; Claire Ang, Harvard University Photo Credit: Darcie Moore
This year, the symposium also welcomed several two-year college participants from both Madison College and Milwaukee Area Technical College, which is in its first year of offering a two-year program in Biotechnology. These students from Milwaukee presented their first poster and the WI Stem Cell Symposium was their first conference.
POSTER COMPETITION
Please join us in congratulating the winners of the Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium poster contest!
1st place: Susmit Mahtre, Live imaging of dentate gyrus to characterize adult neural stem cell behavior
2nd place: Sayandeep Saha, Hypoimmune ICAM-1 knockout human pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells evade innate and adaptive immune responses under physiological conditions
3rd place: Gayatri Puri, Resetting hematopoietic aging through exercise-driven epigenetic remodeling
Leaders in stem cell research and regenerative medicine gather annually for the ISSCR Annual Meeting, and you’re invited to be part of it! Join nearly 3,500 scientists from across the world at ISSCR 2026 for a 4-day event highlighting the most important breakthroughs in the field.
Learn more at isscr2026.org
Several SCRMC members attended this conference and enjoyed a dynamic exchange of ideas while sharing cutting-edge technologies and transformative applications that are shaping the next era of biotechnology research. SCRMC members David Beebe, David Gamm, Duc-Huy Nguyen, and Xinyu Zhao were among those who spoke. The main topics of the day included bioengineering and organ-on-a-chip, disease & personalized medicine, and multi-omics of organoid studies.
