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Marta Shahbazi is a researcher at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, where her work centers on understanding the mechanisms controlling pluripotent stem cell identity and fate within a physiological 3D context. Her research addresses how pluripotent cells in mammalian embryos change in shape and identity, which lays the foundation for body plan development. The work emphasizes the potential of transcription factor-mediated reprogramming of pluripotent cells as a promising approach to tissue regeneration and repair. Current projects in the Shahbazi lab explore the molecular determinants that govern pluripotency, especially the emerging understanding of how non-physiological 2D cultures fail to represent actual biological conditions. The lab investigates how the 3D organization of tissues regulates stem cell differentiation and identity, focusing on how epithelial tissue contributes to pluripotent stem cell fate. Through the employment of innovative culture methods involving mouse and human embryos, as well as adult tissue organoids, the lab aims to identify molecular pathways that coordinate epithelial tissue shape and stem cell behavior, particularly in terms of exiting pluripotency and acquiring new identities.
Standard postgraduate requirements for Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and related humanities departments.