University of California, San Francisco

Ever since 1981 when Gail Martin codiscovered embryonic stem cells in mice, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has been a major player in the field of stem cell research. Martin was the scientist who coined the term embryonic stem cell (ESC).

In the late 1990s, Roger Pederson at UCSF, along with James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin, pioneered the research into human ESCs. In 1998, Thomson derived human ESCs from donated embryos left over from in vitro fertilization procedures. Pederson took the cue and derived two of his own cell lines using Thomson’s technique.

UCSF research has led to the practical application of stem cell treatments, with one goal being to extend studies in hematopoiesis—blood and immune cells. Stem cells were originally discovered in ...