Description of Research Expertise

I established and direct the induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Core facility at the University of Pennsylvania. My group has over 12 years of experience in developing human cellular models of disease using iPSCs. We have generated hiPSC lines from more than 200 normal and diseased human subjects and have characterized some of these lines extensively. We also routinely employ CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create genetic modifications in PSCs including gene reporters, gene knock-outs and single base knock-in cell lines. Another major strength of my group is establishing robust and reproducible protocols based on published literature for differentiation of PSCs into various cell lineages, which include but limited to cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, adipocytes, skeletal muscle cells and pancreatic beta cells. Of note, I played a key role in a NIH funded project (U01 HG006398) demonstrating iPSC-hepatocytes are a powerful and relevant model for discovering and interrogating functional variants and genes contributing to complex human diseases. My group collaborates extensively with Penn and external stem cell research communities to facilitate research in the areas of cardiomyocyte biology, adipocyte biology, lung regeneration, hepatocyte biology, muscle cell therapy and type 1 diabetes using the above-mentioned research tools that we have developed. In addition to directing the Core, I have an active research program aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which candidate GWAS genetic variants and genes associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) affect the function of T2D-relevant cell types. In particular, I am interested in understanding the contribution of skeletal muscle expressed genes in the development of insulin resistance and diabetes using human cell lines and stem-cell derived myocytes.