About Us

Director’s Message

Stem cell biology and engineering are among the most promising endeavors in biomedical research to benefit humankind. It is my privilege to coordinate these efforts at UC Berkeley as director of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center.

Research at the Berkeley Stem Cell Center is wide-ranging and emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration. Areas of study include molecular understanding of stem cell biology from embryogenesis to aging, creation of stem cell-based models to illuminate and combat diseases, engineering of microfluidic devices for single cell analytical and diagnostic applications, creation of stem cell based “organs on a chip” to mimic organ function and assess tissue responses to pharmaceuticals, and gene therapy toward permanently ameliorating genetic diseases. 

The Berkeley Stem Cell Center is organized around research teams of biologists and engineers who are leaders in their fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, with laboratories located at UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.  Affiliated UC Berkeley faculty members have primary appointments in seven departments, including Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Integrative Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, and the School of Optometry. 

The Stem Cell Center benefits from UC Berkeley’s position as a leading center of genome engineering, starting with the transformative discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. CIRM-funded efforts at the Innovative Genomics Institute and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland are directed at combining gene therapy and genome engineering to develop curative therapies for sickle cell disease and other genetic diseases.

As director, it is my goal to foster a diverse and inclusive research environment and to expand the Berkeley Stem Cell Center’s role as a catalyst for innovation and a focal point for training the next generation of scientific leaders. We welcome your interest and participation as we contribute to the revolution in regenerative medicine.

Founding Director’s Message

Progress had been slowed by uncertainty in federal government investment in this research area. Fortunately, the people of California rose to the challenge and approved a bond initiative, Proposition 71. This legislation authorized the allocation of three billion dollars to support stem cell research and the development of stem cell-based therapies here in California, the birthplace of the biotechnology revolution.

In November 2004, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau asked me to organize a campus-wide effort to crystallize work already underway in the engineering, biology, social science, humanities and law faculties. A diverse group of thirty faculty members contributed to planning sessions to develop a stem cell center organized along several themes of science, law and bioethics.

To provide a clinical context for our efforts, we joined forces with the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), now a research campus of UC San Francisco, a national leader in cord blood stem cell research and transplantation for treatment of genetic and malignant blood disorders. Dr. Bertram Lubin, then the President of the Children’s Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, served as founding Clinical Research Director of the newly formed Berkeley Stem Cell Center.

Although I stepped down as Director some time ago, it is remarkable to reflect on how
prevalent and routine the use of stem cells as an experiential tool has become.  And yet, so
much more remains to be achieved before we realize the promise of stem cells as a cell
replacement therapy.  We at Berkeley have played a prominent role in these developments
and look forward to more as a new generation of stem cell scholars takes their place in our
ranks.

-Randy Schekman, Founding Director