New Leader for Stem Cell Institute Arrives at U of M

Jonathan Slack, Ph.D., is expert in regenerative medicine

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (April 3, 2007) -- The University of Minnesota Medical School has selected a new director for its Stem Cell Institute.

Jonathan Slack, Ph.D., has come to Minnesota from the University of Bath, U.K., where he led the Biology and Biochemistry Department and served as the director of the Centre of Regenerative Medicine. His research is in developmental biology and involves how embryos develop from eggs.

"Stem cell research, and regenerative medicine generally, will have as much impact on our lives in the 21st century as did motor cars, antibiotics, and computers in the 20th,” Slack said.

The University’s Stem Cell Institute was established in 1999 to explore and test the potential of stem cells to improve human and animal health. Since then it has grown from the first of its kind to a leading center of interdisciplinary research encompassing more than 500 researchers from 17 University schools and centers.

Slack’s research focuses on mechanisms of transdifferentiation, such as attempting to reprogram cells from the liver and bile ducts into pancreatic beta cells, which would have implications for future diabetes treatments. He also has an interest in the ability of some animals, such as salamanders, to regenerate limbs or tails that have been lost or severed.

“I believe our Stem Cell Institute, which was the first to be established, will benefit greatly from Prof. Slack’s interest in advancing the science, his intellectual leadership, and his history of responsible stewardship,” said Medical School Dean Deborah E. Powell, M.D.

Slack completed his first degree in biochemistry at Balliol College, Oxford University, and earned his doctorate at Edinburgh University. The author of more than 170 scholarly papers, he also has published three books. In 2004, Slack was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, a group in the United Kingdom that is dedicated to moving scientific breakthroughs into clinical care.

Slack succeeds Catherine Verfaillie, M.D., who retains a 10 percent appointment at the University and now leads a stem cell institute in her native Belgium.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Sara E. Buss, Academic  Health Center, 612-624-2449
Liz Wulderk, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680