Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

Bren Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering, CalTech

Distinguished Scholar Network Member

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz is the Bren Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and Professor of Mammalian Development and Stem Cells at the University of Cambridge. Her pioneering research explores how mammalian embryos self-organize and regulate cell fate decisions, leading to major advances in understanding early human development and its disorders. Her lab developed stem cell–based embryo models that illuminate developmental processes beyond the legal 14-day limit, with broad applications for reproductive medicine, regenerative biology, and synthetic embryology.

Magdalena is also deeply engaged in interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial innovation, integrating bioengineering, AI-driven imaging, and microfluidics to create scalable platforms for modeling and screening early development. Her work bridges fundamental biology and translational technology, aiming to improve fertility treatments and advance biomedical discovery.