Dr. Renee Reijo-Pera

“Human Health, Development and Stem Cells”
Monday, October 18 at 7 p.m.
Freed Center for the Performing Arts

Renowned stem cell researcher Dr. Renee Reijo-Pera will present her lecture “Human Health, Development and Stem Cells” this October as the latest Keiser Lecturer.

As professor of obstetrics and gynecology and Director of the Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education at Stanford University, Dr. Reijo-Pera's research looks at understanding the genetics of human embryo growth and development and in characterizing the basic properties of human embryonic stem cells, especially their ability to generate pluripotent stem cells, somatic cells and germ cells.Her early work resulted in identification of one of the first genes specifically implicated in human germ cell development. Subsequently her laboratory has established techniques for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to germ cells and genetic manipulation of the pathways.

Dr. Reijo-Pera has received numerous awards throughout her career and was cited as one of twenty influential women in the U.S. by Newsweek magazine. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin (Superior), her doctoral degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and her postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for BioMedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Before coming to Stanford, she was the co-director of the Program in Human Stem Cell Biology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Published: Thu, 07/15/2010 - 4:19pm