Juan Carlos Izpisúa-Belmonte, Ph.D.

Research

We study how genes and molecules orchestrate the development of an embryo. The questions addressed by the laboratory include: How does one cell give rise to millions of cells, and how do they come to be organized into complete structures such as limbs, a heart or brain? How stems cells differentiate and give rise to over 200 cell types that constitute the human body? How certain animals are able to regenerate their tissues and organs, i.e., what are the genetic pathways responsible for epimorphic regeneration, a complex biological process by which animals can regenerate tissues and even entire organs throughout their lifetime after injury or amputation? We use different in vivo (mouse, chick, frog, and axolotl) and in vitro (human and mouse stem cells) model systems, as well as in silico modeling approaches, with particular emphasis on the genetic pathways involved in heart and bone development and regeneration. The Izpis?a Belmonte laboratory utilizes different in vivo (mouse, chick, frog, and axolotl) and in vitro (human and mouse stem cells) model systems, as well as in silico modeling approaches, with particular emphasis on the genetic pathways involved in heart and bone development and regeneration.