Scientific Program

2021-StemConn-Program-V8Download

Confirmed speakers

Angela Cacace, PhD Arvinas | Vice President of Neuroscience and Platform Biology

Angela received her B.S. in biology from Fairfield University, Ph.D. in pharmacology from Columbia University and completed her postdoctoral research in Oncology at Bristol-Myers Squibb and the National Cancer Institute. Angela was the Director of Neuroscience and Genetically Defined Diseases at Bristol-Myers Squibb where she spearheaded alternative therapeutic modalities and was a co-inventor on several development candidates. Angela came to the company after serving as the Vice President of Biology at Fulcrum Therapeutics, where, together with her team, she built the biology platform and delivered the first development candidate for the treatment of FSHD.

Allen Eaves, PhD STEMCELL Technologies | Founder and CEO

Eaves was unsatisfied with the tools available to him for his cancer research and his team started creating their own blood stem cell culture media. Within twelve years, the demand for his products was so great, Eaves launched STEMCELL Technologies. Since then, it has become the largest biotech company in Canada.

Connie Eaves, PhD Terry Fox Laboratory | Normal and cancer stem cells

The Eaves laboratory focuses on the development, validation and use of quantitative assays that are specific for biologically distinct subsets of these stem cells using syngeneic (mouse-mouse) and xenogeneic (human-mouse) hosts to the study of human breast cancer and leukemic breast cancer.

Se-Jin Lee, M.D., Ph.D. The Jackson Laboratory | Tissue homeostasis and development

Dr. Lee’s laboratory seeks to understand the role of signaling molecules in regulating embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Using a variety of experimental approaches, including genetic manipulation of mice, his work has revealedthe precise biological functions of TGF beta signaling molecules in these processes.

Douglas Melton, PhD, Harvard University | Stem cell biology for diabetes
The Melton Lab makes functional islets that secrete insulin to study and cure type-I diabetes. They study the developmental biology of the pancreas, and investigate ways to protect beta cells from autoimmune attack.
Samira Musah, PhD Duke University | Mechanical Forces force for Organ Development/Physiology
The Musah Lab is interested in understanding how molecular signals and biophysical forces can function either synergistically or independently to guide organ development and physiology, and how these processes can be therapeutically harnessed to treat human disease. Given the escalating medical crisis in nephrology as growing number of patients suffer from kidney disease that can lead to organ failure, the Musah Lab focuses on engineering stem cell fate for applications in human kidney disease, extra-renal complications, and therapeutic development.
Alison O’Neil, PhD Wesleyan University | Biochemistry of Neurodegeneration

The O’Neil lab examines the biochemistry of neurodegenerative diseases using differentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Karolina Palucka, PhD Jackson Laboratory | Experimental Immunotherapy

The Palucka laboratory specializes in human immunology with a focus on experimental immunotherapy to develop immune-based therapeutics for cancer. 

In-hyun Park, PhD Yale University | Human Brain Development

The Park laboratory investigates human brain development and its related disorders through stem cell, genomics, genetics and neurobiological tools.