Our goal is to understand, model, and recapitulate in vitro the instructive signals utilized by human embryos to pattern tissue-specific differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, and apply this knowledge towards the rational design of tissue engineered scaffolds and other regenerative therapeutic strategies. Currently, we primarily focus on generating tissues and therapies for the central nervous system.
Meet the Lab with WI PBS!
"Can you help me make a neural tube?" SCBRM Nervous System Engineers engage in Educational Outreach!
Neural Rosette Cutaway
Micro-patterned substrate tech allows for single neural rosette formation. Green (Pax6), Red (B3 tubulin), Blue (Nuclear).
Public Advocacy
Dr. Randolph Ashton discusses the importance of scientific research with WI Governor Tony Evers and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes!
HOX Patterning Precision
Precisely control NSC regionalization along the hindbrain and spinal cord’s R/C axis (governed by expression of 39 Hox genes).
Exploring New Questions
Postdoctoral Researcher Nisha Iyer shows Undergraduate Researcher Assistant Stephanie Cuskey an RNA Isolation reagent.
Neural rosettes
2D neural rosettes grown in cell culture. N-Cadherin (red); Cell nuclei (blue); Laminin (green).
Professional Development
Postdoctoral Researcher Gavin Knight presenting his research at the 12th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium.
The E6 PROTOCOL
The simplest and fastest protocol for differentiating hPSCs into a pure neural cell culture, xeno-free & clinically translatable.
Mentorships
Dr. Alireza Aghayee watching former undergraduate researcher Lexi Doersch practice a cell culture technique.
Section Perfection
Dr. Carlos Marti-Figueroa & Graduate Research Assistant Frank Seipel inspect a fresh section of organoid tissue on a glass slide.
SCRMC Fellowship Award
Dr. Nisha Iyer (right) receiving a SCRMC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from Prof. William Murphy (left) & Prof. Tim Kamp (middle)!
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
New ideas for non-animal approaches to predict repeated-dose systemic toxicity: Report from an EPAA Blue Sky Workshop. Catherine Mahony, Randolph Ashton, Barbara Birk, Alan Boobis, Tom Cull, George Daston, Lorna Ewart, Thomas Knudsen, Irene Manou, Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci, Boris Muller, Par Nordlund, Ruth Roberts, Thomas Steger-Hartmann, Evita Vandenbossche, Mark Viant, Mathieu Vinken, Mark Cronin. 2020. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104668]
Tracking and Predicting Human Somatic Cell Reprogramming Using Nuclear Characteristics. Kaivalya Molugu, Ty Harkness, Jared Carlson-Stevermer, Ryan Prestil, Nicole Piscopo, Stephanie Seymour, Gavin Knight, Randolph Ashton, Krishanu Saha. 2020. Biophysical Journal. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2019.10.014]
The scanning gradient Fourier transform (SGFT) method for assessing sarcomere organization and alignment. Max Salick, Brett Napiwocki, Rachel Kruepke, Gavin Knight, Randolph Ashton, Wendy Crone. 2020. Journal of Applied Physics. [https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5129347]
Bioengineering tissue morphogenesis and function in human neural organoids. Nikolai Fedorchak, Nisha Iyer, Randolph Ashton. 2020. Semin Cell Dev Biol. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.025]
Inferring Regulatory Programs Governing Region Specificity of Neuroepithelial Stem Cells during Early Hindbrain and Spinal Cord Development. Deborah Chasman, Nisha Iyer, Alireza Fotuhi Siahpirani, Maria Estevez Silva, Ethan Lippmann, Brian McIntosh, Mitchell D. Probasco, Peng Jiang, Ron Stewart, James A. Thomson, Randolph S. Ashton, Sushmita Roy. 2019. Cell Systems. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cels.2019.05.012]
Micro-injection molded, poly (vinyl alcohol)-Calcium Salt Templates for Precise Customization of 3D Hydrogel Internal Architecture. JD McNulty. Carlos Marti Figueroa, Frank Seipel, Joshua Z. Plantz, Thomas Ellingham, Lukas JL duddleston, Sebastian Goris, Benjamin L Cox, Tim A Osswald, Lih-Sheng Turng, Randolph S Ashton. 2019. Acta Biomaterialia. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2019.04.050]
Ashton Group in the News
- New technique enables versatile 3D control over stem cell-derived organoids
- Governor Visits Research Institutes in Discovery Building
- Ashton appointed to important stem cell research post
- At UW-Madison, 500 scientists studying stem cells 20 years after discovery
- New Technology for Controlling Neural Tissue Manufacturing
- UW-Madison's BME Newsletter for Summer 2018
- Ashton Group continues research into causes of Lou Gehrig’s disease
- $20 million NSF award will fund creation of Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies
- Grant funds creation of spinal tissue from scratch in UW Madison Lab
- Ashton Lab funded to engineer a human spinal cord
- Prof. Ashton delivers a lecture in the International Society for Stem Cell Research's Stem Bioengineering Focus Session
- Ashton Lab cracks the (Zip)code of neural cells
Featured News - Top: WARF Innovation Award Finalist (November 2020); Bottom: WKOWs "Wake Up Wisconsin" telecast (May 15th, 2017)
ASHTON LAB ANNOUNCEMENTS--
April 2022
Congrats to Undergraduate Research Assistant Jack Maher for being awarded a Hilldale Research Fellowship! The award will fund lab-specific research training and his project-associated expenses.
December 2021
Associate Professor Randolph Ashton and postdoctoral researcher Gavin Knight (PhD ’18) launched a biotechnology startup company, Neurosetta, and received a $1.7 million Small Business Technology Transfer award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
August 2021
Congrats to Lauryn Campagnoli for completing her Master’s Degree through UW-Madison’s Neuroscience Training Program! Also, congratulations to Dr. Ashton and Dr. Iskandar for receiving a NIH R21 grant award for their project “Evaluating Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Rosette Arrays as a Neural Tube Defect Risk Screening Platform (HD103111-01).”
May 2021
Congrats to Alireza Aghayeemeibody on his recent completion of his PhD! The Ashton Group also welcomes Jack Maher to the lab. He will work as an undergraduate research assistant with our MD/PhD Graduate Student Brady Lundin on various bioengineering experiments.
February 2021
Congratulations to Dr. Carlos Marti-Figueroa for starting as a Scientist in Cellular Process Development at Bluebird Bio. in Cambridge, MA!
December 2020
Congratulations to Randy, Carlos, Gavin, Nisha, Ben for winning the 2020 WARF Innovation Award for their invention disclosure titled ‘Superior Neural Tissue Models for Disease Modeling, Drug Development, and More.’ Also, congrats to Dr. Ashton and the Neural Rosette Array team for securing a WARF Accelerator Grant!
November 2020
Congratulations to Randy, Gavin, Nisha, Ben, and Carlos for being nominated for the 2020 WARF Innovation Award. They are one of six group finalists selected from hundreds of applicants.
September 2020
Congratulations to Dr. Randolph Ashton for winning WARFs Draper TIF Award and Fall Competition Award earlier this year!
August 2020
Congratulations to Lauryn Campagnoli for winning a SCRMC Training Award this spring! Congrats to Carlos Marti-Figueroa, PhD for a successful thesis defense earlier this summer! We welcome Brady Lundin, a MD/PhD student, back to our lab to resume research activities with our labs neural rosette array team.
May 2020
Congratulations to former graduate students Carlos Marti-Figueroa (BME PhD) and Andrew Baldys (BME MS)! Congratulations to undergraduate students Ben Knudsen, Tessa Doersch, Jacky Tian, and Noah Nicol! We wish you success as you take your next steps in academia and industry!
More announcements!!!