Huyun Chen
Collaborators: Elena Dimitrova (Cal Poly), Daniel Cruz (UF)
Funding Sources: NSF-Simons Foundation Southeast Center for Mathematics & and Biology
Related links: CMaT, MCELS@GT-Emory, SCMB
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the unique ability to differentiate into cell types of all germ lineages, making them a potentially robust cell source for regenerative medicine therapies; however, the fate and behavior of iPSCs is difficult to control and predict, which currently limits their potential uses in medicine and industry.
We are investigating emergence of stem cell differentiation in multicellular in vitro systems. Using agent-based modeling, Boolean network analysis, and novel methods for quantifying cellular patterning, we are studying the intracellular signaling and intercellular communication responsible for controlling stem cell fate and organizational principles. We have developed tools for quantifying features in multicellular systems that allow for stringent comparison between computational simulations and microscopy-based imaging.
Related Publications
*Hartsock, I., *Park, E., Toppen, J., Bubenik, P., Dimitrova, E.S., Kemp, M.L., Cruz, D.A. “Topological Data Analysis of Pattern Formation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Colonies”. Scientific Reports 15, 11544, 2025.
Norfleet, D.A., Melendez, M., Alting, C., Kannan, S., Nikitina, A.A., Botelho, R., Yang B., Kemp, M.L. “Identification of Distinct, Quantitative Pattern Classes from Emergent Tissue-scale Bioelectric Properties of hiPSCs”. Cells 13(13), p.1136, 2024.
Glen, C.M., McDevitt, T.C., Kemp, M.L. “Dynamic intercellular transport modulates the spatial patterning of differentiation during early neural commitment”. Nature Communications, 9(1): 4111. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06693-1, 2018.
White, D.E., Sylvester J.B., Kinney M.A., Levario T.J., Lu, H., Streelman J.T., McDevitt, T.C., Kemp, M.L. “Quantitative Multivariate Analysis of Dynamic Multicellular Morphogenic Trajectories”, Integrative Biology, DOI:10.1039/c5ib00072f, 2015.
White, D.E., Kinney, M.A., McDevitt, T.C., Kemp, M.L. “Spatial Pattern Dynamics of 3D Stem Cell Differentiation via Rules-Based Computational Modeling”. PLoS Computational Biology, 9(3): e1002952, 2013.