St. Jude Research
Department of Hematology

Human iPSC Core

A collaborative service to characterize and differentiate iPSC lines for researchers engaged in pluripotent stem cell and hematopoiesis research

About the Human iPSC Core

The Hematology Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) core offers a collaborative service to characterize and differentiate iPSC lines for researchers engaged in pluripotent stem cell and hematopoiesis research.

The core assists collaborators in culturing, editing, and differentiating human iPSCs to multiple cell types, including megakaryocytes, myeloid, and erythroid cells. The Core also maintains, characterizes, and distributes iPSCs.

Beyond these services, the Core offers training for investigators interested in learning how to work with iPSC in their own labs. For projects related to inherited predisposition syndromes that extend beyond hematopoietic phenotypes, the Core offers expertise in iPSC differentiation to neural and cardiac lineages. 

photo of microscopic slide
photo of microscopic slide
photo of microscopic slide
photo of microscopic slide

Core capabilities

  • Hands-on training classes and workshops.
    • hiPSC growth, maintenance, cryopreservation, characterization
    • hiPSC differentiation to hematopoietic progenitor cells, erythrocytes, myeloid cells, and megakaryocytes
  • Human pluripotent stem cell culture
    • Maintenance and cryopreservation of hiPSC and ESC on MEFs or in feeder-free conditions
    • Mycoplasma testing
    • Stem cell gene expression panel
    • Stem cell line characterization (karyotyping and trilineage differentiation)
photo of man operating lab machine
  • iPSC in vitro differentiation
    • Hematopoietic differentiation from hiPSC, including hematopoietic progenitor cell, erythrocytes, myeloid cells, and megakaryocytes
    • Generation of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes
  • Provided Reagents
    • hiPSC or ESC maintenance media and supplies
    • Irradiated CF1 MEFs
    • hiPSC in vitro differentiation media, small molecules, cytokines, and supplements
    • Antibodies for hematopoietic differentiation from hiPSC
  • Consultation on experimental design

About the Director – Dr. Lei Han

Dr. Lei Han has been engaged in pluripotent stem cell research since 2009. His broad experiences in hematopoietic, cardiac, neural, and endothelial differentiation from pluripotent stem cells—including both embryonic stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cell—bring a wealth of knowledge that advance research efforts at St. Jude. Dr. Han oversees the Hematology Human iPSC core, which focuses on hematopoietic disease modeling and hematopoietic differentiation. He received his PhD in Stem Cell Biology from Shandong University in China and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University, where he conducted pluripotent stem cell and cardiovascular research. Leveraging his multi-field expertise, Dr. Han seeks to enhance the understanding of how developmental pathways contribute to hematopoietic development and disease.

photo of Lei Han

The Team

Yan Ju
  • Yan Ju
  • Lead Researcher
Jayaram Sakthi
  • Jayaram Sakthi
  • Senior Researcher

Contact us

Lei Han, PhD
Sr. Scientist

Hematology Human iPSC Core
262 Danny Thomas Pl
Room D3024
Memphis TN 38105-3678
USA