UCSF Broad Stem Cell Research Center

The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and miscarriage.

“This work gives us a much clearer picture of this critical region than ever before,” asserts Jingjing Li, PhD.

Discover more from the work of Broad Center researchers and colleagues in the article link below.

Can Pregnancy Risks Be Telegraphed in the Cellular Mom-Baby Link? A new study by UCSF researchers who mapped the maternal-fetal interface, which is the boundary where the mother's uterus and the developing baby's placenta meet, has yielded some surprising findings with potential public health consequences.

Congratulations to Shuang Li, Malte Lucken, John Marioni, Sarah Teichmann, and Peng He on their new publication in Nature Computational Science! 🎉

In “Toward informed batch correction for single-cell transcriptome integration,” the team reviews widely used data cleaning and integration methods in single-cell analysis and outlines a path forward for more informed approaches.

They envision future frameworks that learn interpretable gene and cell representations—enabling more precise modeling of both technical and biological variation.

A thoughtful contribution to advancing single-cell genomics and data integration. Learn more: https://rdcu.be/e4cSp

rdcu.be

Fifteen years ago today, UCSF celebrated the opening of the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building on the Parnassus campus — a milestone for regenerative medicine research.

Take a look back at opening day and move-in moments captured by photographers Susan Merrell and Cindy Chew.

Curious what our scientists are advancing today? Explore our latest annual report: https://stemcell.ucsf.edu/2024-2025-ucsf-broad-center-annual-report

🎉 Calling all Broad Center / Dolby Building alumni!

As we look ahead to the 15th anniversary of the Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building, we’re hoping to reconnect with members of the Broad Center community who trained or worked in the building over the years.

If you spent time in the Dolby building—as a student, postdoc, fellow, or scientist—we’d love to hear from you and stay in touch as we think about ways to mark this milestone.

📩 Please reach out to us at [email protected]

🔁 And feel free to share this post with others who may have been part of the Dolby / Broad Center community.

New Publication!

Dissecting gene regulatory networks governing human cortical cell fate - Nature Systematic screening of transcription factors reveals conserved mechanisms governing cortical radial glia lineage progression across primates and provides a framework for functional dissection of gene regulatory networks in human cortical neurogenesis.

Researchers in Diana Laird's Lab discovered that the decline in female fertility with age isn’t driven solely by eggs — other cells in the o***y, including glia and fibroblasts, influence ovarian health and aging. This finding — part of UC’s top discoveries of 2025 — could transform how we understand and treat infertility in the future.

10 awesome discoveries from UC research in 2025 A year of new treatments, new technologies, new ways to stay safe during disasters and new insights on the mysteries of the galaxy, our planet and our past.

Congrats to Kyle Cromer, PhD, on receiving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award! Dr. Cromer is working on developing better treatments for sickle cell disease by helping the bone marrow produce more healthy red blood cells. 🧬

UCSF Wins 7 Prestigious NIH Awards for High-Impact Work Seven UCSF investigators are receiving the prestigious award for their research from the National Institutes of Health.

Congratulations to Eliza Ga***rd, Mariko Foecke, Ryan Samuel, Bikem Soygur, Tara McIntyre, Faranak Fattahi, Diana Laird, and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco (CZ Biohub SF) on their new publication in Science.

Why does female fertility decline so fast? The key is in the o***y. For decades, scientists have pointed to declining egg quality as the main culprit. But this new research shows that the story is bigger than the eggs: The surrounding cells and tissues of the o***y play a crucial role in how eggs mature and how quickly fertility wanes. The work is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Their paper, “Comparative analysis of human and mouse ovaries across age,” helps define shared and species-specific hallmarks of ovarian biology.

Understanding these changes may hold the key not only to extending fertility, but also to improving health. The risks of many age-related diseases rise after menopause or o***y removal, and slowing ovarian aging could help reduce these risks.

The work is featured by The Scientist and UCSF News.

Read more: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx0659

Coverage:
https://www.the-scientist.com/a-cellular-atlas-of-the-aging-o***y-reveals-how-fertility-fades-73571

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10/430841/why-does-female-fertility-decline-so-fast-key-o***y

Why Does Female Fertility Decline So Fast? The Key Is the O***y New research shows that the surrounding cells and tissues of the o***y play a crucial role in how eggs mature and how quickly fertility wanes.

Congratulations to our Broad Center members (Bruce Conklin, Tippi MacKenzie, Jingjing Li, Benoit Bruneau, and Holger Willenbring) and colleagues on their newly awarded CIRM Discovery (DISC0) grants! 🔬

CIRM has approved funding for a new slate of discovery research projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in regenerative medicine. These projects represent innovative approaches to address some of the most challenging and devastating diseases, offering the potential for transformative treatments for patients who currently have limited options.

Read about all the awardees here: https://lnkd.in/e8JSWQif

“Discovery research is critical for uncovering novel disease targets and biomarkers that we can translate into therapies for clinical use,” said Kelly Shepard, PhD, Director of Discovery & Education programs at CIRM.

“[These] projects have the potential to address gaps in our current knowledge, advance our understanding of the origins and mechanisms of disease, and expand existing applications of stem cell and gene therapy-based treatments.”