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FDA Approves CIRM-Funded Gene Therapy Pioneered by UCLA's Don Kohn, MD 

Watch Don Kohn's SCRC community lecture

Stem-cell therapy delivered at UCI’s

CIRM Alpha Clinic for Cell & Gene Therapy

transforms lupus patient's life

About Us

Today’s UC Irvine Stem Cell Research Center is a dynamic center encompassing a diverse array of interdisciplinary investigators that span the schools of Medicine, Biological Sciences, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering, Arts, and the Program in Public Health. Our state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum certified research and clinical building houses 25 of our 65 center faculty members.    

Center faculty have obtained more than $275 million dollars in grant and foundation funds, including over $165 million dollars from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Our research programs include two National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored T32 training grants, NIH R25 training program, 2 CIRM training grants supporting trainees from undergraduate through to postdoctoral and clinical fellows, a NIAMS P30 skin biology research center grant, state-of-the-art shared equipment and research services cores, community lecture series, an annual stem cell science symposium, and numerous seminar series.

What can we do for you ?

Research areas, available resources and clinical trials

Learn about our clinical research and trials

Learn how you can support stem cell research at UCI

See the latest news, videos and upcoming events

News

UCI Health Tests Promising Cell Therapy for Lupus

UCI Health opens clinical testing FT819, an investigational CAR T-cell therapy for lupus patients.  The treatment shows promise for long-term remission, with a California participant experiencing significant symptom improvement.  Dr. Sheetal Desai leads the Alpha Clinic trial site.

CIRM Award Funds UC Irvine Huntington Disease Research
Congratulations to Leslie Thompson on receiving a nearly $12 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to conduct the first-in-humans clinical trial of neural stem cell therapy for Huntington’s disease, beginning in mid-2026.
Two UCI Faculty Named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has named UCI's Herdeline Ann Ardoña (chemical and biomolecular engineering) and Seunghyun Sim (chemistry) as 2026 Sloan Research Fellows, joining 126 early-career researchers recognized nationwide. Each fellow receives $75,000 to advance their research.

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Events

Community lectures, special events and opportunities to engage. Find details for future events here.

Apr.

Using 3D engineered Cardiac & Skeletal Muscle Tissues for DMD Disease Modeling & Drug Discovery

David Mack, Ph.D. - University of Washington
Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center 4001
April 3, 2026 | 11:00 AM—12:00 PM Pacific Time




Apr.

Beyond the Mix: How Sorting Mesenchymal Stem Cells Could Improve Clinical Outcomes

Tayloria Adams, PhD & Tia Wilson, PhD Candidate
Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center 4001
April 7, 2026 | 7:00-8:00 PM Pacific Time

27 Jan.

Regulation of cutaneous antiviral immunity

Megan Orzalli, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts
Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center 4001 & Hybrid Event
April 24, 2026 | 11:00 AM—12:00 PM Pacific Time

Zoom Link: https://uci.zoom.us/j/96362697873 
Meeting ID: 963 6269 7873 

May.

Defining Epigenetic Mediators in Pancreatic Cancer Initiation & Progression
Christopher Pin, Ph.D. - Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Sue Gross Auditorium | 854 Health Sciences Dr. Irvine, CA 92617
May 1, 2026 | 11:00 AM—12:00 PM Pacific Time