Principal Investigators

Associate Principal Investigators

Principal Investigators

Dr Tim Allsopp: Stem Cell Sciences UK - Embryonic Stem (ES) Cell Biology
	Dr Allsopp directs the company research into Embryonic Stem (ES) cell biology and the development of ES-based discovery technologies. He is an experienced neurobiologist and has published a number of high-profile articles in the field. Stem Cell Sciences Ltd (SCS) is a biotechnology company specializing in the application of ES cells in human health care. Email:tim.allsopp@stemcellsciences.com
Key Publications: • Method of Enriching for Mammalian Stem Cells/ Isolation, selection & propagation of animal transgenic stem cells ; US 08/535141/ EP 94913174.2 • Expression of Heterologous Genes According to a Targeted Expression Profile; EP 94913175.9/ US 08/537765 • Gorba T & T. E. Allsopp 2003. Pharmacological potential of embryonic stem cells. Pharm Res. 47:269-278.
Professor Ernest Arenas: Karolinska Institute - Stem Cells and Parkinson’s Disease
	Dr Arenas has expertise in studying the development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and devising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. His research group have developed a protocol to promote the coordinated differentiation of neural stem cells into dopaminergic neurons. Email: Ernest.Arenas@ki.se Web Site: cajal.mbb.ki.se
Key Publications: • Castelo-Branco G., Wagner J., Rodriguez F.J., Kele J., Sousa K., Rawal N., Pasolli H.A., Fuchs E., Kitaweski J. and Arenas E. (2003) Differential regulation of midbrain dopaminergic development by Wnt-1, Wnt-3a and Wnt-5a. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 12747-12752. • Holm P.C., Rodríguez F.J., Kresse A., Canals J.M., Silos-Santiago I. and Arenas E. (2003) Critical role of TrkB ligands in the survival and phenotypic differentiation of developing locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons. Development 130, 3535-3545. • Wallén-Mackenzie Å., Mata de Urquiza A., Petersson S., Rodriguez F.J., Friling S., Wagner J., Ordentlich P., Lengqvist J., Heyman R.A., Arenas E. and Perlmann T. (2003) Nurr1-RXR heterodimers mediate RXR ligand-induced signaling in neuronal cells. Genes Dev. 17, 3036-3047.
Professor Yann Barrandon: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - Epithelial Stem Cells and Transplantation
	Prof Barrandon’s research group has an internationally recognised expertise in the basic biology of skin stem cells and in cell and gene therapy. His lab has a long-standing interest in translating basic knowledge into clinical application and is one of the very few labs in the field that has experienced in the transplantation of cultured stem cells to treat extensive burns. Email: yann.barrandon@epfl.ch Web Site: ldcs.epfl.ch
Key Publications: • Barrandon, Y., (2003). A Hairy Situation. Nature 422:272-273. • Ronfard, V., et al. (2000). Regeneration of human epidermis on third degree burns transplanted with autologous cultured epithelium grown on a fibrin matrix. Transplantation 70: 1588-1598. (With a commentary article). • Oshima, H., Rochat, et al. (2001). Morphogenesis and renewal of hair follicles from multipotent stem cells. * co-first authors. Cell 104: 233-245. (Cover).
Professor Anders Björklund: Lund Stem Cell Centre - Neurobiology: Parkinson’s and Cell Replacement Therapies
	Prof Bjorklund’s lab is an international leader in cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease. His research group has particular expertise in neural stem cells and cell transplantation to the central nervous system, and long experience with animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. Email: anders.bjorklund@med.lu.se Web Site: www.medfak.lu.se
Key Publications • Bjorklund, A and Lindvall, O. (2000) Cell Replacement Therapies for CNS Disorders. Nature Neurosci. 3: 537-544. • Englund U, Bjorklund A, Wictorin K, Lindvall O, Kokaia M (2002) Grafted neural stem cells develop into functional pyramidal neurons and integrate into host cortical circuitry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 99, 17089-17094. • Bjorklund A, Dunnett SB, Brundin P, Stoessl AJ, Freed CR, Breeze RE, Levivier M, Peschanski M, Studer L, Barker R. (2003) Neural transplantation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Lancet Neurol. 2(7):437-45
Dr Clare Blackburn: Institute for Stem Cell Research - Endodermal Stem Cells and Thymus Development
	Dr Blackburn’s research focuses on development of the thymus. The thymus plays a central role in the development of the body’s immune system as it is the main site in which T cells are generated. Dr Blackburn’s lab recently identified a population of progenitor/stem cells in mice that, on transplantation, is sufficient to generate a fully functional thymus. Email: c.blackburn@ed.ac.uk Web Site: www.iscr.ed.ac.uk
Key Publications: • Bennett, A.R., Farley, A., Blair, N.F., Gordon, J., Boyd, R.L., and Blackburn, C.C. Identification and characterization of thymic epithelial progenitor cells. Immunity 16: 803-814 (2002). • Gordon J Wilson VA Blair NF Sheridan J Farley A Wilson L Manley NR Blackburn CC. Functional evidence for a single endodermal origin for the thymic epithelium. Nat Immunol. 2004 May;5:546-53. • Blackburn, C.C. and Manley, N.R. (2004) Developing a new paradigm for thymus organogenesis. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 4 278-289
Professor Oliver Brüstle: University of Bonn Medical Centre - Embryonic Stem Cells and Neural Repair
	Prof Brüstle's research group focuses on the use of embryonic stem (ES) cells for neural repair. The team has a particular focus on ES cell-based myelin repair. Myelin is the fatty sheath that protects and insulates nerves, and is lost in a number of serious neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Recently, Oliver Brüstle and his team have been able to demonstrate that transplanted ES cell-derived neurons and glia integrate into the host brain circuitry. Email: brustle@uni-bonn.de
Key Publications: • Wernig M., Benninger, F., Schmandt, T., Rade, M., Tucker, K.L., Büssow, H., Beck, H., Brüstle, O. (2004) Functional integration of ES cell-derived neurons in vivo. J. Neurosci. 24 • Scheffler, B., Schmandt, T., Schröder, W., Steinfarz, B., Wellmer, J., Seifert, G., Husseini, L., Karram, K., Beck, H., Blümcke, I., Wiestler, O.D., Steinhäuser, C., Brüstle, O. (2003) Functional network integration of embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes in hippocampal slice cultures. Development 130:5533-5541 • Brüstle, O., Jones, K.N., Learish, R.D., Karram, K., Choudhary, K., Wiestler, O.D., Duncan, I.D., McKay, R.D.G. (1999). Embryonic stem cell-derived glial precursors: a source of myelinating transplants. Science 285:754-756
Professor Margaret Buckingham: Institut Pasteur - Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells
	Professor Buckingham's laboratory studies the formation of skeletal muscle. Their work focusses on the genes that regulate the entry of cells into the myogenic programme. Manipulation of these genes in the mouse gives new insight into their role in the specification, proliferation and survival of skeletal muscle stem cells. The introduction of genetic markers makes it possible to isolate such cells from different sources and to examine their therapeutic potential. Email: margab@pasteur.fr
Key Publications: • Tajbakhsh, S., Rocancourt, D., Cossu, G., & Buckingham, M. (1997). Redefining the genetic hierarchies controlling skeletal myogenesis: Pax-3 and myf-5 act upstream of MyoD .Cell, 89 , 127-138. • Relaix, F., Polimeni, M., Rocancourt, D., Ponzetto, C., Schäfer, B.W., & Buckingham, M. (2003) The transcriptional activator PAX3-FKHR rescues the Pax3 mutant phenotype and induces a gain of function phenotype with ligand-independent activation of Met signaling. Genes & Dev., 17 , 2950-2965. • Relaix, F., Rocancourt, D.,, Mansouri, M., & Buckingham, M. (2004). Divergent functions of murine Pax3 and Pax7 in limb muscle development. Genes & Dev., 18 , 1088-1105.
Dr Elena Cattaneo: Milano University - Neural Stem Cells and Huntington's Disease
	Prof. Cattaneo's research group has expertise in studying the biology of neural stem and progenitor cells derived from the developing brain. The studies include the identification of signals that instruct these cells to undergo division and differentiate into neurons. Prof Cattaneo's lab is also investigating the underlying mechanisms of Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative brain disease. Email: elena.cattaneo@unimi.it Web Site users.unimi.it
Key Publications: • Zuccato C., Tartari T., Crotti C., Goffredo D., Valenza M., Conti L., Cataudella T., Leavitt B. R., Hayden M. R.,Timmusk T., Rigamonti D. and Cattaneo E. (2003) Huntingtin interacts with REST/NRSF to modulate the transcription of NRSE-controlled neuronal genes. Nature Genetics, 35: 76-83 • Rossi F. and Cattaneo E. (2002) Neural stem cell therapy for neurological diseases: dreams and reality. Nature Reviews Neuroscience,* 3, 401 –409* • Conti L., Sipione S., Magrassi L., Bonfanti L., Peschanski M., Haddad B., Pelicci P., Rigamonti D., Pelicci G. and Cattaneo E. (2001) Shc(s) signalling in differentiating neural progenitor cells, Nature Neuroscience, 4, 579-586
Professor Giulio Cossu:Milano Hospital SCRI - Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy
	Professor Cossu’s research group has a long lasting experience in the field of muscle development, focusing on the signals and mechanisms that regulate the formation of skeletal muscle during embryonic development and, after birth, when the muscle tissue is damaged as a result of an injury or disease. Prof Cossu has recently identified a muscle stem cell that is effective in regenerating muscle in mice models of muscular dystrophy. Email: cossu.giulio@hsr.it Web Site: www.sanraffaele.org
Key Publications: • Ferrari, G., Cusella De Angelis, M.G., Coletta, M. Stornaioulo A., Paolucci E., Cossu G. and Mavilio, F. Skeletal muscle regeneration by bone marrow derived myogenic progenitors. Science 279, 1528-1530, 1998. • De Angelis, L, Berghella, L. Coletta, M, Gabriella Cusella De Angelis, M, Lattanzi, L, Ponzetto, C and Cossu. G. Skeletal myogenic progenitors originating from embryonic dorsal aorta co-express endothelial and myogenic markers and contribute to post-natal muscle growth and regeneration. J. Cell Biol 147:869-878, 1999. • Minasi, M.G., Riminucci, M, De Angelis, L,. Borello, U., Berarducci, B., Innocenzi, A., Caprioli, A., Sirabella, D., Baiocchi, M. De Maria, R., Jaffredo, T., Broccoli. V., Bianco, P. and Cossu, G. (2002). The meso-angioblast: a multipotent, self-renewing cell that originates from the dorsal aorta and differentiates into most mesodermal tissues. Development 129, 2773-2783.
Dr Ana Cumano:Institut Pasteur - Hematopoietic Stem Cells and their potential
	Dr Cumano’s research focuses on hematopoietic (blood forming) stem cells and their purification. She has expertise in analysing the potential of these cells and their involvement in establishing a fully functional immune system. Email: cumano@pasteur.fr Web Site: www.pasteur.fr
Key Publications: • Cumano, A., Candido Ferraz, J., Di Santo, J.P., & Godin, I. (2001) Intra-embryonic hematopoietic precursors, isolated before circulation, can reconstitute all hematopoietic compartmetns of immuno-deficient mice. Immunity, 15, 477-485 . • Godin & A. Cumano (2002) The hare and the tortoise : embryonic hematopoietic contest. Nature Immunol Rev,* 2: 593-604* • Vitry, S., Bertrand, J.Y., Cumano, A. & Dubois-Dalcq, M. (2003) Primordial hematopoietic stem cells generate microglia but not myelin-forming cells in a neural environment. J. Neuroscience , 23:10724-10731
Dr Jonas Frisen: Karolinska Institute - Neurogenesis from Stem Cells in the Adult Brain
	Dr Frisen’s research group is interested in the development of the nervous system and continued neurogenesis from stem cells in the adult. He aims to further characterize adult CNS stem cells and to develop strategies to direct their differentiation to neuronal types that may be utilized for replacement therapies in experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases. Email: Jonas.Frisen@ki.se Web Site: www.cmb.ki.se
Key Publications: • Johansson, C.B., Momma, S., Clarke, D.L., Risling, M., U. Lendahl and Frisèn, J. (1999) Identification of a neural stem cell in the adult mammalian central nervous system. Cell, 96: 25-34. • Clarke, D.L., Johansson, C.B., Johannes Wilbertz, Biborka Veress, Erik Nilsson, Karlstrˆm, H., Lendahl, U. and Frisèn, J. (2000) Generalized potential of adult neural stem cells. Science, 288: 1660-1663. • Holmberg, J., Clarke, D. and Frisén, J. (2000) Regulation of repulsion versus adhesion by different splice forms of an Eph receptor. Nature, 408: 203-206
Dr Anders Haegerstrand: NeuroNova AB
	Dr Haegerstrand is President and CEO of Neuronova AB, an emerging Swedish biopharmaceutical company engaged in both the discovery and development of adult neural stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and spinal cord injury. Email: anders.haegerstrand@neuronova.com

Professor Göran Hermerén:Faculty of Medicine, Lund University - Medical Ethics
	Prof Hemeren’s expertise is in the area of medical ethics. He has played a key role in stem cell debates for the last 5-6 years, including the 2000 Brussels Report: Ethical Aspects of Human Stem Cell Research and Use. Email: Goran.Hermeren@med.lu.se Web Site: www.lu.se
Key Publications: • Hermerén, G. Globalization in stem cell research. Ethical and legal challenges. Jahrbuch für Wissenschaft und Ethik. De Gruyter , Berlin & New York . Vol. 9, 2004: 95-110. • Hermeren, G. Re-engineering humanity? Sustaining Humanity. An Ethics Agenda For European Leaders Today. Johan Verstraeten, Maria Duffy, eds. Leuven: European Ethics Network Coordination Centre, University of Leuven , 2004:109-123. • Hermeren, G.Is consensus on human cloning possible? Cloning in Biomedical Research and Reproduction. Scientific Aspects - Ethical, Legal and Social Limits. Ludger Honnefelder und Dirk Lanzerath, eds. Bonn : Bonn University Press, 2003: 605-610.
Professor Sten-Eirik Jacobsen:Lund Stem Cell Centre - Hematopoietic Stem Cells
	Prof. Jacobsen’s research specialises in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC), including the identification and characterisation of novel progenitor stem cell subsets, and the molecular regulation of HSCs and blood lineage development. Email: sten.jacobsen@stemcell.lu.se Web Site: www.medfak.lu.se
Key Publications: • Sitnicka E, Bryder D, Theilgaard-Monch K, Buza-Vidas N, Adolfsson J, Jacobsen SE. Key role of flt3 ligand in regulation of the common lymphoid progenitor but not in maintenance of the hematopoietic stem cell pool. Immunity. 2002 Oct;17(4):463-72 • Bjorgvinsdottir H, Bryder D, Sitnicka E, Ramsfjell V, De Jong I, Olsson K, Rusterholz C, Karlsson S, Jacobsen SE. Efficient oncoretroviral transduction of extended long-term culture-initiating cells and NOD/SCID repopulating cells: enhanced reconstitution with gene-marked cells through an ex vivo expansion approach. Hum Gene Ther. 2002 Jun 10;13(9):1061-73
Professor Urban Lendahl.Karolinska Institute - Notch Signalling: controlling stem cells
	Prof. Lendahl’s research group focuses on how controlled activation/deactivation of the Notch signalling pathway can be used to instruct differentiation of various stem cell populations. Email: Urban.Lendahl@ki.se Web Site: www.cmb.ki.se
Key Publications: • Oberg, C., Li, J., Pauley, A., Wolf, E., Gurney, M. and Lendahl, U. (2001) The Notch intracellular domain is ubiquitinated and negatively regulated by the mammalian Sel-10 homolog. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 35847-35853. • Dahlqvist, C., Blokzijl, A., Chapman, G., Falk, A., Dannaeus, K. Ibanez, C.F. and Lendahl, U. (2003) Functional Notch signaling is required for BMP-4-induced inhibition of myogenic differentiation. Development 130, 6089-6099. • Blokzijl, A., Öberg, C., Reissmann, E., Falk, A., Molinder, A.L., Lendahl, U. and Ibanez, C.F. (2003) Cross-talk between the Notch and TGF-b signaling mathways mediated by interaction of the Notch intracellular domain with Smad3. Journal of Cell Biology 163, 723-728.
Dr Meng Li: MRC Clinical Sciences Centre - Development of Dopaminergic Neurons
	Dr Li’s research group focuses on Embryonic Stem Cell neurogenesis. Dr Li’s lab has generated purified neural precursors from embryonic stem cells and has established a genetic marking strategy for purifying and monitoring neuroepithelial stem cell production from differentiating ES cells. This work will aid the optimisation of protocols for generating midbrain DA neurons from ES cells in vitro, and facilitate the development of pharmaceutical drug screens and cell based therapies for Parkinson’s. Email: meng.li2@imperial.ac.uk Web Site: http://www.csc.mrc.ac.uk/
Key Publications: • Zhao et al (2004) Generation of embryonic stem cells and transgenic mice expressing green fluorescence protein in midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Eur J Neurosci 19 (1133-40) • Li M (2002) Lineage selection for generation and amplification of neural precursor cells. Methods Mol Biol* 185 (205-215)* • Li et al (1998) Generation of purified neural precursors from embryonic stem cells by lineage selection. Curr. Biol. 8 (971-974)
Professor Olle Lindvall:Lund Stem Cell Centre - Neural Stem Cell Therapies for Adult Brain Diseases
	Prof Lindvall’s research group is specialised on animal models of stroke and epilepsy, and has particular expertise in studies of neurogenesis and repair in the adult brain. Lindvall is in charge of one of the internationally leading programs developing cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Email: olle.lindvall@neurol.lu.se Web Site: www.medfak.lu.se
Key Publications: • Arvidsson A, Collin T, Kirik D, Kokaia Z, Lindvall O (2002). Neuronal replacement from endogenous precursors in the adult brain after stroke. Nat Med. Sep;8(9):963-70 • Ekdahl, CT., Claasen, JH., Bonde, S., Kokaia, Z., Lindvall, O (2003). Inflamation is detrimental for neurogenesis in adult brain. Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.USA., 100:13632-13637 • Lindvall, O., Kokaia, Z., Martinez-Serrano, A. (2004) Stem cell therapy for human neurodegenerative disorders - how to make it work. Nature Med., in press.
Dr John McCafferty: Sanger Institute - Antibodies for Stem Cell Identification
	Dr McCafferty has expertise in protein expression and selecting antibodies by phage display. For the EuroStemCell project, Dr McCafferty and his research group aim to produce and supply reagents for the identification and isolation of stem cells and delineation of their differentiation pathways. Email: jm9@sanger.ac.uk Web Site:www.sanger.ac.uk
Key Publications: • Warford A, Howat, W, McCafferty J (2004) Expression profiling by high throughput immunohistochemistry. J Immunol Methods (2004 in press) • Osbourn J.K., Earnshaw J.C., Johnson K.S., Parmentier M., Timmermans V., McCafferty J. (1998) Directed selection of MIP1a neutralising CCR5 antibodies from a phage display human antibody library. Nature Bio/Technology 16 p778-781. • Osbourn J.K., McCafferty J., Derbyshire E.J., Waibel R., Chester K., Boxer J., Allen D. (1999) Isolation of a panel of human of human anti-CEA single chain Fvs from a large phage display library. Tumour Targettting 4 150-157
Dr Alexander Medvinsky:Institute for Stem Cell Research - Haematopoietic Stem Cells
	Dr Medvinsky’s research group is investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the generation of haematopoietic stem cells in the mouse embryo. His group uses a wide range of experimental haematology methods and ES cell manipulation techniques, allowing the lineages of endothelial and haematopoietic cells to be traced. Email: a.medvinsky@ed.ac.uk Web Site: www.iscr.ed.ac.uk
Key Publications: • Kumaravelu, P., Hook, L., Morrison, A.M., Ure, J., Zhao, S., Zuyev, S., Ansell, J. and Medvinsky, A. Quantitative developmental anatomy of definitive haematopoietic stem cells/long-term repopulating units (HSC/RUs): role of the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region and the yolk sac in colonisation of the mouse embryonic liver. Development 129: 4891-4899 (2002). • Medvinsky et al (1996) Definitive hematopoiesis is autonomously initiated by the AGM region. Cell* 86 (897-906)* • Medvinsky et al (1993) An early pre-liver intraembryonic source of CFU-S in the developing mouse. Nature* 364 (64-67)*
Dr Claus Nerlov: EMBL Monterotondo - Transcriptional Control of Stem Cells
	Dr Nerlov’s research group has expertise in the transcriptional control of cellular lineage commitment, differentiation and cell proliferation, particularly in neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation. Email: nerlov@embl.it Web Site: www-db.embl.de
Key Publications: • Minichiello L, Calella AM, Medina DL, Bonhoeffer T, Klein R, Korte M. Mechanism of TrkB-mediated hippocampal long-term potentiation. Neuron 36:121-37. 2002. • Postigo A, Calella AM, Fritzsch B, Knipper M, Katz D, Eilers A, Schimmang T, Lewin GR, Klein R, Minichiello L Distinct requirements for TrkB and TrkC signaling in target innervation by sensory neurons. Genes Dev. 16:633-45. 2002. • Pedersen TA, Kowenz-Leutz E, Leutz A, Nerlov C. Cooperation between C/EBPa TBP/TFIIB and SWI/SNF recruiting domains is required for adipocyte differentiation. Genes Dev. 15:3208-16. 2001.
Professor Jean-François Nicolas: Institut Pasteur - Cell Lineage Analysis of Muscular System
	Prof. Nicolas research group has a long lasting experience in the field of mouse development focusing on clonal analysis and cell behaviours that control the formation of the muscular and nervous systems. His research group has developed a method to follow clonal relationships in the embryo and the adult. Email: jfnicola@pasteur.fr
Key publications: • Mathis, L. and Nicolas, J.F. Cellular patterning of the vertebrate embryo. Trends in Genetics,* 18 (12), 627-35. (2002).* • Eloy-Trinquet, S. and Nicolas J.F. Clonal separation and regionalisation during formation of the medial and lateral myotomes in the mouse embryo. Development, 129 (1), 111-22. (2002). • Nicolas, J.F., Mathis, L. and Bonnerot, C. Evidence in the mouse for self-renewing stem cells in the formation of a segmented longitudinal structure, the myotome. Development. 122, 2933-2946. (1996).
Professor Austin Smith:Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research - Embryonic Stem Cells
	Professor Smith has expertise in the field of mouse developmental biology and has pioneered key advances in the field of Embryonic Stem Cell research, including the identification of factors that control self-renewal and the development of culturing systems. Email: ags39@cscr.cam.ac.uk Web Site: http://www.iscb.cam.ac.uk/index.html
Key Publications: • Ying, Q-L., Stavridis, M., Griffiths, D., Li, M. and Smith, A.G. Conversion of embryonic stem cells into neuroectodermal precursors in adherent monoculture. Nat. Biotechnol. 21: 183-186 (2003) • Chambers I Colby D Robertson M Nichols J Lee S Tweedie S Smith A. Functional Expression Cloning of Nanog, a Pluripotency Sustaining Factor in Embryonic Stem Cells Cell 30; 113: 643-655 (2003) • Ying QL Nichols J Chambers I Smith AG. BMP induction of Id proteins suppresses differentiation and sustains embryonic stem cell self-renewal in collaboration with STAT3. Cell 115(3):281-92 (2003)
Dr Shahragim Tajbakhsh: Institut Pasteur - Establishment and Maintenance of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells
	The research of Dr Tajbakhsh focuses on identifying and characterising skeletal muscle stem cells. A genetic approach in the mouse has been used to examine how skeletal muscle stem cells are born, and how they acquire their identity. In parallel, the role of symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions are investigated as a mechanism for governing stem cell self-renewal and differentiation during embryonic development and in the adult. Genetically engineered fluorescent markers permit the isolation of these stem cells for cell based therapies, as well as their tracking using in vivo imaging to follow their fate. Email: shaht@pasteur.fr
Key Publications: • Tajbakhsh, S., Rocancourt, D., & Buckingham, M. Redefining the genetic hierarchy controlling skeletal myogenesis: Pax3 and Myf5 act upstream of MyoD. Cell, 89, 127-138 (1997). • Heslop, L., Beauchamp, J.R., Tajbakhsh, S., Buckingham, M.E., & Zammit, P.S. Transplanted myoblasts can give rise to functional satellite cells as identified using the Myf5nlacZ/+ mouse. Gene Therapy. 8, 778-783 (2001). • Tajbakhsh S. Stem cells to tissue: molecular, cellular and anatomical heterogeneity in skeletal muscle. Curr Opin Genet Dev.13, 413-22 (2003).
Dr SImon Tomlinson: Institute for Stem Cell Research
	Email: simon.tomlinson@ed.ac.uk

Dr Lars Wahlberg: NsGene A/S
	Dr Wahlberg is Executive Vice President and COO of NsGene A/S. Ns Gene A/S is a biotechnology company internationally recognised in the field of treating neurodegenerative diseases by novel cell and gene based products. NsGene’s research is mainly focused on cell and molecular biology, with expertise in growing human foetal-derived neural stem cells and progenitors, with both epigenetic and genetic modification. Email: luw@nsgene.dk
Key Publications/Patents: • Skogh C, Eriksson C, Kokaia M, Meijer XC, Wahlberg LU, Wictorin K, Campbell K. Generation of regionally specified neurons in expanded glial cultures derived from the mouse and human lateral ganglionic eminence. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2001 May;17(5):811-20 • Xia Meijer, Nicolaj S. Christophersen, Ulrica Englund, Mette Gr¯nborg, _ke Seiger, Anders Bjˆrklund, and Lars U. Wahlberg Induction of dopaminergic neurons in growth factor expanded neural stem/progenitor cell cultures derived from the first trimester human forebrain. Experimental Neurology, accepted • Wahlberg, L, Campbell, K, Fagerstrˆm, C, Eriksson, C, Wictorin, K. Cultures of GFAP+ Nestin+ cells that differentiate to neurons, PCT WO 01/30981
Dr Fiona Watt: Cancer Research UK - Epidermal Stem Cell Biology and Cancer
	Dr Watt is a world expert in the field of epidermal stem cell biology and cancer. Her major interests are in the control of proliferation, differentiation and tissue assembly in adult epidermis and in the deregulation of these processes that occurs in benign and neoplastic disorders of epidermal cells. Email: fiona.watt@cancer.org.uk Web Site: science.cancerresearchuk.org
Key Publications: • Jensen, U.B., Lowell, S. and Watt, F.M. (1999) The spatial relationship between stem cells and their progeny in the basal layer of human epidermis: a new view based on whole mount labelling and lineage analysis. Development 126:2409-2418. • Zhu, A.J., Haase, I. and Watt, F.M. (1999) Signalling via b1 integrins and mitogen-activated protein kinase determines human epidermal stem cell fate in vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:6728-6733. • Arnold, I. and Watt, F.M. (2001) c-Myc activation in transgenic mouse epidermis results in mobilisation of stem cells and differentiation of their progeny. Current Biology 11:558-568.
Dr Val Wilson: Institute for Stem Cell Research
	Dr Wilson's research aims to identify and characterise the stem cell progenitors of the spinal cord and backbone with its associated muscles (the anteroposterior axis). Her lab has discovered a small group of cells that give rise to the spinal cord and backbone. The lab is currently investigating whether a single stem cell type, or several separate ones, produce these structures, and what factors specify stem cell maintenance and differentiation. Email: V.Wilson@ed.ac.uk Web Site: www.iscr.ed.ac.uk
Key Publications: • Tzouanacou et al. (2003) Identification of Jade1, a gene encoding a PHD zinc finger protein, in a gene trap mutagenesis screen for genes involved in anteroposterior axis development. Mol Cell Biol. 23(23):8553-2. • Cambray and Wilson (2002) A population of axial progenitors with extensive potency localised to the mouse chordoneural hinge. Development 129: 4855-4866(2002). • Wilson et al (1997) Expression of T protein in the primitive streak is necessary and sufficient for posterior mesoderm movement and somite differentiation. Dev Biol 192 (45-48)

Associate Principal Investigators Top

Dr Luciano Conti: University of Milano
	Dr Conti's research focuses on the on how controlled expression and activation of the Shc(s) family of adaptor molecules can be used to instruct proliferation and neuronal differentiation of neural stem cell populations. He has expertise in the generation and the in vivo and in vitro charaterization of fully defined populations of Neural Stem cells derived from ED cells and foetal/adult neural tissues. Email: luciano.conti@unimi.it Web Site: http://www.cattaneolab.it
Key Publications: • Conti L. and Cattaneo E. (2005) Controlling Neural Stem cells division within the Adult subventricular zone: an APPealing job. Trends in Neuroscience , 28: 57-59 • Conti L., Sipione S., Magrassi L., Bonfanti L., Peschanski M., Haddad B., Pelicci P., Rigamonti D., Pelicci G. and Cattaneo E. (2001) Shc(s) signalling in differentiating neural progenitor cells, Nature Neuroscience , 4: 579-586. • Conti L., De-Fraja C., Gulisano M., Migliaccio E., Govoni S. and Cattaneo E. (1997) Expression and activation of SH2/PTB-containing ShcA adaptor protein reflects the pattern of neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA , 94: 8184-8189.
Dr Christian Dani
	Email: Christian.dani@unice.fr

Dr Frank Edenhofer: University of Bonn Medical Centre
	Dr. Edenhofer's research group is investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying early commitment of embryonic stem cells and targeted differentiation into neural precursor cells. Their work focuses on transcription factors involved in the maintenance of pluripotency and neural development. His group has expertise in the field of conditional mutagenesis of mammalian cells and protein expression. His lab developed novel technologies of in vitro cell manipulation such as direct delivery of biologically active proteins into cells. Email: f.edenhofer@uni-bonn.de Web Site: www.protein-transduction.de
Key Publications: • Murakami, M, T. Ichisaka, M. Maeda, N. Oshiro, K. Hara, F. Edenhofer, H. Kiyama, K. Yonezawa & S. Yamanaka. (2004) mTOR is essential for Proliferation and Growth in Early Mouse Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cells. Mol. Cell. Biol. 24, 6710-6718 . • Peitz, M., K. Pfannkuche, K. Rajewsky & F. Edenhofer. (2002) Ability of the hydrophobic FGF and basic TAT peptides to promote cellular uptake of recombinant Cre recombinase: a tool for efficient genetic engineering of mammalian genomes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 4489-4494. • Wunderlich, F.T., H. Wildner, K. Rajewsky & F. Edenhofer. (2001) New variants of inducible Cre recombinase: a novel mutant of Cre-PR fusion protein exhibits enhanced sensitivity and an expanded range of inducibility. *Nucleic Acids Res* . 29 (2001) e47.
Professor Tariq Enver
	Professor of Stem Cell Biology, Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford , England Tariq Enver is particularly interested in the transcriptional control of stem and progenitor cell fate decisions in normal and malignant blood cell development. More recently his laboratory has become engaged in examining related issues in the context of human ES cell cultures. Email: tariq.enver@imm.ox.ac.uk

Dr Brian Hendrich: Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh
	The long-term goal of the Developmental Epigenetics Group is to define the role of epigenetic silencing in pluripotent cells both in culture and in the embryo, to clarify the epigenetic relationship between embryonic stem cells and the inner cell mass cells from which they are derived, and to provide insight into the molecular machinery that heritably maintains the pluripotent state. Email: brian.hendrich@ed.ac.uk Web Site
Key Publications: • Kaji, K., Nichols, J., and Hendrich, B.D. Mbd3, a component of the NuRD co-repressor complex, is required for development of pluripotent cells in mice. (2007) Development In Press. • Kaji, K., Caballero, I.M., MacLeod, R., Nichols, J., Wilson, V.A., and Hendrich, B.D. (2006) The NuRD component Mbd3 is required for pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. Nature Cell Biology 8:285-92. Epub 2006 Feb 5. • Martín Caballero, I. and Hendrich, B. (2005) MeCP2 in neurons: closing in on the causes of Rett syndrome. Human Molecular Genetics 14:R19-R26.
Dr Zaal Kokaia: Stem Cell Center, Lund University
	Email: Zaal.Kokaia@neurol.lu.se Web Site

Dr Liliana Minichiello: EMBL- Monterotondo
	Web Site

Dr Benoît ROBERT: Institut Pasteur
	Dr Robert's laboratory studies the function of Msx genes in inductive processes during development. Their work focus on limb and CNSdorsal midline formation. They are also interested in the expression of Msx genes as a signature for cell undifferentiation, and develop engineered alleles to isolate Msx-expressing cells from adult mice and evaluate their differentiation potential. Email: brobert@pasteur.fr Web Site: www.pasteur.fr
Key Publications: • Bach, A., Lallemand, Y., Nicola, M.-A., Ramos, C., Mathis, L., Maufras, M. and Robert, B. (2003). Msx1 is required for dorsal diencephalon patterning. Development 130, 4025-4036 • Houzelstein, D., Auda-Boucher, G., Cheraud, Y., Rouaud, T., Blanc, I., Tajbakhsh, S., Buckingham, M. E., Fontaine-Perus, J. and Robert, B. (1999). The homeobox gene Msx1 is expressed in a subset of somites, and in muscle progenitor cells migrating into the forelimb. Development 126, 2689-2701. • Houzelstein, D., Chéraud, Y., Auda-Boucher, G., Fontaine-Pérus, J. and Robert, B. (2000). The expression of the homeobox gene Msx1 reveals two populations of dermal progenitor cells originating from the somites. Development 127, 2155-2164.
Dr Giuseppe Testa: Stem Cell Center, Lund University
	Email: giuseppe.testa@ifom-ieo-campus.it Web Site