Professor Jose Polo: Exploring the Boundaries of Human Reprogramming
Reprogramming specialised adult cells back into stem cells revolutionised cell biology, offering an alternative to embryonic stem cells, shedding light on early development, providing a way to recreate patients’ diseases in the lab and tissues for testing treatments, and paving the way for cell therapies that could restore vision loss and treat other diseases.
Meet pioneering reprogramming scientist Professor Jose Polo at the Inaugural National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia Oration, a free public event held in partnership with Adelaide University.
Jose will explore questions of how far can we push the boundaries of what a cell can become and what might this mean for the future of regenerative medicine, disease treatment and human health.
When: Tuesday 13 October, 5:30pm ACDT
Where: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building - Adelaide University, North Terrace, Adelaide.
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/national-stem-cell-foundation-of-australia-oration
Jose is Professor of Epigenetics and Director of the Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics at Adelaide University, Program Lead in Cancer Epigenetics at the South Australian ImmunoGENomics Cancer Institute (SAiGENCI) at Adelaide University, and Group Leader at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. He also serves as Scientific Head of EMBL Australia.
Through his pioneering research, Professor Polo has made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cellular reprogramming – the process by which cells transform into different types. His work integrates cellular models, genomics, and computational approaches, driving advancements in stem cell science with far-reaching implications for both research and industry.
In 2014, Jose was one of two winners of the Foundation’s inaugural Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research. In 2016, he co-founded Mogrify Pty Ltd to translate cell reprogramming technologies into clinical applications, bridging the gap between discovery and real-world impact.
His global influence on the field was recognised in 2024, when he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
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