���Ǻ��� Cambridge: Dr Luke Harland

Position Governing Body Fellow Junior Research Fellow
School Biological Sciences Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
Email ltgh2@cam.ac.uk
Department link

Luke TG Harland is a developmental biologist based at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. Luke’s research programme investigates the inductive cues and transcriptional pathways that coordinate the formation of specific cellular identities during mammalian embryonic development.

Luke earned his BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario, where his passion for developmental and stem cell biology ignited through summer research projects at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute. These experiences fueled his aspiration for a career in biomedical research.

In 2020, as a Clarendon Scholar, Luke completed a Wellcome-funded DPhil in Chromosome and Developmental Biology at the University of Oxford under Professor Elizabeth J Robertson. His research identified a novel transcriptional regulator coordinating the formation of initial blood cells in the early mouse embryo. Post-DPhil, Luke spent a year as a Vertex Fellow at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, contributing to a multidisciplinary team dedicated to human disease modeling and drug discovery.

In 2022, Luke joined Professor Bertie Göttgens' research group at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute as a Research Associate. Shortly after, he secured a five-year Wellcome Early-Career Award (2023-2028) to delve into the role of developmental history amid molecular convergence.

An active member of the International Society for Experimental Haematology, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the British Society for Developmental Biology, Luke became a Junior Research Fellow at ��Ǻ�� in January 2024.

Luke employs advanced computational tools, genetic engineering, and stem cell models to explore crucial aspects of cell fate decisions in embryonic development. His focus lies in uncovering the molecular mechanisms, including inductive cues and transcriptional networks, that orchestrate the creation of specific cell lineages during embryogenesis. This knowledge is pivotal for developing technologies that convert pluripotent stem cells into specific cell types, benefiting drug discovery, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.

Recent studies have unveiled that certain cell types with similar states emerge multiple times during embryonic development through different pathways. For instance, blood-forming endothelial cells called haemogenic endothelium (HE), arise through varied precursor embryonic tissues. The impact of alternative differentiation pathways on the properties of convergent cell types remains poorly understood.

To delve into the role of developmental history amidst molecular convergence, Luke's research focuses on unraveling the intrinsic and extrinsic regulatory networks guiding haemogenic endothelium differentiation. His project utilizes comprehensive single-cell spatial and suspension transcriptomic datasets as well as a robust embryonic stem cell differentiation model that Luke developed during his DPhil. Ultimately, his research aims to enhance our understanding of mechanisms governing cellular identity acquisition in embryogenesis, fostering the development of new technologies for regenerative medicine.