Emily Benz

Class of 2018

Education: BS and MS in Animal Science at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Stem cell research interests Emily because it has opened up so many new opportunities for innovation in the medical field and she sees a potential for life-changing discoveries. She is specifically drawn to orthopedic stem cell research and the fascinating restorative ability of tissues in the musculoskeletal system. After completing this program, she hopes to work in a lab covering all facets of tissue engineering from the individual cell to the final 3D structure.

Emily is interning in the Biology R&D department at ViaCyte with her supervisors Ali Rezania and Sebastian Rieck. She is aiding in the development of ViaCyte’s next generation product – stem cell-derived glucose-responsive beta cells – as well as initiating the differentiation of hESCs toward the intestinal cell fate. These projects will play a role in the advancement of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes research at ViaCyte.