Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

08/01/2025

🎉 Congratulations to our 2025 WFIRM Summer Scholars!

This week, we celebrated the hard work and dedication of 24 talented students as they presented their mentored research at the Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education. From impressive talks and posters to engaging Q&A sessions, our scholars demonstrated not only their skills but also their excitement for regenerative medicine research.

As Joan Schanck aptly shared, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴... 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘔 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”

A huge thank you to our incredible faculty mentors, near-peer graduate and fellow mentors, lab technicians, and our education team leaders—Karri Adams, Brandon Rains, and the entire WFIRM team—for creating an inspiring and welcoming experience. Together, you are shaping the next generation of regenerative medicine professionals.

👏 Well done, scholars! We can’t wait to see where your journey takes you.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Innovation Quarter

06/06/2025

Thank you to Hope Biosciences for hosting our executive director, Dr. Anthony Atala, for a great conversation on the future of regenerative medicine!

Check out the full conversation at the link below ⬇️

05/17/2025

Celebrating the inaugural graduates in the Masters in Translational Biotechnology program at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine 🎓

Our first cohort told us what they loved about the MS in TBio program—from meaningful mentors and new ideas to how it has shaped them to be leaders in an ever-changing biotechnology industry.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Wake Forest Biomedical Graduate Programs Wake Forest University

05/16/2025

Celebrating the inaugural graduates in the Masters in Translational Biotechnology program at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine 🎓

Our first cohort told us what they loved about the MS in TBio program—from meaningful mentors and new ideas to how it has shaped them to be leaders in an ever-changing biotechnology industry.

Wake Forest Biomedical Graduate Programs Wake Forest University School of Medicine Wake Forest University

05/06/2025

🚨 STUDENTS: Don’t miss this chance! 🚨
PromoCell is offering 4 lucky students the opportunity to attend our 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 — June 10–12, 2025, in Winston-Salem, NC! See details below.

Thanks to PromoCell for supporting future leaders in the field.

Are you passionate about regenerative medicine?
We’re offering a unique opportunity for 4 students to attend the prestigious 12th Annual Regenerative Medicine Essentials Course: The Foundations into the Future, which will take place on June 10–12, 2025, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US.

Why attend?
• Connect with industry leaders
• Explore groundbreaking research
• Advance your career in regenerative medicine

How to enter the draw:
Send us an email* to sponsorship@promocell.com confirming you’re a student, by May 12, 2025.

Don’t miss this career-defining opportunity!

*By participating in this raffle, you confirm that you are a student. We will process your personal data from this email only for the purposes of the draw and, if you are selected, for the subsequent communication to facilitate participation in the Regenerative Medicine Essentials Course (WFIRM event).

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

04/01/2025

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱! 🌟
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠'𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗮𝘆!
📅 June 9, 2025
📍 Wake Forest Biotech Place, Winston-Salem, NC
✅ Registration is now open!

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is introducing Public Day—a FREE, hands-on experience designed for students, educators, families, and the community to explore the world of regenerative medicine!

🏭 Explore Careers in Biotech & Biomanufacturing
🛰️ Experience Space & Medical VR Simulations
🔬 Meet Top Scientists & Industry Leaders
🎨 Engage in Interactive Art & Science Activities

Be part of this exciting event that brings science, technology, and innovation to life! 🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/rm-publicday

03/28/2025

📢 Join Our Team at WFIRM! 🌱
We’re hiring a 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗜𝗜 to help drive cutting-edge regenerative medicine research at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)! This role is perfect for a detail-oriented professional with a PhD (or equivalent experience) who thrives in managing multiple research projects, budgets, and compliance processes.

📍 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Winston-Salem, NC
🔬 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Project management, scientific review, budget oversight, compliance coordination, and research reporting.

Be part of a team shaping the future of medicine!
𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://bit.ly/wfirm-careers

03/06/2025

The 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 (𝗥𝗠𝗘) 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 is back! This three-day, in-person and hybrid experience offers expert-led lectures, interactive panels, and networking with leaders in regenerative medicine (RM). Gain a comprehensive foundation in RM and explore the roadmap forward in this rapidly evolving field. Virtual participation is available, with access to sessions post-event.

🔔 Registration Now Open - https://bit.ly/rmessentials2025

✨ New this year! We’re kicking off the week with an inaugural 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗮𝘆 on June 9—a free, interactive event designed for students, educators, families, and the public. Explore the future of regenerative medicine through hands-on activities, industry expos, and engaging discussions. More details to come!

03/05/2025

🌟 Congratulations, Dr. John Jackson! 🌟

At WFIRM, our mission is more than words—it’s a promise to push the boundaries of science and transform lives. Each year, the Living the Mission award honors someone who embodies innovation, teamwork, and mentorship in extraordinary ways.

Dr. Jackson has been described as a "rock star" of WFIRM, a dedicated leader whose generosity, expertise, and collaborative spirit uplift those around him. His impact is immeasurable, from pioneering advancements in cell therapies and 3D bioprinting to mentoring the next generation of scientists.

We were honored to present Dr. John Jackson with the 2025 Living the Mission award at this year’s WFIRM All-Hands Retreat—a well-deserved recognition of his outstanding contributions!

02/14/2025

🫀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 – 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠

What if we told you that scientists at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) are creating heart attacks in the lab—not to cause harm, but to find ways to heal damaged hearts?

PhD student, Caleb Heathershaw, also known as “The Heartbreaker,” is using 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗱𝘀—tiny, lab-grown models of human heart tissue—to study the effects of heart attacks and explore potential regenerative treatments. His research, along with WFIRM’s broader efforts in 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀, is paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in cardiovascular care.

As we recognize 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵, we invite you to take a closer look at the cutting-edge 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 happening in our labs. Read Caleb’s full blog post to learn how his work—and the work of many others at WFIRM—is shaping the future of heart disease treatment.

🔗 Read more: https://regenmedengine.com/blog/heart-research-the-art-of-a-making-a-heart-attack/

PhD student Caleb Heathershaw shares his heart research at WFIRM, using regenerative medicine to study heart attacks and develop new treatments.