Greg Parker

Class of 2014

Education: BS and MS in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Greg was interested in stem cell research because of the promise stem cells hold for humanity. He believed that in his lifetime, stem cell use in the clinical setting will lead to the complete eradication of many diseases, including diabetes, heart failure, and Parkinson’s disease. He couldn't begin to imagine what it is like to live with a debilitating disease, and he felt very lucky to be involved in the CIRM program, which may lead to the development of treatments of the worst diseases on the planet.

He was interested in manipulating stem cells using molecular biology techniques to induce pluripotency or multipotency, reprogram cells, and replace defective genes with functional genes in order to correct genetic defects.
Once he finished the CIRM program he hoped to work in industry or in the clinical setting as treatments enter the market.

He was working at the Salk Institute with Inder Verma in the Laboratory of Genetics (LOG-V). In this lab, he was working on genome editing using the Cas9/CRISPR system for both cystic fibrosis and T-cell deficiency disease models that may someday lead to a gene therapy. He was involved in every part of these projects, including cloning, transformation, iPSC treatment, and evaluation for successful correction of the mutated gene.

After graduating, Greg obtained a position as a research associate at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Greg, presenting his Internship Research at the 2014 CIRM Trainee Meeting.