Careers in Stem Cell Research

As I mentioned in my previous post, my journey in discovering my passion for stem cells has led to my pursuit of becoming a stem cell researcher. So, what is a stem cell researcher? Researchers in the field conduct experiments that lead to a deeper understanding of cells and diseases. The primary goal of a stem cell researcher, however, is to understand how the regeneration process in stem cells that can repair damaged tissues can be controlled. Once the regeneration process is able to be controlled, then organs or tissues can be grown in a laboratory by the researchers so that damaged organs or tissues can be replaced.

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In a general sense, a PhD is a requirement for becoming a stem cell researcher. The PhD is usually in one of the biological sciences, like molecular biology. In fact, many universities in the United States are now offering PhD programs that specialize in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Stanford University was one of the first programs in the nation to develop one of these PhD programs. Besides a curriculum that is specialized for this specific career, the program offers both a research program and rotation opportunities. Both of these are meant to alleviate the stress of finding lab experience in the field. Stanford’s program also incorporates a weekly seminar series.

Pictured here is a stem cell lab in Stanford’s Lokey Stem Cell Research Building.

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Another requirement for becoming a stem cell researcher is having extensive experience working in a laboratory setting. Most of the experience in the lab will come from your graduate and post-doctoral research laboratories. However, some aspects of the career may require research experience outside of the educational setting.

However, there is another major career in the field of stem cells that is not as well known. Besides your traditional medical doctor, there are doctors that specialize just in regenerative stem cell medicine. These doctors have become known as regenerative stem cell doctors.

The field of regenerative stem cell doctors is relatively new, since most of the major discoveries involving stem cells were discovered in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the main goal of these doctors is to utilize the application of stem cells with the goal of healing patients since stem cells are already found in the body and can be considered a renewable source. Stem cells also have tremendous healing potential which I highlighted in previous posts. The extent that stem cells can be used to treat patients is still unknown since it is such a new area of research. However, the scientific discoveries that have been made so far suggest that stem cells can be used in patients to treat neurological disorders, traumatic brain injuries, diabetes, cancer, and many more ailments.

Many regenerative stem cell doctors are involved in clinical trials since many of the current medical discoveries need to be tested on more patients until it is determined that stem cells have the ability to treat the specific symptom or disease that is being targeted. The clinical trials are also occurring in all three areas of stem cells, embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and stem cells from other species. This is to ensure that a treatment is not being missed due to it originating from a stem cell species that isn’t being tested. The clinical trials also incorporate patients with autoimmune diseases and genetic blood diseases.

Regenerative stem cell doctors can also be involved in cancer research and pharmaceutical product development for various types of diseases.

The world of stem cells is wide open for the people brave enough to enter it.

3 thoughts on “Careers in Stem Cell Research

  1. Since stem cell research is becoming one of the most important fields of study that benefit human health, It is a very good thing that more and more institutions are starting programs specialized in stem cell research for future prospective researchers.
    As a student who is also looking into doing molecular biology research in the future, I’m very excited to see the advancements made in the stem cell research. Just a few decades ago, the public opinions about this field were very negative, and many people even laughed at the idea, but it really proved to people its importance and impact to medicine.

  2. If stem cell research becomes more universally accepted, I believe that countless jobs will be created in the field. I agree, however, that it is a risky field for students to commit to, since the future of stem cell research is so unclear. For that reason, many students may be afraid to pursue the study of stem cells, even though they are genuinely interested in it. Hopefully, stem cell research becomes a much more accepted medical practice so that students with interests in stem cell research can pursue their true passion. Until then, I agree that it is certainly a brave decision for any student to dedicate their studies to stem cell research.

  3. Because stem cell research is such an advanced field, I was not surprised to read about the intense training aspiring researchers must undergo. I would be interested in learning how many other schools, in addition to elite universites like Stanford, offer programs in stem cell research, and how many are developing them. As stem cell research grows, I am sure these programs will as well. I hope many students interested in biology will purse stem cell research and investigate the solutions, as well as ethical dilemas it may provide. Additionally, I think it is good that many who study stem cell research can find more oppertunites in the medical field outside of their specialization.

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