Aleksandra J. Poole, Ph.D.

Dr. Poole oversees the Science Department at California Stem Cell, Inc and is an expert in stem cell, molecular and cancer biology, demonstrated by her publications and patents. She obtained her Ph.D from University of Illinois at Chicago and has conducted post-doctoral studies at the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Poole's previous research involved work on gastrointestinal and breast cancer. Her groundbreaking results in BRCA1 mediated breast cancer therapy and prevention were published in Science in December, 2006. Dr. Poole's personal interests are in the field of cancer stem cells and hormonal regulation and differentiation of hESC.

Craig T. Fredrickson

Craig graduated with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry/molecular biology from the University of California Santa Barbara. His extensive experience in primary mammalian neuronal culture forged at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego and recent management of the stem cell core facility at the University of California San Diego has made him uniquely suited for the tasks at hand here at California Stem Cell.

Monica M. Siegenthaler, Ph.D.

Dr. Siegenthaler received her Ph.D. in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of California at Irvine. Her research examined the effects of injury type, age, and exercise on myelin pathology following spinal cord injury (SCI). She was the recipient of the NIH- Minority Biomedical Research Support training grant and the NIH-funded training grant from the Institute of Brain Aging and Dementia. She also received the Paul H. Silverman Memorial Fellowship for stem cell research and was selected as a "Bill and Joan Jackson Scholar," both in 2006. Dr. Siegenthaler's research background makes her perfectly suited as a member of the CSC science team; in addition, she acts as liaison to CSC's many external collaborators and partners and is responsible for managing those ongoing relationships.

Michael McGary

Michael received a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego. After graduating, Michael immersed himself in the stem cell biology field, working with adult hematopoietic stem cells for several years prior to deciding to pursue the field of human embryonic stem cells. Upon receiving certification from the UCSF stem cell course, he joined the City of Hope to help create its stem cell core through the guidance of his Principal Investigator. His experience with mammalian cell culture, especially with human embryonic stem cells, has made him uniquely suited for the tasks at hand here at California Stem Cell.

Lisa Tjornehoj

Lisa graduated with a bachelor's degree in Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California, Irvine, where she was the Vice-President of Undergraduate Affairs for the Student Society for Stem Cell Research. Her research involved the myoblast project at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center and hESC culturing at the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. Lisa's laboratory management experience and training in the stem cell field have primed her for responsibilities at CSC to include QC testing, directing the materials department, and coordinating the intern team.