Overcoming Obstacles in Stem Cell Research: An Evening with the Stem Cell Podcast

Dr. Arun Sharma received his PhD from Stanford University, specializing in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Currently, Dr. Sharma is an Assistant Professor at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Regenerative Medicine Institute, where he uses human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to model cardiovascular diseases “in-a-dish” and to develop cell-based screening platforms for drug toxicity. Dr. Sharma is a long-time proponent of science communication and joined the Stem Cell Podcast as a co-host in 2019.

Dr. Aiyar is an experienced geneticist turned science communicator with a passion for advancing diversity in science. She leads NYSCF’s scientific outreach as well as their DEI strategy, including our internal affinity groups to support marginalized groups, our DEIB-focused events and communications, our initiative to build a diverse stem cell biobank, and our inclusive grantmaking efforts. 

Trained in biology and bioinformatics at the University of Waterloo, she received her PhD at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Germany, where she used genomics technology to investigate new therapeutic strategies for mitochondrial diseases. Since then, Dr. Aiyar has dedicated her career to science communication, engaging a variety of audiences through writing, training, and outreach. In her current role, she oversees NYSCF’s scientific communication initiatives, developing content for diverse audiences through print and digital media as well as event programming.

Dr. Paull spearheaded the development of the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array®, our automated system for creating stem cells, and leads a team of >30 scientists and engineers that work across a variety of diseases. A critical component of The Array is our ethnic diversity biobank, made of cells from hundreds of diverse patients across various diseases, that can be used in research to ensure everyone benefits from stem cell research. Dr. Paull works closely on this biobank, and has a special interest in making disease research more inclusive.

Dr. Paull received his PhD in Ophthalmology and Cell Biology from University College London, England, and performed his postdoctoral work in the lab of Dr. Dieter Egli at NYSCF. In the latter role, he laid the groundwork for developing the NYSCF automation systems by gaining a firm understanding of how to create stem cells and turn them into the other cell types of the body.

Laura Andres-Martin leads the NYSCF Women’s Reproductive Cancers Initiative, which aims to shift paradigms in the way women’s cancers are studied and treated. Her team has built a biobank of ovarian cancer patient samples to fuel the discovery of personalized therapies, and she hopes her work will help accelerate solutions for those suffering from this understudied disease.

Dr. Andres-Martin received her PhD from the University of Salamanca in Spain. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Weill Cornell Medicine, focusing on neurodegenerative disorders and adult stem cell biology. In 2015, she was awarded a NYSCF – Druckenmiller Postdoctoral Fellowship and has been an integral member of the NYSCF community ever since.