Our team

With its broad range of expertise in biology,  medicine and veterinary medicine, UC Davis has built a strong foundation in stem cell research. Sharing the lead in this exciting effort, UC Davis School of Medicine researchers have embarked on stem cell studies that will focus on, among other things, Huntington's disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer.

In addition, UC Davis has experts involved in public policy, bioethical considerations and in the basic medical questions regarding potential results and benefits of stem cell research.

The following faculty members are available for comment on different aspects of this area of research:

Director:

Jan A. Nolta, Ph.D., Professor
Director, Cell and Gene Therapy Center
Director, UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures
Scientific Director, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Facility 

Associate Director:

Alice Tarantal, Ph.D.

Key Personnel:

Manager
•    Sean Bissing 

Administration Team
•    Angelica Bachman – Laboratory Manager
•    Jane McCluskey – Program Analyst
•    Eliza Cocker – Human Resources Generalist 

Alpha Stem Cell Clinic
•    Geralyn Annett, CLS – Program Administrator
•    Trisha Yassear, Clinical Operations Supervisor

Good Manufacturing Practice
•    Brian Fury – Facility Director
•    Whitney Wilson – Program Manager
•    Dane Coleal-Bergum – Manufacturing Supervisor
•    Nicholas Perotti – Manufacturing Supervisor
•    William Stoutzenberger – Quality Assurance Supervisor

Quality Control Testing Laboratory
•    Gaela-Marie Mitchell, CLS – Supervisor

IRC Vivarium
•    Justin Graham – Supervisor

Surgical Research Facility (LASSF)
•    Amy Lesneski – Supervisor

Research Program Administrators
•    Johnathon Anderson, Ph.D. – Grants Program Officer
•    Suzanne Pontow, Ph.D. – Director, Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program
•    Nikki Trinh – Clinical Trials & Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Supervisor

Advisory Group:

• Alice Tarantal, Ph.D. – Translational research
• Fred Meyers, M.D. – Training programs
• Simon Cherry, Ph.D. – In vivo imaging