Long after an injury happens or a disease takes hold, our stem cells retain the ability to rebuild what was lost. Understanding and harnessing that power for our patients is the central mission of the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

Situated within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, our collaborative teams of basic scientists, translational researchers, and clinicians advance this mission every day. We work together to understand how stem cells function and are regulated, leverage the power of stem cells to generate platforms for studying human disease and screen for new drugs, develop methods to correct gene mutations therapeutically, and generate tissues and organs for transplantation. We continue to redefine the field through our discoveries, such as using human stem cell-derived mini-brain tissue to identify key Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and develop potential therapeutics.

We also recognize that most investigational therapies fail because animal models do not fully recapitulate human physiology. To address this challenge, we are focusing on increasing our use of human stem cell in vitro models for understanding human-specific disease mechanisms, and testing and screening for new therapies. Perhaps what is most exciting is that these models can be derived from patients themselves, which means we can pinpoint the development and screening of drugs that will work for that specific individual.

Since its earliest days, Mount Sinai has welcomed patients regardless of background, at a time when many hospitals turned people away. That founding spirit continues to guide the department today. We are dedicated to ensuring that the next generation of scientists reflects the full range of backgrounds and perspectives our field needs to thrive. We foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for our entire community.

If you share our passion for regenerative medicine, we invite you to join us—as a faculty member, trainee, student, or scientist—in turning today's discoveries into tomorrow's cures.

Sarah E. Millar, PhD
Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs
Chair, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Director, Dean’s Cores Facilities
Professor, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Dermatology; Oncological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai