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Dr Luke TG Harland

Dr Luke TG Harland

BSc DPhil

  • Position Governing Body Fellow Junior Research Fellow
  • School Biological Sciences Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
  • Email ltgh2@cam.ac.uk
  • Department link

Luke TG Harland is a developmental biologist based at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. Luke’s research programme investigates the inductive cues and transcriptional pathways that coordinate the formation of specific cellular identities during mammalian embryonic development.

Dr Luke TG Harland

Luke earned his BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario, where his passion for developmental and stem cell biology ignited through summer research projects at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute. These experiences fueled his aspiration for a career in biomedical research.

In 2020, as a Clarendon Scholar, Luke completed a Wellcome-funded DPhil in Chromosome and Developmental Biology at the University of Oxford under Professor Elizabeth J Robertson. His research identified a novel transcriptional regulator coordinating the formation of initial blood cells in the early mouse embryo. Post-DPhil, Luke spent a year as a Vertex Fellow at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, contributing to a multidisciplinary team dedicated to human disease modeling and drug discovery.

In 2022, Luke joined Professor Bertie Göttgens' research group at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute as a Research Associate. Shortly after, he secured a five-year Wellcome Early-Career Award (2023-2028) to delve into the role of developmental history amid molecular convergence.

An active member of the International Society for Experimental Haematology, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the British Society for Developmental Biology, Luke became a Junior Research Fellow at Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çCollege in January 2024.

Luke employs advanced computational tools, genetic engineering, and stem cell models to explore crucial aspects of cell fate decisions in embryonic development. His focus lies in uncovering the molecular mechanisms, including inductive cues and transcriptional networks, that orchestrate the creation of specific cell lineages during embryogenesis. This knowledge is pivotal for developing technologies that convert pluripotent stem cells into specific cell types, benefiting drug discovery, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine.

Recent studies have unveiled that certain cell types with similar states emerge multiple times during embryonic development through different pathways. For instance, blood-forming endothelial cells called haemogenic endothelium (HE), arise through varied precursor embryonic tissues. The impact of alternative differentiation pathways on the properties of convergent cell types remains poorly understood.

To delve into the role of developmental history amidst molecular convergence, Luke's research focuses on unraveling the intrinsic and extrinsic regulatory networks guiding haemogenic endothelium differentiation. His project utilizes comprehensive single-cell spatial and suspension transcriptomic datasets as well as a robust embryonic stem cell differentiation model that Luke developed during his DPhil. Ultimately, his research aims to enhance our understanding of mechanisms governing cellular identity acquisition in embryogenesis, fostering the development of new technologies for regenerative medicine.

 

What's on

A triptych of abstract images: a smooth round stone nestled in a curved rock, distorted eyeglass frames scattered on a white background, and a high-contrast black and white microscopic image resembling organic or cellular structures.

Art Exhibition: Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çat 60

21/06/2025 at 10.00

Celebrating Wolfson’s 60th anniversary year, this exhibition highlights the range of artistic disciplines and styles that have made up our exhibitions over the years.

A group of people stands outdoors near a table with books and papers, attentively reading or listening during a gathering.

WolfWords Launch and Poetry Reading

27/06/2025 at 11.00

Please come and join us for the launch of this year's WolfWords poetry anthologywhich brings together poems from the entire Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çcommunity.

Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çChampagne Credit Ian Olsson

Wolfson's 60th Birthday Party

27/06/2025 at 18.30

Come party like it's 1965 as we celebrate Wolfson's 60th birthday!

Graphic for "Cambridge Zero Community Day" on 28 June 2025 from 10:00 to 20:30, with the tagline "Forging a Future for Our Planet" and descriptors "Innovative, Inclusive, Impactful."

Cambridge Zero Community Day

28/06/2025 at 10.00

Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çCollege will showcase its commitment to Sustainability and Conservation and Green Impact by exhibiting a number of projects around the College at the Cambridge Zero Community Day.

A large stone church with a tall spire and ornate Gothic-style windows stands on a grassy hill under a clear blue sky.

Thaxted Festival Mass

29/06/2025 at 11.00

Haydn’s delightful Little Organ Mass will be sung by Âé¶¹ËÞÉáµçÊÓ¾çChamber Singers, accompanied by the historic Lincoln Organ played by Tom Williamson.

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