This is a fundamental, longstanding question in biology—central to stem cell biology. Our lab addresses it using Drosophila as a model and innovative in vivo live imaging. Since fate decisions are key to lineage reprogramming in stem cell therapies, our work has broad biomedical implications. My long-term goal is to uncover how extrinsic signals from the microenvironment connect to intracellular machinery governing blood cell fate and the balance between self-renewal and differentiation.

The hematopoietic system supports vital functions throughout life. Myeloid white blood cells respond to stressors like hypoxia, injury, or infection. To do so, the system relies on both mature cells for immediate responses and progenitors or stem cells to generate new blood cells. All blood cells arise from a single hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), making hematopoiesis dependent on maintaining a regenerative HSC pool while enabling differentiation into functional blood cells. Self-renewal expands HSCs; differentiation produces mature types.