Mo R. Ebrahimkhani, MD

Dr. Mo Ebrahimkhani is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh and leads the Laboratory for Synthetic Morphogenetics and Tissue Ecology. Trained as both an MD and a bioengineer, with postdoctoral training in Biological Engineering at MIT, he integrates systems and synthetic biology with human stem cell–derived models of embryogenesis and organoids to uncover the governing principles of human development and organ formation. His work focuses on early post-implantation events, hematopoietic niches, and liver development, with the goal of revealing the universal rules by which tissues build themselves. The Ebrahimkhani lab has reported the first advanced human yolk sac model, enabling new ways to decode the human developmental black box, and has developed the first AI and machine learning–guided designer human liver organoids. Beyond discovery, his lab engineers synthetic and developmental technologies to actively guide morphogenesis and build next-generation human tissues for rejuvenation and regenerative medicine. Dr. Ebrahimkhani’s work has been supported and recognized by the Mayo Clinic Accelerated Regenerative Medicine Award, EASL Sheila Sherlock Fellowship Award, NSF RECODE Award, NIH R01 funding, the University of Pittsburgh 2024 Ascending Star Award, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation Initiative Award. Click here for more information on his research.