Sanford Stem Cell Institute

05/28/2026

How can we catch cancer sooner — and treat it smarter? We’re thrilled to have the work of our Ludmil B. Alexandrov, PhD, a prominent computational biologist, featured in this piece from UC San Diego Health.

Learn more about Alexandrov’s highly innovative work to streamline the detection of early-onset colorectal and oral cancer here: https://bit.ly/4wVSABt. UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering

05/27/2026

Join us on June 26 for the inaugural summit of the Sanford Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR) Center at the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, where we will convene multidisciplinary presentations and discussions dedicated to shaping the future of human space exploration and translational efforts in space. RSVP to attend in-person or virtually here: https://bit.ly/4wnNrSu.

05/26/2026

https://bit.ly/3PKTvnx Tune in for our latest reGEN podcast interview with Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center, as we discuss his past and current research, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Alpha Clinic, clinical trials and other related topics. Watch 📺 or listen 🎧 where you find your podcasts.

This episode features Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH, and an overview of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center where Morris serves as director. The Clinical Center ...

05/21/2026

🔬 We're grateful for Mayo Clinic’s Joe Sirven, MD, mentioning our cutting-edge space-based research on KJZZ Phoenix. 🌌

Read his insightful Artemis-inspired commentary here: https://bit.ly/4unQ8Sz.

05/20/2026

🛰️ Researchers — including those at SSCI — are working to determine if the unique conditions of low Earth orbit are favorable for drug discovery, development and/or production. 💊 Could these same conditions be favorable for transplantation, too? Our Alysson R. Muotri, PhD, explores this (maybe not so) far-out topic on a recent episode of the Business Trip podcast. 🎙️

🎧 Listen here: https://bit.ly/4dl5uBr.

H/t UC San Diego School of Medicine

05/18/2026

🎉 Today we’re celebrating the successful docking of SpaceX CRS-34 to the International Space Station National Laboratory on Sunday — and the arrival of our research to the cosmos! 🛰️ It’s the 19th time the institute has sent experiments to space to learn more about neurological health, stem cells and cancer — for the benefit of both astronauts and Earth-bound humans. 👩‍🚀

📡 Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky and X to stay up-to-date on our latest launches and research findings. 🚀 UC San Diego School of Medicine

05/14/2026

🌌 A common question we get is, “Why perform research in space?” 🤔 In the latest Science Friday episode, our Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, and Meenal Datta, PhD, explore numerous reasons — including the tendency of space to activate the “dark genome.” 🧬

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/3RoqLl0 UC San Diego School of Medicine

05/11/2026

https://bit.ly/4ffhe9K Tune in for our reGEN Podcast 🎙️ with Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). We discuss the innovative and collaborative nature of the Alpha Clinic network and the California voter-supported initiatives supporting patient-focused novel therapeutics, clinical trials, gene therapies and more. Watch 📺 or listen 🎧 where you find your podcasts.

This episode features our conversation with Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Thomas ...

05/01/2026

👩‍🚀 Call us space cadets in the best of ways — heads in the clouds, eyes set on the stars and, this , preparing for our 19th and 20th research project launches, aboard SpaceX CRS-34, scheduled for liftoff 4 p.m. PDT May 12 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 🚀 Stay tuned for more exciting news on the launch and what our researchers endeavor to discover! 🛰️

04/30/2026

🎇 Today we celebrate Nicole Griffin, the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center’s clinic manager, for her more than 20 years of service at UC San Diego. 🥳 We couldn’t do it without you, Nicole, and are so grateful for your care, expertise and dedication! ✨