2021 Sanford Stem Cell Symposium Agenda

Friday, October 15, 2021

Sampada completed her PhD at the University of Bern, Switzerland in July, 2019. Her PhD research topic was on “Role of the placenta in materno-fetal nutrient transport and steroid release”. She joined Dr. Soncin and Dr. Parast lab, as a post-doctoral researcher in Feb, 2020. She is currently working on understanding the early placental development and effects of maternal infections during pregnancy. To study the placental development, they are using trophoblast stem cells derived from first-trimester placentas and various other stem cell models. These studies will allow them to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the complicated pregnancies such as miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor and intrauterine growth retardation.

Ila Dwivedi is a Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Gabriel Haddad at the University of California, San Diego. She received her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with Regents Honors from UC Davis and a Master’s in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine from Dr. Michael Bonaguidi’s lab at the USC Keck School of Medicine’s Broad CIRM Center. Her research focuses on applying stem cell technology for the study of human brain development in health and disease. Specifically, Ila uses cortical organoids to model and explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the fetal brain’s response to methadone, a synthetic opioid analgesic used for the treatment of opioid addiction. The aim of her current research is to help improve interventions for maternal opioid use disorder.

Chengsheng Wu, graduated from the University of Alberta, Canada, with a Ph.D. degree in 2017. He has joined David Cheresh’s lab as a post-doctoral fellow since 2018. He is currently working on how pancreatic cancer cells adapt to cellular stress.

Samantha Trescott is a staff research associate in Dr. Nicole Coufal’s lab studying a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorder called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. She joined the lab in August 2019 as an intern through the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine program at San Diego State University. Her goal is to continue focusing on translational research to uncover disease specific glial cell phenotypes and how they relate to neurodegeneration. Outside of research, Samantha enjoys hiking with her dog and watching football with friends.