Professor Robert Blelloch, University of California, San Francisco

The Blelloch Lab is engaged in the investigation of the molecular underpinnings of cellular differentiation and de‐differentiation especially as related to normal development and the aberrant development of cancer. Toward this end, the roles of non‐coding RNAs, i.e. micro RNAs, are of special interest to the lab because of their ability to cause widespread changes in the cellular environment. Working in this context the lab has made advances in methodology for reprogramming somatic cells to become stem cells in mice and is currently working to translate this to human cell lines.