Meet Scott Lee who is a Research Assistant in the Stem Cell & Organoid Facility.

What is your background?

I received my Masters of Science (MSc) in Bioengineering studying tissue engineering heart valve leaflets, incorporating the technology of stem cells. I am very passionate about stem cells and regenerative medicine.

What attracted you to CMRI?

I was attracted to CMRI because of the institute’s commitment and proactiveness to helping pediatric patients, shown through events such as Jeans for Genes. Also, the translational potential of the Stem Cell and Organoid Facility drew me in even closer.

What does your typical day look like?

My typical day involves maintaining and differentiating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate 3D organoids (mini-organs in the dish). We can then freeze them, cut them and stain them in order to characterize the organoids at different time points.

What is your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part of the job is maintaining, differentiating and generating organoids using human iPS cells. It is absolutely mind-blowing to grow human organs outside of the body for modelling disease, developing new therapeutic approaches and increasing our understanding of regenerative medicine. However, a highlight of my day would be lunch at the Westmead Children’s Hospital with my team; Anai, Milan and Grady.

Learn more about our Stem Cell & Organoid Facility here.