Melanie Generali PhD

In the early 1960s, the key properties of stem cells were defined by Ernest McCulloch and James Till and presented a breakthrough that provided a stepping stone for future science. Melanie discovered her deep interest in stem cells 6 years ago and it continues and grows.

She studied biology first in Germany and later on in Switzerland. In 2014, she started her PhD at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM) of the University of Zurich. Her project involved the reprogramming of blood cells into iPSCs, followed by the differentiation into smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. The final goal was the manufacturing of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVG). During her postdoc, she generated and purified clinical-grade iPSC-derived cardio­myocy­tes to regenerate ischemic heart tissue in close collaboration with the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA, Kyoto, Japan). Since July 2021 she has been Head of the iPSC Core Facility at IREM.