• Department of Pathology
  • Pathology Staff
• Department of Laboratory Medicine
  • Laboratory Medicine Staff
• Affiliated Hospitals
  • Moffitt-Long
  • Mount Zion Medical Center
  • San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • San Francisco General
• Faculty
  • Pathology
  • Laboratory Medicine

Research and Clinical Interests

Molecular basis of stem cell self-renewal, differentiation and contribution to cancer Stem cells have the amazing ability to self-renew and differentiate into a variety of adult tissues. Embryonic stem cells can produce an entire embryo while adult stem cells have a more limited development potential. My lab is interested the molecular basis of stem cell potential. We are studying global regulators of stem cell differentiation, which are responsible for silencing the stem cell program as cells mature into adult tissues. We are also studying how these mechanisms go awry during tumorigenesis. Finally, we plan to manipulate these factors in order to de-differentiate adult cells back into embryonic stem cells.

Selected Publications

• Wang Y, Medvid R, Melton C, Jaenisch R, Blelloch R†. (2006). DGCR8 is Essential for MicroRNA Biogenesis and Silencing Embryonic Stem Cell Self Renewal. Nature Genetics, submitted.
• Blelloch, R., Wang, Z., Meissner, A., Pollard, S., Smith, A., and Jaenisch, R. (2006). Reprogramming efficiency following somatic cell nuclear transfer is influenced by the differentiation and methylation state of the donor nucleus. Stem Cells 24, 2007-2013.
• Blelloch R.* , Hochedlinger K.*, Yamado Y., Brennan C., Mintz B., Chin L., Jaenisch R. Nuclear Cloning of Embryonal Carcinoma Cells. PNAS 2004:101: 13985-90**.
• Hochedlinger K.*, Blelloch R .*, Brennan C., Yamado Y., Kim, M., Chin L., Jaenisch R. Reprogramming of a Melanoma Genome by Nuclear Transplantation. Genes and Development 2004: 18: 1875-1885**.
• Jaenisch R, Hockedlinger K, Blelloch R , Yamada Y, Baldwin K, Eggan K. Nuclear cloning, epigenetic reprogramming, and cellular differentiation. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2004; 69: 19-27.

Selected Awards

• 2004 Paul E. Strandjord Young Investigator Award with Distinction
• 2001 UW-Madison Commencement Student Speaker
• 2001 Alpha Omega Alpha, Senior Year
• 2001 GATE Pharmaceuticals Outstanding Student Award
• 2000-2001 Rath Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellow - full tuition and stipend
• 1999-2000 NIH Medical Scientist Training Program Grant - full tuition and stipend
• 1994-1997 NIH Molecular Biosciences Training Grant - full tuition and stipend

Additional Information

• Detailed CV

• Assistant Professor of Urology, Pathology and Ob/Gyn
• Pathology

Contact Information

• Robert.Blelloch@UCSF.edu
• Phone: 415-476-2838

• 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0525
• San Francisco, CA 94143

Other UCSF Organizational Association(s)

• Institute of Regeneration Medicine