Michigan Center for hES Research

Our History

The Michigan Center for hES Cell Research was established in 2002 within the Center for Organogenesis with generous funding from the Medical School's Endowment for the Basic Sciences.

In 2003, the Center was awarded an Exploratory Center Grant for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research from the National Institutes of Health (1 P20 GM069985-01) to expand and further support hES cell research at the University. Upon completion of the Medical School's Biomedical Science Research Building in 2006, the Center relocated to this new state of the art facility.

Our Goals

The goal of the hES Cell Center is to provide training, technologies, and education in human embryonic stem cell biology.

1. We are a tissue culture Core Facility established to maintain hES cell lines, provide quality control and share expertise, protocols, and reagents within the U of M scientific community. The Core will also be engaged in basic research under the direction of the Core Director.
2. The Core Facility provides coursework and hands on training in the culture of human embryonic stem cells for faculty, staff, and students.
3. Graduate coursework, seminar programs, and an annual symposium have been established as educational opportunities for the scientific community.
4. Education of the general public on the facts and potential benefits of human embryonic stem cell research is also part of our goal. The Center participates in community outreach and provides educational opportunities through a variety of programs.

Our Research

More than 40 scientists are active participants in the Center for hES Cell Research. The research ranges in scope from studies of the fundamental biology of stem cells and the human embryo, to understanding the development of all the organ systems in the body, to therapeutics and bioengineering of tissues and organs.