Professor of the Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology of the University of Sao Paulo - Brazil. 15 years of experience in biomedical and biotechnology research. Co-founder of several biotech startups. Scientific advisor for biotech startups. Inventor of several patents in advanced therapies (e.g. oncolytic viral therapy, stem cell-based products, etc), author of several high-impact papers in the field (e.g. Nature, Biofabrication, Cancer Research, etc), and an active member of International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy. Currently working in Business Development, connecting the private sector to Academia, and developing partnerships in stem cell-based therapy, bioengineering, gene editing, CAR-T technology, xenotransplantation, cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine.

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E-mail: ernesto.goulart@ib.usp.br

To develop therapies for liver diseases, especially liver scarring and fatty liver, we need to mimic the human body in a laboratory environment. In our research group, we transform blood cells into iPSC, which can generate hepatocytes and enable us to model liver diseases. However, the hepatocytes produced in the laboratory are similar to the ones of a baby, making it unreliable to study diseases developed in adults due to alcohol consumption and eating disorders. In my PhD, I use small molecules to age fetal hepatocytes. Thus, my goal is to produce adult liver cells in the laboratory that will allow drug screening and therapy development.

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E-mail: kayque.silva@usp.br

Lara is a PhD candidate in the Genetics and Evolutionary Biology program at the Institute of Biosciences, focusing on unraveling the signaling and gene networks underlying cellular specialization, particularly in liver cells. Her project delves into the mechanisms of liver-like cell lineage establishment via transdifferentiation, a process where differentiated cells are coerced into adopting another cell type. Employing a range of genetic and epigenetic modification techniques, Lara investigates diverse cell types to further her research objectives.

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E-mail: laraborgesp@usp.br

Sabrina is a PhD student in the Genetics and Evolutionary Biology program at the Institute of Biosciences, with a keen interest in the application of induced pluripotent stem cells in drug screening. Her project aims to establish a platform for real-time detection of cell death in differentiated stem cells when exposed to pharmaceutical compounds. To achieve this, Sabrina conducts genetic editing on iPSCs and differentiates them into three-dimensional hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. Additionally, she explores microfluidic platforms to identify drug toxicity.

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E-mail: sabrina_kaori@usp.br

Fernanda is a PhD candidate in the Interunit Graduate Program in Biotechnology, focusing her research on the formation of functional oocytes and spermatocytes. Her work involves the differentiation of genetically modified induced pluripotent stem cells from pigs, aiming to obtain viable cells with the goal of providing significant advancements in regenerative medicine and the field of xenotransplantation.

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E-mail: chianca@usp.br

Gustavo is deeply engaged in research aimed at developing and characterizing a novel lineage of human pluripotent cells. His work involves the application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to disable genes within the Major Histocompatibility Complex, responsible for cellular recognition by the immune system, while also introducing recombinant genes to confer upon pluripotent cells the ability to evade natural killer cell-induced death. The project seeks to establish a universal cell lineage capable of differentiation into any cell type, paving the way for transplantation and other tissue therapies without risk of rejection.

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E-mail: gustavo3217@usp.br