The Huangfu laboratory is interested in understanding human biology through the lens of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (hESCs and hiPSCs). Our specific goal is to understand how insulin-secreting β cells form and function in the context of normal development, adult tissue maintenance and regeneration, aging, and disease. The pathways that regulate these processes can be exploited for therapeutics to prevent and reverse diseases such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Danwei Huangfu, PhD
Associate Professor
Research Focus
Developmental biologist Danwei Huangfu uses human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) as a new genetic model to investigate mechanisms of pancreatic development and disease.Education
PhD, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences- Office Phone: 212-639-5239
- Lab Phone: 212-639-5240
Lab Members
Inbal Caspi
Graduate Research Assistant
Gary Dixon
Graduate Research Assistant
Kihyun Lee
Graduate Research Assistant
Renhe Luo
Graduate Student
Julian Pulecio
Research Fellow
Robert Rickert
Research Technician
Bess Rosen
Graduate Research Assistant
Chew-Li Soh
Research Fellow
Dapeng Yang
Research Fellow
Xian Zhang
Research Fellow
Adonis C. John
Administrative Assistant
Publications
- TET proteins safeguard bivalent promoters from de novo methylation in human embryonic stem cells. Verma N, Pan H, Doré LC, Shukla A, Li QV, Pelham-Webb B, Teijeiro V, González F, Krivtsov A, Chang CJ, Papapetrou EP, He C, Elemento O, Huangfu D. Nat Genet. 2018 Jan;50(1):83-95.
- Genome Editing in hPSCs Reveals GATA6 Haploinsufficiency and a Genetic Interaction with GATA4 in Human Pancreatic Development. Shi ZD, Lee K, Yang D, Amin S, Verma N, Li QV, Zhu Z, Soh CL, Kumar R, Evans T, Chen S, Huangfu D. Cell Stem Cell. 2017 May 4;20(5):675-688.e6.
Selected Achievements
- Basil O’Connor Scholar, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (2012-2014)
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Young Investigators Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2011-2014)
- Award from Harvard Catalyst & InnoCentive for the Ideation Challenge on “What Do We Not Know to Cure Type 1 Diabetes” (2010)
- Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship (2006-2009)
