Researchers find that triggering a stress response in glioblastoma cells with light stops them from spreading — a development that could point the way for treatments for the hard-to-reach brain tumors

Through CSUSB's CIRM Bridges Program, two-time alumnus Michael Zepeda discovered a passion for research that improves lives and serves communities.

Mark Walters, MD, is the Jordan Family Director of Bone Marrow Transplantation at the UC San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and serves as the program director of the UCSF CIRM Alpha Clinic. He has been the director of stem cell therapy and a division leader since 1999. Walters is a hematologist-oncologist who cares for children with blood disorders and cancer and specializes in blood and bone marrow transplants. Walters' research focuses on transplant and gene therapy for sickle cell disease and thalassemia – which are both red blood cell disorders that involve abnormalities of hemoglobin; the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. His goal is to offer a curative therapy to every child he treats. Because finding a healthy donor for sickle cell disease can be difficult, he also investigates methods that aim to correct the patient's own blood system through gene therapy and return the edited blood cells to the patient's circulation. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and all information presented is current as of this date.

Explore an innovative experimental treatment for knee osteoarthritis to alleviate pain and improve mobility after injuries.

Researchers are pioneering a safer stem cell transplant for children with Fanconi anemia, reducing toxicity and improving outcomes.

This episode features Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH, and an overview of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center where Morris serves as director. The Clinical Center at UC San Diego encompasses a wide scope of services and outreach, including the California Inst...

LOS ANGELES — Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans 65 and older, is a progressive disease affecting central vision. Over time, faces, book pag...

At the UCLA California Center for Rare Diseases (CCRD), “rare” is a word that includes over 7,000 conditions and affects 3 million Californians. With hundreds of thousands of patients and families tou...

YouTube video by Sanford Stem Cell Institute at UC San Diego

Join us in celebrating clinical trials and the brave participants who help advance medical research and treatment options.

This episode features our conversation with Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Thomas was previously the chair of the CIRM governing board from June 2011 to March 2023 and has played...

This episode features our conversation with Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Thomas was previously the chair of the CIRM governing board from June 2011 to March 2023 and has played an integral role in supporting patient-centric research, strategies and outcomes within the Alpha Clinic network and UC San Diego’s Sanford Stem Cell Institute. We discuss his history with CIRM and the impact the organization has had across California. Thomas has a long-standing commitment to patient advocacy. He spent more than 15 years on the board of the Crippled Children’s Society of Southern California and served as chair for four years. The organization, now called AbilityFirst, assists children with spinal cord injuries and mental disabilities that could be targets of stem cell therapies. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA This episode was recorded on Oct. 17, 2025, and information presented herein is current at the time of recording.

Written by Holly Alyssa MacCormick In 2023, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) funded a clinical trial led by Stanford researcher Crystal Mackall, MD, to investigate a possib…

The study is now scaling up to do more in utero procedures and evaluate effects on disability as children grow

This episode features our conversation with Julissa Gonzalez, MS, who serves as the clinical research data manager at the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center. Her work helps frame and prepare insights into stem cell-related clinical trials. Our discussion explores information the public may not readily know about preparing for and administering therapeutics via clinical trials, including unique perspectives on validation, analyses, and patient care outcomes. Hosted by Bobby Gordon, MA, MBA. This episode was recorded on June 2, 2025, and information is current as of the date of this recording.

Over the next two years, the planned funding will be allocated to projects that have received some FDA feedback as well as emerging efforts.