Dr Pengyi Yang uses computational expertise to build virtual cells.
Dr Pengyi Yang has received one of two annual $55,000 Metcalf Prizes from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia in recognition of his leadership in the field.
Dr Yang holds a joint position with the University of Sydney School of Mathematics & Statistics, the Charles Perkins Centre and the Children's Medical Research Institute. His work aims to remove much of the guesswork from stem cell science and eventually stem cell medicine.
“Today’s stem cell treatments have been the product of trial and error,” Dr Yang said.
“My virtual stem cell will allow us to understand what’s happening inside a single stem cell that makes it decide what type of cell it will become such as, but not limited to, hair, skin, muscle, nerve or blood cells.”
He is mapping the many, complex influences controlling stem cells and the way they specialise into different cell types.
“Stem cells are amazing because they can produce any kind of cell in the body. They’re fundamental to regenerative medicine,” Dr Yang said.
“But, when their controls fail, rogue stem cells can lead to cancer.”
All human life starts as a single stem cell. It goes on to produce cells that eventually become every type of tissue and organ of the human body. Even in adulthood, stem cells repair and replace tissue all the time.
“People are excited about the potential of stem cell medicine, but the reality is extremely complicated. Thousands of genes, complex gene networks, environmental factors, and an individual’s own health are all involved in pushing stem cells to become specific cell types,” Dr Yang said.
Dr Yang, a computer scientist turned stem cell researcher, uses computational science and statistics to understand how stem cells function at a fundamental level – work that will be useful for the entire stem cell field of research.
“We need a computer model to bring all of these influences together so we can identify the specific gene networks that drive the stem cells towards each cell type,” he said.
