Stefano Di Talia, assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology, has been awarded the Shipley Foundation Award in Innovative Stem Cell Science. The award seeks to catalyze early-stage research with the potential to make significant strides in advancing human health. Dr. Di Talia is one of only eight researchers nationwide to receive the award.
Di Talia will focus on understanding the regulation of tissue shape during regeneration. When a body part is damaged or injured and then begins to grow back, it’s especially important for it to grow back into the shape it once was, because shape is often related to function, said Di Talia, who studies tissue regeneration in zebrafish and flies.
“For example, the V-shape of a zebrafish’s fin helps it to swim well,” he said. “It would not be beneficial for the fish for the fin to grow back in the shape of a rectangle.”
The award funding will help Di Talia continue his research in elucidating how signaling dynamics coordinate the process of growth and proliferation during regeneration. Building on the quantitative interdisciplinary methods his lab developed to study fly embryogenesis, he will now focus on building a quantitative understanding of how signaling patterns, such as waves, help coordinate tissue shape during regeneration.
“I am honored to receive this award,” said Di Talia. “It means a lot to see our work recognized, especially because I am relatively new to the field of stem cell biology and regeneration. This transition was inspired and supported by my colleagues in the Department of Cell Biology. This award recognizes both the creative work of my trainees and the wonderful community seeded by Regeneration Next, which allowed us to seamlessly transition into a new exciting field.”