Bio
I'm Joy, currently an Instructor in the lab of Prof. Hiro Nakauchi. My academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Genetic Engineering from India, leading me to further studies with an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Sweden. I then went to Prof Nakauchi's lab at the University of Tokyo, Japan to familiarize myself with stem cell biology before joining his Stanford lab.
Under Prof. Jonas Nilsson's mentorship during my Ph.D., I explored the molecular intricacies of cancer. This helped me identify strategies that could potentially prevent pluripotent stem cells from developing malignant characteristics, ensuring their safety in clinical applications.
My ongoing research revolves around three core objectives:
1. Defining Pluripotency in Mammals: Our work has led to the identification of specific conditions that sustain pluripotency across species without requiring small molecules or cytokines.
2. Overcoming Xeno-barriers in Organ Development: By employing genome-wide perturbation techniques, we're working to identify and bypass barriers that hinder the effective integration of xenogeneic donor cells. This is crucial for generating complete organs in research animals.
3. Evolving Organ Preservation Methods: Drawing inspiration from natural processes, we are on the path to formulating innovative ex vivo organ preservation techniques and thereby, enhancing the success rates of transplantations.