Podcast
reGEN Podcast
Hosted by Bobby Gordon · EN
The Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI) reGen Podcast features engaging and innovative discussions with a focus on the following topics: stem cell science; regenerative medicine; clinical trials; research outcomes; and, space and low Earth orbit-based research. Guests include UC San Diego Sanford SSCI experts and team members, academic luminaries, Nobel laureates, and industry and government leaders in the field. The ReGen Podcast is based in San Diego, CA, and is hosted by SSCI team member Bobby Gordon.
About the Sanford Stem Cell Institute
The UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI) is a global leader in regenerative medicine and a hub for stem cell science and innovation in space, representing six (6) research Centers, the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic, and a Brain Tumor & Neuro-Restoration Program. SSCI aims to catalyze critical basic research discoveries, translational advances, and clinical progress — terrestrially and in space — to develop and deliver novel therapeutics to patients.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Innovative Cancer Stem Cell Therapies | Andreas Trumpp, PhD
2w ago00:22:43Tap to summarizeProfessor Andreas Trumpp, PhD, discusses his innovative and breakthrough findings from stem cells in leukemia to neuronal interactions in pancreatic cancer. Since 2008, Trumpp has led the Stem Cells and Cancer division at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). In 2008, he became the founding director of the Stem Cell Institute HI-STEM. He is also the coordinator of the Research Program A, Cell and Tumor Biology at the DKFZ and co-director of the DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance. Trumpp's lab explores the principles of normal and malignant stem cell function, as well as mechanisms of therapy resistance at the molecular, genomic, metabolic, and single-cell levels. His team focusses on AML, breast- and pancreatic cancers aiming to identify and overcome resistance mechanisms within a personalized and precision oncology framework. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/09XYnFznjyw Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025 and all information presented is current as of this date.
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Stem Cells, Space and Cardiovascular Biology | Arun Sharma, PhD
Jun 2400:28:23Tap to summarizeOur conversation with Arun Sharma, PhD, discusses his work as a stem cell biologist, focusing on cardiovascular biology and space biosciences. He is an associate professor at Cedars-Sinai and is affiliated with the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, the Smidt Heart Institute and the Cancer Institute and the Department of Biomedical Sciences. He is the director of the Center for Space Medicine Research and the director of the CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) Shared Resources Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai. Sharma also co-hosts The Stem Cell Podcast. Research in the Sharma laboratory focuses on the applications of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for modeling cardiovascular diseases outside of the body (in-vitro). The lab utilizes cutting-edge technologies including hiPSCs, genome editing, cardiac organ-on-chips and 3D cardiac spheroids/organoids to understand the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular disease and heart development. In 2016, Sharma led a project that sent human stem cell-derived heart cells to the International Space Station (ISS) to study the effects of microgravity on human heart function, which was the first long-duration cell culture experiment in space. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and information presented herein is current at the time of recording. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OShNKaFfJfc
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Stem Cells and Neurological Applications | Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD
Jun 500:17:06Tap to summarizeThis episode of the reGEN Podcast features our conversation with Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, who serves as a clinical professor of neurosciences and as a clinical trial expert with the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center Alpha Clinic at UC San Diego. Her work includes a focus on Multiple Sclerosis and emerging therapeutic applications for this and other neurological conditions with stem cells and regenerative medicine. Graves oversees active clinical trials at the UC San Diego Alpha Clinic for MS and is a prolific published researcher. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Aug. 18, 2025, and information presented herein is current at the time of recording. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GoTI9QZ-V-U
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Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center | Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH
May 2200:30:17Tap to summarizeThis episode features Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH, and an overview of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center where Morris serves as director. The Clinical Center at UC San Diego encompasses a wide scope of services and outreach, including the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Alpha Clinic, clinical trials, community engagement, CIRM grant application assistance and management. We discuss the importance of the collaborative nature of the Clinical Center partnering with trial experts from UC San Diego Health, industry leaders and other researchers for novel discoveries and therapeutics related to stem cells, regenerative medicine and gene therapies. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on April 7, 2025, and information presented is current as of the date of this recording. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5E_YA0-PKm8
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A Conversation with CIRM's President and CEO | Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD
May 700:33:30Tap to summarizeThis episode features our conversation with Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Thomas was previously the chair of the CIRM governing board from June 2011 to March 2023 and has played an integral role in supporting patient-centric research, strategies and outcomes within the Alpha Clinic network and UC San Diego's Sanford Stem Cell Institute. We discuss his history with CIRM and the impact the organization has had across California. Thomas has a long-standing commitment to patient advocacy. He spent more than 15 years on the board of the Crippled Children's Society of Southern California and served as chair for four years. The organization, now called AbilityFirst, assists children with spinal cord injuries and mental disabilities that could be targets of stem cell therapies. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and information presented herein is current at the time of recording.
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Stem Cells and Cancer, In Vivo Discoveries
Apr 1500:24:02Tap to summarizeOur conversation with Tannishtha Reya, PhD, reviews her work and publications on understanding the mechanisms that drive cancer initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. Her research also includes developing high resolution in vivo imaging approaches to map normal stem cell behavior and interactions within a living organism, to define how these change during cancer formation. Tannishtha is the associate director for Translational Research and director of the Irving Drug Discovery Program at Columbia's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is also a former professor with the UC San Diego School of Medicine. An expert in how stem cells fuel cancer growth, she is known for co-authoring a publication in Nature in 2001 that coined the term 'cancer stem cell' to describe how some cancer cells can mirror the properties of stem cells in normal tissues. Reya's laboratory has uncovered critical pathways and therapeutic targets in leukemia and pancreatic cancer, contributing to clinical trials and approvals for new therapies. She has been recognized for her contributions to the field with many prestigious awards, including an NIH Director's Pioneer Award and an NCI Outstanding Investigator Award. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 16, 2025, and information is current as of the time of this recording.
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Novel Therapeutics and Discoveries | Leo D. Wang, MD, PhD
Apr 200:18:56Tap to summarizeOur conversation with Leo D. Wang, MD, PhD, includes unique insights into novel discoveries and therapeutics for HIV, diabetes, cancer and other conditions. As the director of the City of Hope Alpha Clinic, we discuss the innovative and collaborative nature of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Alpha Clinic network. The City of Hope was the first of now nine CIRM Alpha Clinics, designed to improve patient access to stem cell and regenerative medicine clinical trials for all Californians. Leo Wang also serves as an associate professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Immuno-Oncology, and the division chief of cell, gene, and transplantation therapy at City of Hope, a cancer hospital located outside of Los Angeles, CA, with additional affiliate locations. He leads a research lab dedicated to reprogramming the immune system to fight childhood cancers, where his team works to modify the body's own immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells. Additionally, his lab studies how these engineered cellular therapies interact with tumors and the native immune system. Wang also oversees clinical trials that use these "living medicines" to treat pediatric brain tumors and other aggressive cancers. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and information is current as of the time of this recording.
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Medical Resilience in Space | Dana Levin, MD, MPH
Mar 1800:27:03Tap to summarizeDana Levin, MD, MPH, serves as the director of Space Medicine for Vast. As the International Space Station plans for decommission in 2030, Vast is an industry pioneer with developing the first commercial space station, Haven-1, for long-term human habitation of low Earth orbit. We discuss the implications of humans inhabiting space in this new frontier of opportunities, challenges, questions and implications for human health and medicine. Dana's background before his role at Vast includes working for NASA as a clinical scientist for the human research program, developing methods to assess medical risk for deep space missions and designing medical systems to mitigate them. He was also the clinical lead for NASA's artificial intelligence clinical decision support task force. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and information is current as of the time of this recording. Note, since recording, Vast has released a new launch timeline of 2027 for Haven-1.
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The Intersection of AI and Medicine | Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA
Mar 400:42:46Tap to summarizeOur conversation this week is with Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, a digital health and AI expert whose research focuses on AI systems modeling and other computer-aided approaches within the healthcare industry. Bruce has founded, built, and led multiple initiatives in systems science, AI, mathematical and computer modeling, digital health, operations research and science/health communications, including research consortia, centers at universities and independent companies. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 15, 2025, and information presented herein is current at the time of recording.
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Regenerative Medicine: From the Amazon Rainforest to Space | Alysson Muotri, PhD
Feb 1800:32:47Tap to summarizeOur conversation with Alysson Muotri, PhD, covers a broad scope of topics including his innovative work and discoveries in space-based research, Neanderthal DNA, and groundbreaking breakthroughs in regenerative medicine and indigenous plants found in the Amazon Rainforest. Muotri serves as the director of the Sanford Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center (ISSCOR) at UC San Diego's Sanford Stem Cell Institute, leading numerous research missions in sustained microgravity and low-Earth orbit. His work includes a focus on generating human disease models to determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving complex neurological disorders like autism and Alzheimer's disease, while identifying and testing novel therapeutic approaches. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 2, 2025, and information presented is current as of the date of this recording. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O1RvSe5GJQY
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