As part of its , the hosted its inaugural Women in Stem Cell Science Symposium, spotlighting three distinguished female scientists pioneering advances in immunotherapy, reproductive biology and brain cancer research.
The symposium, which was held March 6 at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, drew an audience of more than 150 UCLA faculty, staff, students, donors and community members. Moderated by , professor emerita and senior adviser for research and innovation at the , the event featured a panel discussion that highlighted women's vital contributions to scientific innovation and addressed critical issues of mentorship, funding and access to transformative medical breakthroughs.
In his opening remarks, Chancellor Julio Frenk shared statistics that highlighted the work still needed to achieve equal representation of women in science while setting a hopeful tone for the future.
"As we celebrate two decades of progress, let us also set our sights on the future," he said. "A future where the next life-changing treatment is developed because this center had the vision to pursue it. A future where the next generation of scientists — more diverse, more inclusive — leads the charge. And a future where breakthroughs are not just for a few, but for all."
The panel was made up of UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center members , assistant professor of biological chemistry; , professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics; and , professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology. Each shared insights into their research and personal journeys in STEM.
Dr. Bhaduri, whose lab studies human brain development and brain cancer, emphasized the dual nature of neural stem cells — both as fundamental building blocks of human cognition and as drivers of devastating brain cancers.
"Understanding the stem cells that make the brain for the first time is one of the most enigmatic ways of really understanding who we are," she said. "These same stem cells come back many decades later, and when they do, they can create devastating brain cancer."
Dr. Chen, whose work focuses on engineering next-generation immunotherapies, shared the impact of her research.
"My lab has been for cancer and had the opportunity to take them to the clinic here at UCLA," said Dr. Chen, who is also co-director of the tumor immunology and immunotherapy program at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "And there are now because of it, which is by far the proudest thing I have ever done."
Dr. Clark, whose lab develops stem cell-based approaches to improve the outcomes of in vitro fertilization, reflected on her experience as one of — four of whom were women — recruited to join UCLA's stem cell center nearly 20 years ago.
"From the very beginning, the stem cell center has been celebrating the careers of women, lifting up the careers of women, and providing opportunities for our research programs to flourish," said Dr. Clark, who is also director of the .
Addressing critical challenges in scientific advancement
The discussion highlighted three major challenges facing stem cell science: mentorship, funding gaps and treatment accessibility.
On mentorship, Dr. Bhaduri described her commitment to building an inclusive research environment. "I'm very lucky that I have an incredible lab, which is primarily composed of women and other underrepresented individuals," she said. "It's really an opportunity for me to try and prioritize mentorship and pay it forward."
Regarding funding, both Drs. Clark and Chen emphasized philanthropy's crucial role in catalyzing high-risk, high-reward research. "It enables you to form new partnerships with other scientists and to pursue ideas that are really transformative and perhaps not as predictable," Dr. Clark said.
Dr. Chen highlighted another critical funding gap: the so-called "valley of death" that stands between laboratory research and clinical application.
"Getting to the clinic can take a couple (of) million dollars, and there are few federal grants big enough to do that," she said, noting that her was made possible in part by private donations from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and other philanthropists.
Perhaps most urgently, Dr. Clark addressed the work that will be necessary to ensure that life-saving regenerative medicine therapies are accessible to everyone who needs them.
"The first FDA-approved gene therapy for sickle cell disease costs $3.5 million. … How will our health care system afford these life-changing therapies, especially when we develop treatments for widespread diseases like heart disease?" she asked.
Dr. Clark went on to suggest that her work bringing scientists together to address this question through the International Society for Stem Cell Research may end up being her most impactful contribution to the field.
Advice for the next generation of scientists
The panelists concluded with advice for aspiring scientists. Dr. Chen acknowledged the challenges but emphasized the rewards.
"It really is a privilege that we get to work on problems that are exciting, that we think are important," she said. "It's not an easy career, but it's so worthwhile."
Dr. Clark shared her unlikely journey from a to pioneering stem cell research.
"We didn't even have a movie theater in the town I grew up in and now I'm here on this stage talking about what it's like to be a scientist at the No. 1 public university in the United States," she said. "You never know where your path is going to lead."
