What if we could change the fate of a human cell?
Pioneering stem cell reprogramming scientist Professor Jose Polo explores this question in the Inaugural National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia Oration, a public lecture held in partnership with Adelaide University in October 2026.
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.
Jose explored 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.
Watch a recording of the Oration:
Through his pioneering research, Jose 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.
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.
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