Gerald Schatten

Last updated
Gerald Schatten
Born1949
NationalityAmerican (Russian/German origin)
CitizenshipUSA
Known forEmbryonic Stem Cell Research
Scientific career
Fieldsimaging, cell biology, cell motility, cell architecture, human and other primates assisted reproductive technology (ART), reproductive and cell aging, cloning, transgenesis, and stem cells.
Doctoral advisor Daniel Mazia

Gerald Schatten (born 1949) is an American stem cell researcher with interests in cell, developmental, and reproductive biology. He is Professor and vice-chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology and of Bioengineering in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is also Director of the Division of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine at the university's School of Medicine. Additionally, he is deputy director of the Magee-Women's Research Institute [1] and Director of the Pittsburgh Development Center. [2] [3] [ self-published source? ]. He is a member of the NCI-designated University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Contents

Early life and education

Schatten was born in 1949 in New York City and was educated in the public school system, including at Stuyvesant High School. He graduated with an A.B. in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1971, where he also obtained his Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology. [3]

Academic career

Schatten was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship for 1976–1977 to conduct mentored research under the direction of Daniel Mazia at UC Berkeley. [3] He was also awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the German Cancer Research Center. [3]

1976-1985 he was assistant professor, associate professor, Full Professor of Biological Sciences and Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University; while there, he received a National Institutes of Health Research Career Development Award.

1985–1997 he was Professor of Zoology, Molecular Biology, Animal Science and Obstetrics-Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Here he was also director of the Integrated Microscopy Resource and Senior Scientist at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and at the Waisman Center for Human Development.

1997–2001 he was Professor and vice-chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Oregon Health & Science University and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. He was also Research Director of OHSU's Center for Women's Health, as well as Director of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Scientist at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

2001 – present he was Professor and vice-chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is also Director of the Division of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine at the School of Medicine. Additionally, he is deputy director of the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Director of the Pittsburgh Development Center. [3]

Throughout his academic career, Schatten has also conducted research and taught at various other institutions. During 1985–1986, he was an instructor in Molecular Embryology of the Mouse at the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory and a Resident Instructor of Embryology at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole. From 1986 to 1987, he held a visiting professorship at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University.

Research

Schatten's research focuses on imaging, cell biology, cell motility, cell architecture, human and other primates assisted reproductive technology (ART), reproductive and cell aging, cloning, transgenesis, and stem cells. [3] His research has been funded through the National Institutes of Health [3] as well as the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the NASA.

Schatten's work has been published extensively in many journals, such as Science , Nature , Lancet , Nature Medicine , Nature Cell Biology, Journal of Cell Biology, Genetics, Development, Developmental Biology, Biology of Reproduction, Human Reproduction, and the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. [4]

Fertilization and reproduction

Schatten's work on fertilization examines the differential inheritance of cellular components contributed by the sperm and egg, respectively, as well as the program of oocyte activation and cell division during meiosis and mitosis. His group has demonstrated the importance of the sperm centrosome-centriole complex during mammalian fertilization (including humans), with the unexpected exception of rodents in which the centrosome is of maternal origin (see Selected Publications).

Imaging and microscopy

Schatten also made contributions to imaging and microscopy. In his first published paper, he demonstrated the utility of polylysine and other engineered peptides that could adhere to cells, embryos, and intracellular structures for various microscopic applications and purifications (see Selected Publications). This technology is now widely applied and has solved the problem of holding cells for imaging. His team also published findings on imaging calcium and other ion transients in egg, embryos and cells, as well as dynamic architectural alternations during fertilization and cell division (see Selected Publications).

Transgenesis and stem cells

His more recent research has focused on the use of human and primate stem cells to determine the potential of stem cell-based medical therapies and better understand cell and human development; the study of genetic versus epigenetic (environmental) causes for human disease; cloned transgenic disease modeling (using primates) (see Selected Publications). [3]

Bioethical considerations

Schatten has also published on the topic of scientific ethics, including a 1998 piece on bio-ethical aspects of ART, "Art before Science?", in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics as well as a 2002 article in Nature Cell Biology titled "Safeguarding ART". Soon after, Schatten helped expose cloning frauds both by the Raelians and by a Korean lab he had links to. More recently, in 2009, he commented on the utilities and limitations of human disease modeling in genetically modified monkeys in the journal Nature.

Research misbehavior

In 2005, Schatten came to widespread media attention when he broke off his 20-month collaboration with Hwang Woo-suk, a Korean stem cell researcher, after reporting first ethical, and later scientific, lapses. [5] In 2004 and 2005, Hwang claimed that his lab at the Seoul National University had successfully extracted stem cells from cloned human embryos, a statement later proved false. [5] Science retracted both the 2004 article, in which Schatten had no involvement, and the 2005 article, on which he was listed as an author, and which he helped publicize. Schatten also received money from Hwang. [5] Schatten called for an investigation by his university, the University of Pittsburgh, in 2005. [5] Finished in February 2006, the investigation committee concluded that "Dr. Schatten shirked these responsibilities, a serious failure that facilitated the publication of falsified experiments in Science magazine. While this failure would not strictly constitute research misconduct as narrowly defined by University of Pittsburgh policies, it would be an example of research misbehavior." [6]

Research mentoring

Schatten has trained twenty doctoral and thirty postdoctoral fellows and he serves as the President of UNESCO’s International Cell Research Organization, a body devoted exclusively to research career training and mentorship. [7] As with his and the other two co-Founders (Joan Hunt and Kelly Mayo) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Howard Hughes Medical Institute-sponsored "Frontiers in Reproduction" course at the Woods Hole laboratory, this endeavor brings physician-scientists together with non-clinical counterparts for full-time, side-by-side, hands-on research training. [3] Also the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) the Advanced Training setting at Woods Hole, together with Jennifer Morgan (Regeneration; MBL), they co-Founded and co-Directed MBL's Frontiers in Stem Cells and Regeneration Regeneration Center; MBL; www.mbl.edu/education/special-topics-courses/frontiers-in-stem-cells-regeneration; Ina Dobrinski (Calgary) assumed the Directorship when his term was over and Ken Muneoka (Texas Tech) preceded Dr. Morgan. With funding from several Institutes at the National Institutes of Health, he has Founded and Directed courses taught almost exclusively by Indigenous Scholars with all Trainees of Indigenous descent: Advancing Native American Diversity in Aging Research through Undergraduate Education; at Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs] and Hispanic Speaking Universities [HSIs] he has also Founded and Directed courses on COVID-19 [Course Director, Frontiers in emerging, re-emerging, and zoonotic diseases and disparities]; Frontiers in Substance Abuse Disorders during Pregnancy, Post-Partum and Pediatrics; Frontiers in Aging and Regeneration Research: Translating MSTEM in Aging Research from the Lab to the Clinic and Beyond; Frontiers in Stem Cells and Cancer; Advanced Laboratory Course.

Awards and honors

Schatten's honors include: Stuyvesant High School's Biology Medal (1967); The Rockefeller Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships (1976- 1977); Researcher, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg. (1976–77; 1984); NIH Research Career Development (RCDA 1981–1986) and MERIT awards (1997-2008); [3] Diplome D'Honneur, XXXVI Congres de l'Association Internationale du Cinema Scientifique, Paris (1983); the Purkinje Medal (2003) awarded by the Czech Academy of Sciences; [3] Daniel Mazia Award from Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station (2003); Elected Fellow (1997) and Delegate (2005) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Patrick Steptoe Medal of the British Fertility Society (2005); the Stem Cell and Policy Award from the Genetics Policy Institute (2005); Pioneer in Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2006) awarded by FrhESC at Stanford University and Council Member of the National Institute of Aging (2006). Doctor Honoris Causa (honorary doctorate) Awarded by President of Slovenia, University of Nova Gorica (2015). Human Fertilization Expert for Terrance Malick's movie Voyage of Life (Imax and theatrical versions; 2016); MBL Woods Hole FOUNDER'S AWARD October MBL's Frontiers in Stem Cells and Regeneration Course (2018); Johan Gregor Mendel Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Science (2019) at Mendel's Augustinian Abbey in Brno Czech Republic; the film 2021 Academy Award-nominated "Crip Camp" produced by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, documents the critical role of CAMP JENED, which empowered disabled youth leaders who later fought for and eventually saw enacted the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (www.netflix.com/title/81001496 ) documents the summer of 1971; Schatten was a counselor there in preceding years of 1969 and 1970. In July 2022, Schatten was awarded the NIH's Outstanding Mentor Award in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA; NOT-OD-22-057). Schatten has also lectured widely and testified for the United States Senate, [8] [9] The President's Council on Bioethics, [10] and the United Nations.

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centriole</span> Organelle in eukaryotic cells that produces cilia and organizes the mitotic spindle

In cell biology a centriole is a cylindrical organelle composed mainly of a protein called tubulin. Centrioles are found in most eukaryotic cells, but are not present in conifers (Pinophyta), flowering plants (angiosperms) and most fungi, and are only present in the male gametes of charophytes, bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, cycads, and Ginkgo. A bound pair of centrioles, surrounded by a highly ordered mass of dense material, called the pericentriolar material (PCM), makes up a structure called a centrosome.

Developmental biology is the study of the process by which animals and plants grow and develop. Developmental biology also encompasses the biology of regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and differentiation of stem cells in the adult organism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human cloning</span> Creation of a genetically identical copy of a human

Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissue. It does not refer to the natural conception and delivery of identical twins. The possibilities of human cloning have raised controversies. These ethical concerns have prompted several nations to pass laws regarding human cloning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fertilisation</span> Union of gametes of opposite sexes during the process of sexual reproduction to form a zygote

Fertilisation or fertilization, also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a new individual organism or offspring and initiate its development. While processes such as insemination or pollination which happen before the fusion of gametes are also sometimes informally referred to as fertilisation, these are technically separate processes. The cycle of fertilisation and development of new individuals is called sexual reproduction. During double fertilisation in angiosperms the haploid male gamete combines with two haploid polar nuclei to form a triploid primary endosperm nucleus by the process of vegetative fertilisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centrosome</span> Cell organelle in animal cell helping in cell division

In cell biology, the centrosome is an organelle that serves as the main microtubule organizing center (MTOC) of the animal cell, as well as a regulator of cell-cycle progression. The centrosome provides structure for the cell. The centrosome is thought to have evolved only in the metazoan lineage of eukaryotic cells. Fungi and plants lack centrosomes and therefore use other structures to organize their microtubules. Although the centrosome has a key role in efficient mitosis in animal cells, it is not essential in certain fly and flatworm species.

An oocyte, oöcyte, or ovocyte is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The female germ cells produce a primordial germ cell (PGC), which then undergoes mitosis, forming oogonia. During oogenesis, the oogonia become primary oocytes. An oocyte is a form of genetic material that can be collected for cryoconservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zona pellucida</span> Glycoprotein layer surrounding the plasma membrane of mammalian oocytes

The zona pellucida is a specialized extracellular matrix that surrounds the plasma membrane of mammalian oocytes. It is a vital constitutive part of the oocyte. The zona pellucida first appears in unilaminar primary oocytes. It is secreted by both the oocyte and the ovarian follicles. The zona pellucida is surrounded by the corona radiata. The corona is composed of cells that care for the egg when it is emitted from the ovary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Thomson (cell biologist)</span> American developmental biologist

James Alexander Thomson is an American developmental biologist best known for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line in 1998 and for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regenerative medicine</span> Field of medicine involved in regenerating tissues

Regenerative medicine deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function". This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs by stimulating the body's own repair mechanisms to functionally heal previously irreparable tissues or organs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sperm</span> Male reproductive cell in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction

Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction. Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, which are known as spermatozoa, while some red algae and fungi produce non-motile sperm cells, known as spermatia. Flowering plants contain non-motile sperm inside pollen, while some more basal plants like ferns and some gymnosperms have motile sperm.

An oogonium is a small diploid cell which, upon maturation, forms a primordial follicle in a female fetus or the female gametangium of certain thallophytes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human fertilization</span> Union of a human egg and sperm

Human fertilization is the union of a human egg and sperm, occurring primarily in the ampulla of the fallopian tube. The result of this union leads to the production of a fertilized egg called a zygote, initiating embryonic development. Scientists discovered the dynamics of human fertilization in the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph L. Brinster</span> American geneticist

Ralph Lawrence Brinster is an American geneticist, National Medal of Science laureate, and Richard King Mellon Professor of Reproductive Physiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Stem cell laws are the law rules, and policy governance concerning the sources, research, and uses in treatment of stem cells in humans. These laws have been the source of much controversy and vary significantly by country. In the European Union, stem cell research using the human embryo is permitted in Sweden, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands; however, it is illegal in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal. The issue has similarly divided the United States, with several states enforcing a complete ban and others giving support. Elsewhere, Japan, India, Iran, Israel, South Korea, China, and Australia are supportive. However, New Zealand, most of Africa, and most of South America are restrictive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cell potency</span> Ability of a cell to differentiate into other cell types

Cell potency is a cell's ability to differentiate into other cell types. The more cell types a cell can differentiate into, the greater its potency. Potency is also described as the gene activation potential within a cell, which like a continuum, begins with totipotency to designate a cell with the most differentiation potential, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency, and finally unipotency.

Laura Charlotte Hewitson is a British-born primate researcher noted for her work in the fields of reproductive biology and behavior. She is an affiliate scientist at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) and adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Additionally, she is Research Director of The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development in Austin, Texas. Hewitson was a staff scientist at Oregon Health Sciences University from 1997 to 2001. From 2002 to 2010 she was an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and member of Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation (MWRI&F) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte</span> Spanish biochemist and developmental biologist

Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte is a Spanish biochemist and developmental biologist. He is a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratories at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spermatogonial stem cell</span> Spermatogonium that does not differentiate into a spermatocyte

A spermatogonial stem cell (SSC), also known as a type A spermatogonium, is a spermatogonium that does not differentiate into a spermatocyte, a precursor of sperm cells. Instead, they continue dividing into other spermatogonia or remain dormant to maintain a reserve of spermatogonia. Type B spermatogonia, on the other hand, differentiate into spermatocytes, which in turn undergo meiosis to eventually form mature sperm cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad</span>

Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad is the director of the Adult Stem Cell Lab and histology/embryology Professor at the Royan Institute where he held a multi-departmental professorship in bioengineering, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and stem cell therapy. Eslaminejad studies have been cited over 4000 times. He is best known for Hard Tissue Engineering and utilizing Mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of orthopedic diseases.

The Hwang affair, or Hwang scandal, or Hwanggate, is a case of scientific misconduct and ethical issues surrounding a South Korean biologist, Hwang Woo-suk, who claimed to have created the first human embryonic stem cells by cloning in 2004. Hwang and his research team at the Seoul National University reported in the journal Science that they successfully developed a somatic cell nuclear transfer method with which they made the stem cells. In 2005, they published again in Science the successful cloning of 11 person-specific stem cells using 185 human eggs. The research was hailed as "a ground-breaking paper" in science. Hwang was elevated as "the pride of Korea", "national hero" [of Korea], and a "supreme scientist", to international praise and fame. Recognitions and honours immediately followed, including South Korea's Presidential Award in Science and Technology, and Time magazine listing him among the "People Who Mattered 2004" and the most influential people "The 2004 Time 100".

References

  1. "Magee-Womens Research Institute". institute.mwrif.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. "Home". pdc.magee.edu.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gerald P. Schatten, PhD, Pittsburgh Development Center.
  4. Schatten, G. in PubMed.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Guterman, Lila. "Silent Scientist Under Fire: the American Collaborator of a Disgraced South Korean Is Keeping Mum", The Chronicle of Higher Education .
  6. Levine, Arthur S., ed. (2006-02-08). Summary investigative report on allegations of possible scientific misconduct on the part of Gerald P. Schatten, Ph.D. (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. p. 9. hdl:1813/11589. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-06.
  7. Executive Committee, UNESCO International Cell Research Organization.
  8. "September 25, 2002 Hearings. 107th Congress Hearings" Archived June 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , Office of Legislative Policy.
  9. "Congressional Hearings Held on Stem Cell Research" Archived 2009-08-10 at the Wayback Machine , American Association for the Advancement of Science.
  10. "Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Genomics Era" Archived 2009-05-20 at the Wayback Machine The President's Council on Bioethics. December 13, 2002.