Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz is the Bren Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and a Professor of Development and Stem Cells at the University of Cambridge. A leading developmental biologist, she earned her Ph.D. in Mammalian Embryology from the University of Warsaw and completed postdoctoral training in Embryonic Stem Cell Biology at the University of Cambridge with Nobel Laureates Martin Evans and John Gurdon. Her research has redefined the understanding of early mammalian development, revealing cellular heterogeneity in the early embryo, the role of epigenetic mechanisms in cell fate determination, and the processes by which aneuploid cells are selectively eliminated. Her lab was the first to establish a culture system that supports human embryo development beyond implantation up to the legal 14-day limit, and pioneered development of stem cell-based embryo models. A recipient of continuous funding from the Wellcome Trust, ERC, NIH, and philanthropic foundations, she has published over 180 scientific papers and co-authored The Dance of Life: Symmetry, Cells, and How We Become Human. She was awarded the 2023 Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize, and her numerous honors include membership in the European Molecular Biology Organization, Foreign Membership in the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellowship of the British Academy of Medical Sciences.