Sergiu Pasca Awarded 2022 IBRO-Dargut and Milena Kemali International Prize for Research

NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Sergiu P. Pasca, MD, of Stanford University, has been awarded the 2022 IBRO-Dargut and Milena Kemali International Prize for Research in the field of Basic and Clinical Sciences “in recognition of his innovative research work using stem cell technology to create human brain organoids and assembloids, and their application to realistic studies of cellular mechanisms of human brain development and disease mechanisms.”    

This award is presented every two years to an outstanding researcher, under the age of 45, who has made important contributions in the field of Basic or Clinical Neuroscience.  

Dr. Pasca’s research uses stem cells to model neuropsychiatric disorders and illuminate their underpinnings. His lab leverages organoids – 3D clusters of human brain tissue made from stem cells – to explore the drivers of disease and identify new treatment targets.

Recent studies from Dr. Pasca’s team include development of a method for retracing how the brain develops after birth, creation of a human nerve circuit in a dish, and identification of how a genetic mutation leads to schizophrenia. He is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Bonnie Uytengsu and Family Director of Stanford Brain Organogenesis.