People

Dr. Elze Rackaityte completed her PhD at UCSF with Susan Lynch. Her research uses genomic and proteomic approaches to understand maternal-fetal immune communication, particularly the antibody responses and immune mechanisms that contribute to preterm birth and other pregnancy complications. The Rackaityte Lab is working to decode maternal-fetal communication and develop new therapies for pregnancy complications.

Dr. Rackaityte has an outstanding record of scientific achievement, collaboration, and mentorship, and support from an NIH K99/R00 award and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Next-Gen Pregnancy Initiative. Her primary appointment is in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, with additional membership in the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research and the Center for Reproductive Sciences.

Rosemary Akhurst, PhD studies the role of signaling molecules and genetic modifiers in vasculogenesis, the formation of the vascular network during development.

Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD studies the origin, migration and functional contribution of neural stem cells born in the adult brain. He has initiated studies exploring progenitor cell transplants for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

Mark Anderson, MD, PhD is the Director of the Diabetes Center. He studies immune tolerance and the role of the thymus in type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disease.

Serine Avagyan, MD, PhD studies blood stem cell clonality and clonal hematopoiesis.

Allan Balmain, PhD focuses on the role of stem cells in skin and lung cancer. His goal is to identify the critical tumor-originating cells and the mechanisms by which they become transformed, which will aid in both stem cell therapy and cancer therapy.

Scott Baraban, PhD studies pediatric malformation-associated epilepsies in genetic mouse models to explore how seizures develop. He also researches the potential of embryonic progenitor cells to inhibit epilepsy following transplantation.

Mitchel Berger, MD studies the correlative biology and outcome of patients with both low-grade and high-grade gliomas.

Sigurd Berven, MD is an orthopedic spine surgeon who researches the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells in an animal model of disc degeneration.

Daniel Bikle, MD, PhD studies the hormonal regulation of calcium metabolism in the formation, differentiation and repair of bone and skin tissue, as well as in skin cancer development.

Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD studies gene regulation of pluripotent stem cells, early development, and cancer.

Benoit Bruneau, PhD is the Director of the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. He studies the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of cardiogenesis.