The Ebrahimkhani lab integrates synthetic and systems biology with human stem cell–derived multicellular systems to uncover the fundamental rules by which human tissues self-organize. Using genetic circuits, CRISPR-based technologies, and AI-guided design, the lab builds programmable developmental systems that model early post-implantation events, including the first advanced human yolk sac models capturing early human blood cell production (heXembryoids) and functional designer human liver organoids (DesLOs). By gaining control over tissue architecture, maturation, and function, these platforms aim to transform how human tissues are designed, repaired, and regenerated, laying the foundation for next-generation regenerative and rejuvenative therapies.
"Modelling post-implantation human development to yolk sac blood emergenceModelling post-implantation human development to yolk sac blood emergence"
Hislop J, Song Q, Keshavarz F K, Alavi A, Schoenberger R, LeGraw R, Velazquez JJ, Mokhtari T, Taheri MN, Rytel M, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Watkins S, Stolz D, Kiani S, Sozen B, Bar-Joseph Z, Ebrahimkhani MR. Nature. 2024, 626, 7998, 367-376
"A genetically inducible endothelial niche enables vascularization of human kidney organoids with multilineage maturation and emergence of renin expressing cells"
Maggiore JC, LeGraw R, Przepiorski A, Velazquez J, Chaney C, Vanichapol T, Streeter E, Almuallim Z, Oda A, Chiba T, Silva-Barbosa A, Franks J, Hislop J, Hill A, Wu H, Pfister K, Howden SE, Watkins SC, Little MH, Humphreys BD, Kiani S, Watson A, Stolz DB, Davidson AJ, Carroll T, Cleaver O, Sims-Lucas S, Ebrahimkhani MR, Hukriede NA. Kidney Int. 2024,106, 6, 1086-1100
"How can concepts from ecology enable insights about cellular communities?"
Weiss A, Gralka M, Faust K, Gutierrez DB, Pienta K, Zhou X, Venturelli OS, Gibbons S, Ebrahimkhani MR, Shakiba N, Ma S. Cell Systems. 2024,15, 11, P110
"Gene regulatory network analysis and engineering directs development and vascularization of multilineage human liver organoids"
Velazquez JJ, LeGraw R, Moghadam F, Tan Y, Kilbourne J, Maggiore JC, Hislop J, Liu S, Cats D, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Plaisier C, Cahan P, Kiani S, Ebrahimkhani MR. Cell systems, 2021, 12 (1), 41-55. e11
"Synthetic living machines: A new window on life"
Ebrahimkhani MR, Levin M. iScience 2021, 24, 5
"Programming morphogenesis through systems and synthetic biology"
Velazquez JJ, Su E, Cahan P, Ebrahimkhani MR. Trends Biotechnol. 2018, 36, 4, 415-429