University of Maryland
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund
2026 Award Recipients (First Round):
LAUNCH GRANT:
Dr. Herana Seneviratne
Understanding Drug-Induced Neurotoxicity Using Stem Cells
Understanding Drug-Induced Neurotoxicity Using Stem Cells
2025 Award Recipients:
DISCOVERY GRANT:
Dr. Seth Ament
Convergent Effects of Genetic and Inflammatory Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders on the Development of Human Purkinje Cells
Convergent Effects of Genetic and Inflammatory Risk Factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders on the Development of Human Purkinje Cells
Dr. Curt Civin
Molecular Regulation of Human Erythropoiesis by SIX
Molecular Regulation of Human Erythropoiesis by SIX
Dr. Jiabing Fan
Engineering Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosome Mimetics for Osteoporosis Treatment
Engineering Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosome Mimetics for Osteoporosis Treatment
Dr. Ricardo Feldman
Therapeutic Targets in Microglia for Prevention and Treatment of GBA1-Associated Parkinson's Disease
Therapeutic Targets in Microglia for Prevention and Treatment of GBA1-Associated Parkinson's Disease
Dr. Younggeon Jin
Finetuning of MSC Priming for Mucosal Healing in IBD: Dual Targeting Intestinal Stem Cell Regeneration and Immunomodulation
Finetuning of MSC Priming for Mucosal Healing in IBD: Dual Targeting Intestinal Stem Cell Regeneration and Immunomodulation
Dr. Daniel Lobo
Revealing the Genetic Drivers and Regulation of Human Hematopoietic Stem-Progenitor Cell Differentiation with a Systems Approach
Revealing the Genetic Drivers and Regulation of Human Hematopoietic Stem-Progenitor Cell Differentiation with a Systems Approach
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP:
Dr. Sterling Arjona
Mentor: Dr. Seth Ament
Implication of SETD1A Loss-of-Function in DNA Replication Stress During Neural Induction
Mentor: Dr. Seth Ament
Implication of SETD1A Loss-of-Function in DNA Replication Stress During Neural Induction
Dr. Luis Carlos Pinzon Herrera
Mentor: Dr. Jorge Almodovar
Mentor: Dr. Jorge Almodovar
Innovative Strategies for Schwann Cell Precursor Studies Using hiPSC-Derived Models on ECM Coatings: Advancing Myelination, Morphological Insights, and Neural Regeneration
Dr. Siddharth Shah
Mentor: Dr. Graeme Woodworth
Mechanobiology of Confined Migration in Human Neural Stem Cells: In Vivo Visualization and Ex Vivo Mechanical Mapping
Mentor: Dr. Graeme Woodworth
Mechanobiology of Confined Migration in Human Neural Stem Cells: In Vivo Visualization and Ex Vivo Mechanical Mapping
LAUNCH GRANT:
Dr. Zubair Ahmed
Molecular Modulators of Autophagy
Molecular Modulators of Autophagy
Dr. Vivek Garg
Biophysics of Mitochondrial Membranes in Cardiolipin-Deficient iPSCs: Pathophysiology and Treatment of Barth Syndrome (BTHS)
Biophysics of Mitochondrial Membranes in Cardiolipin-Deficient iPSCs: Pathophysiology and Treatment of Barth Syndrome (BTHS)
Dr. Erin Green
Leveraging Human iPSC Models for Mechanistic Investigation of Chromatin Regulators Linked to Rare Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Leveraging Human iPSC Models for Mechanistic Investigation of Chromatin Regulators Linked to Rare Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Dr. Whitney Parker
A Human Neurodevelopmental Model for Investigating the role of STRADA in Inhibitory Neuron Cortical Lamination and Epilepsy
A Human Neurodevelopmental Model for Investigating the role of STRADA in Inhibitory Neuron Cortical Lamination and Epilepsy
Dr. Alexandros Poulopoulos
iPSC Platforms to Develop Genome Restoration Strategies Using Cas9-RC
iPSC Platforms to Develop Genome Restoration Strategies Using Cas9-RC
Dr. Robin Roychaudhuri
Role of Lipid Metabolic Signatures in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Alzheimer's Disease Neurons
Role of Lipid Metabolic Signatures in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Alzheimer's Disease Neurons
Dr. Ryan Sochol
Automated Stem Cell Radiolabeling via 3D Microprinting-Enabled Microfluidics
Automated Stem Cell Radiolabeling via 3D Microprinting-Enabled Microfluidics
Dr. Dudley Strickland
Use of iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells to Identify Functional Defects in LRP1
Use of iPSC-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells to Identify Functional Defects in LRP1
Dr. Sui Seng Tee
Peripheral Lipid Metabolism as a Modulator of Synucleinopathies
Peripheral Lipid Metabolism as a Modulator of Synucleinopathies
For More Information
For a complete list of all MSCRF Awardees, visit the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund website.