Stem cell pioneer joins UCI staff

Peter J. Donovan, a developmental biologist and influential stem cell researcher, has been appointed to the faculty of UC Irvine’s Stem Cell Research Center.

A Johns Hopkins University professor since 2003, Donovan will serve as interim co-director of the research center along with UCI professor Hans Keirstead. In addition, he will serve as a professor in the School of Biological Sciences and in the School of Medicine.

Donovan’s work determining the biological potential of stem cells is considered groundbreaking in his field. He arrives at UCI at a time when the university is seeking to build a $60-million stem cell research facility.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Donovan worked at the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Research and Development Center in Frederick, Md., and at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He received his doctorate in cell biology at University College, London.

“Peter Donovan and his laboratory bring significant knowledge of the genetic and environmental signals controlling stem cell behavior,” Susan Bryant, dean of the School of Biological Sciences, said in a news release. “These are issues that all stem cell biologists wrestle with, and we are excited to see a researcher of his caliber join our team.”