Krista M. Fridley, B.S.
Graduate Research Assistant
Office: BME 5.408
krista.fridley@mail.utexas.edu

Research Focus: Hematopoietic Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The study of embryonic stem (ES) cells and differentiation pathways into various cell lineages has made great progress in recent years. However, most ES cell work has focused on differentiation in two dimensional static culture systems. My research includes investigating and optimizing various dynamic culture parameters in order to maximize the generation of hematopoietic progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells. A great motivation for investigating stem cells lies in their potential for cell based therapies to replace damaged cells in the body. For example, hematopoietic cells that are differentiated from ES cells can be applied to treat several diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, anemia, and immunodeficiency. Our goal is to maximize the generation of hematopoietic cells that can be used for cell based therapies.