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.
Public Advocacy
Dr. Randolph Ashton discusses the importance of scientific research with WI Governor Tony Evers and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes!
Neural Rosette Cutaway
Micro-patterned substrate tech allows for single neural rosette formation. Green (Pax6), Red (B3 tubulin), Blue (Nuclear).
SCRMC Fellowship Award
Dr. Nisha Iyer (right) receiving a SCRMC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from Prof. William Murphy (left) & Prof. Tim Kamp (middle)!
Research Expertise
Maria presenting "Towards an In Vitro Model of the Human Posterior CNS" at ISSCR 2017, the world's premier stem cell conference.
HOX Patterning Precision
Precisely control NSC regionalization along the hindbrain and spinal cord’s R/C axis (governed by expression of 39 Hox genes).
Professional Development
Graduate student Gavin Knight presenting his research at 12th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium.
Neural rosettes
2D neural rosettes grown in cell culture. N-Cadherin (red); Cell nuclei (blue); Laminin (green).
Mentorships
Graduate student Alireza Aghayee instructing new undergraduate researcher Lexi Doersch with a new experimental practice.
Section Perfection
Graduate student Carlos Marti-Figueroa and Undergraduate Researcher Frank Seipel look at a fresh section of organoid tissue.
The E6 PROTOCOL
The simplest and fastest protocol for differentiating hPSCs into a pure neural cell culture, xeno-free & clinically translatable.
Exploring New Questions
Post Doctoral Researcher Nisha Iyer shows Undergraduate Researcher Stephanie Cuskey an RNA Isolation reagent.
Research Practice
Dr. Ashton, Stephanie, and Nikolai viewing a rat spinal cord section using a manual microscope.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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]
A 3D culture model of innervated human skeletal muscle enables studies of the adult neuromuscular junction. Mohsen Afshar Bakooshli, Ethan S Lippmann, Ben Mulcahy, Nisha Iyer, Christine T Nguyen, Kayee Tung, Bryan A Stewart, Hubrecht van den Dorpel, Tobias Fuehrmann, Molly Shoichet, Anne Bigot, Elena Pegoraro, Henry Ahn, Howard Ginsberg, Mei Zhen, Randolph Scott Ashton, Penney M Gilbert. 2019. eLife Science Publication. [10.7554/eLife.44530]
Engineering induction of singular neural rosette emergence within hPSC-derived tissues. GT Knight, BF Lundin, N Iyer, LMT Ashton, WA Sethares, RM Willett, RS Ashton. 2018. eLife Science Publication. [10.7554/eLife.37549]
Single-injection ex ovo transplantation method for broad spinal cord engraftment of human pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons. M Estevez-Silva, A Sreeram, S Cuskey, N Fedorchak, N Iyer, RS Ashton. 2018. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. [doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.01.006]
Deriving, Regenerating, and Engineering CNS Tissues using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
K Lemke, A Aghayee, RS Ashton (2017)
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
[dio.10.1016/j.copbio.2017.05.010]
The Case for Applying Tissue Engineering Methodologies to Instruct Human Organoid Morphogenesis
CA Marti-Figueroa, RS Ashton (2017)
Acta Biomaterialia [dio:10.1016/j.actbio.2017.03.023]
Chemically defined differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to hindbrain and spinal cord neural stem cells with defined regional identities
ES Lippmann, MC Estevez-Silva, RS Ashton (2015)
Protocol Exchange [doi:10.1038/protex.2015.076]
High-content imaging with micropatterned multiwell plates reveals influence of cell geometry and cytoskeleton on chromatin dynamics
Harkness. T., McNulty, J.D., Prestil, R., Seymour, S.K., Klann, T., Murrell, M., Ashton, R. S. and Saha, K. (2015)
Biotechnology Journal. doi: 10.1002/biot.201400756
Deterministic HOX patterning in human pluripotent stem cell-derived neuroectoderm
ES Lippmann, CE Williams, DA Ruhl, MC Estevez-Silva, ER Chapman, JJ Coon, RS Ashton (2015)
Stem Cell Reports, 4(4): 632-44
Micropatterned, clickable culture substrates enable in situ spatiotemporal control of human PSC-derived neural tissue morphology
Knight GT, Sha J, Ashton RS (2015)
Chemical Communications, 51(25): 5238-5241
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 (May 15th, 2017), WKOWs "Wake Up Wisconsin" telecast
ASHTON LAB ANNOUNCEMENTS--
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!
July 2019
Congratulations to Nisha, Maria, Ethan, Randolph, and our collaborators for successfully publishing “Inferring regulatory programs governing region specificity of Neuroepithelial Stem Cells during Early Hindbrain and Spinal Cord Development” within the journal Cell Systems!!!
May 2019
Congratulations to Jason, Carlos, Frank, Joshua, Randolph, Nisha, and Ethan for authoring/co-authoring work published recently in eLife and Acta Biomaterialia alongside other notable labs! You can read this work and learn more about our collaborators from our publications page and the news story through the College of Engineering!
March 2019
Dr. Randolph Ashton meets Governor Tony Evers, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. See photos (courtesy of Jeff Miller/UW-Madison) here. Please read news story here.
January 2019
Undergraduate Research Assistants Simon Schirber, Tessa Doersch, and Noah Nicol join the Ashton Group!
December 2018
Attention Undergraduates! Check out our Summer 2019 REU opportunity to work on a CMaT-associated project titled “Analysis of Cryopreservation’s Effect on Cell Isolates and Manufactured Therapeutic Phenotypes.” Two students will be selected to work on this project. Application deadline is February 15th, 2019. Please see this document for details!
November 2018
Postdoctoral Research Associate Gavin Knight and the Ashton Group publish “Engineering induction of singular neural rosette emergence within hPSC-derived tissues” in the journal of eLife. Congrats Dr. Knight! View WIDs press release for the technology. Also, Dr. Randolph Ashton was featured in a recent Wisconsin State Journal Feature Story and was appointed to an important stem cell research post. Congrats Dr. Ashton!
October 2018
Axosim, Inc. has partnered with the Ashton Lab on a NIH grant to create micro-physiological models of peripheral nerve activity.
September 2018
The Ashton Group congratulates Nisha Iyer on her NIH-NINDS F32 Fellowship award for her work entitled “Regionalized Human Motor Neuron Therapies!” The Ashton Group also welcomes new Undergraduate Research Assistants Jacky Tian and Janavi Kotamarthi!
June & July 2018
The Ashton Group welcomes Summer Undergraduate Research Assistants’ Pranav Gadangi and Susan Okrah. They will be assisting Carlos and Nisha with various research-related projects.
More announcements!!!