Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests
Hematopoiesis has long been modeled as a stepwise hierarchical process, where all blood arises from a group of rare multipotent stem cells. In recent years, we have made major contributions that have challenged this paradigm, revealing an extensive heterogeneity among individual stem cells and their differentiation trajectories. To study heterogeneity, our lab develops advanced genetic tools that allow the simultaneous recording of progeny and state for thousands of single cells at a time. Using these methods, termed single-cell lineage tracing, we have uncovered distinct gene regulatory states linked with heritable fates during regeneration. More recently, we have been focused on how these differences in fate behaviors arise during development and how they influence cellular responses to leukemic mutations and aging. We propose that mapping cellular phylogenetics will lead to a revolution in understanding and treating disease.