# Epithelial Stem Cells and their Niches

> **NIH NIH R13** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $30,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Adult epithelia regenerate during adult life due to the constant activity of stem cell
pools. Stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis and repair injury by close
communication with their tissue environment, known as "niche". Niches are complex,
structured arrays of different cell types that guide tissue stem cell dynamics. The
ultimate goal of understanding epithelial stem cell regulation is to repair or replace
cells or organs damaged by injury, disease, and aging. The strategies vary from
generating cell types and tissues in a dish for transplantation purposes, to directly
stimulating the damaged organ in the living organism. This field has been
exponentially growing for the past decade. Tissues such as human skin and cornea
have already been grown in 3D cultures and used in clinics to fight otherwise incurable
medical conditions. The GRC "Epithelial Stem Cells and their Niches” will focus on
comparative principles of adult epithelial stem cell dynamics and niche signaling in
the homeostasis of different tissues. This conference will include work on the
molecular control of stem cell function from the epidermis and its appendages,
intestine, lung, mammary gland, cornea, prostate, and emerging work from other
epithelial tissues. All model organisms are welcome. This GRC has held two meetings
in 2016 and 2018 and was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. We hope to continue
to build a principle of alternating speakers that will allow a variety of participants to
contribute to this exciting meeting over the coming years. In particular for the 2022
meeting, we have built a scientific program that emphasizes key cutting-edge areas
in epithelial biology including organoid techniques, imaging and single cell analysis,
bioengineering, systems biology, modeling disease, DNA repair, aging and epigenetic
regulation. In addition, we will support the attendance of graduate students, post docs,
and early career scientists as they make their way into this exciting field of study by
hosting a GRS in the two days prior to this GRC.
A critical feature of the GRC’s scientific mission is to engage the next generation of
scientists. We are introducing a two-day Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) for
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows that will precede this GRC. The GRS will
allow students and fellows to share and discuss unpublished data and technical
breakthroughs, favouring collaborative efforts and sparking provocative hypotheses
to be discussed on the floor of the main conference. Furthermore, the participants
will have the opportunity to establish tight professional relationships from which they
will benefit throughout their career. GRS participants will be expected to stay for the
GRC, further contributing to the educational value of this conference.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10540500
- **Project number:** 1R13AR081668-01
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Valerie Horsley
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $30,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10540500

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10540500, Epithelial Stem Cells and their Niches (1R13AR081668-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10540500. Licensed CC0.

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