Panelist

Research in the laboratory of Arun Sharma, PhD, focuses on the applications of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for modeling cardiovascular diseases in-vitro. The lab utilizes cutting-edge technologies including hiPSCs, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, cardiac microfluidic organ-chips, and cardiac organoids in studies aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms driving cardiovascular diseases. For example, the Sharma laboratory employs hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (personalized, beating heart muscle cells) to model cardiac viral infections occurring during COVID-19, to examine the developmental mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease, and to understand ways to alleviate the cardiovascular toxicities caused by chemotherapeutic agents. The Sharma lab also has a unique background and interest in space biology, and investigates means by which stem cell biology can intersect with this emerging field.