Dr Alan Colman has been appointed Adjunct Professor of fundamental stem cell biology at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) in the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Dr Colman was principal investigator at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, a Government agency fostering scientific research.

A major focus of Dr Colman’s work is neurodegenerative and premature-ageing disease. His research involves developing induced pluripotent stem-cell based laboratory models of human central nervous system diseases.

Dr Colman will train researchers at REMEDI to make human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS) by using skin biopsy as the starting material among other tissues available from human patients.

REMEDI researchers will be trained in Dr Colman’s lab in Singapore where the technology is established. Trained researchers will return to Ireland and will transfer the technology to Irish researchers.

Prof Tim O’Brien, Director of REMEDI said, “Dr Coleman has substantial experience in IPS technology and the use of patient-derived stem cells to understand human disease pathophysiology. This will lead to a greater understanding of disease and thus identification of new therapies. IPS technology can be used for drug screening and, in the future, in donor specific cell transplantation. We look forward to collaborative work with the Singapore Stem Cell Institute.”