Frequently Asked Questions

To connect with HSCI Disease Programs, please contact Nicole Loo. For media inquiries and all other questions, please contact hsci@harvard.edu.

Undergraduate students

• The HSCI hosts a summer research internship program for undergraduate students from Harvard College as well as other U.S. and international colleges and universities.

• Undergraduate students at Harvard College can specialize in the Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology concentration, which involves focused coursework and laboratory research.

Graduate students

• The HSCI does not conduct any graduate training programs. The links below are part of the Harvard Medical School website.

• Students in the Developmental and Regenerative Biology graduate program work towards a PhD degree. Prospective students should apply via the general Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) application.

• Students in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program can specialize in Developmental and Regenerative Biology for their PhD work.

Postdoctoral researchers

• Postdoctoral researchers can peruse this general list of open positions, or contact individual faculty members directly for fellowship opportunities.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for hearing loss that use stem cells, but researchers are conducting clinical trials to test whether stem cell-based therapies for hearing loss are safe and effective in humans. The website ClinicalTrials.gov has the most up-to-date information about the status of these trials; click here for their list of clinical trials which are currently recruiting volunteers. Please direct inquiries about specific clinical trials to the contacts listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, as the HSCI is not enrolling any volunteers in clinical trials.

An additional resource is the International Society for Stem Cell Research, which has information on what to consider when joining a clinical trial.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for eye disease that use stem cells, but researchers are conducting clinical trials to test whether stem cell-based therapies for eye diseases are safe and effective in humans. The website ClinicalTrials.gov has the most up-to-date information about the status of these trials; click here for their list of clinical trials which are currently recruiting volunteers. Please direct inquiries about specific clinical trials to the contacts listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, as the HSCI is not enrolling any volunteers in clinical trials.

An additional resource is the International Society for Stem Cell Research, which has information on what to consider when joining a clinical trial.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for kidney disease that use stem cells, but researchers are conducting clinical trials to test whether stem cell-based therapies for kidney diseases are safe and effective in humans. The website ClinicalTrials.gov has the most up-to-date information about the status of these trials; click here for their list of clinical trials which are currently recruiting volunteers. Please direct inquiries about specific clinical trials to the contacts listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, as the HSCI is not enrolling any volunteers in clinical trials.

Additional resources:

• The National Kidney Foundation has a dedicated phone line and email address for patient and caregiver inquiries.
• The International Society for Stem Cell Research has information on what to consider when joining a clinical trial.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for ALS that use stem cells, but researchers are conducting clinical trials to test whether stem cell-based therapies for ALS are safe and effective in humans. The website ClinicalTrials.gov has the most up-to-date information about the status of these trials; click here for their list of clinical trials which are currently recruiting volunteers. Please direct inquiries about specific clinical trials to the contacts listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, as the HSCI is not enrolling any volunteers in clinical trials.

Additional resources:

• The ALS Association has a dedicated phone line and email address for patient and caregiver inquiries.
• The International Society for Stem Cell Research has information on what to consider when joining a clinical trial.

A Closer Look at Stem Cells

You can learn a lot about stem cell research and its potential to impact human health on the website "A Closer Look at Stem Cells," which is designed, maintained and hosted by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).

This website offers many resources for patients and those looking for more information about stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. It includes information about what to consider when joining a clinical trial.

Clinical Trials

Currently, the only stem cell-based treatment that is routinely reviewed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hematopoietic (or blood) stem cell transplantation. It is used to treat patients with cancers and disorders that affect the blood and immune system.

Stem cell-based therapies for all other conditions are still experimental.

The website ClinicalTrials.gov has the most up-to-date information about clinical trials that are testing whether stem cell-based therapies are safe and effective in humans.

If you have questions about specific clinical trials, the only people who can answer them properly are those who are listed as the primary contact for each study listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.

HSCI does not enroll any volunteers in clinical trials.