Bio
Dr. Sakaguchi, Morrill Professor, received his B.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the State University of New York-Albany. After serving as a postdoctoral scholar and research biologist at the University of California-San Diego, Dr. Sakaguchi joined the faculty at Iowa State University as an Assistant Professor. He has served as Chair of the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience here at ISU. He teaches a variety of courses in biology, neuroscience and marine biology.
Area of Expertise
Stem Cell EngineeringThe advent of cellular reprogramming and transdifferentiation technologies has made it possible to implement rational strategies to generate or modify cell types in order to model neurodegenerative diseases and develop cell-based therapies for nervous system disorders. Moreover, with advances in biomaterials and in 3-D scaffold fabrication techniques it is becoming possible to mimic the stem cell niche. Along with our collaborators, we are merging stem cell biology, polymeric scaffolds & biomaterials, drug delivery systems, gene therapy, and tissue engineering to develop experimental strategies for neural repair. Combined, these enabling technologies are likely to be beneficial for development of therapeutic interventions for translational biomedical applications.