What can the social lives of stem cells can tell us?

In this episode of The Curious Mindset, we sit down with Dr. Nika Shakiba to explore the hidden social dynamics of stem cells, the future of regenerative medicine, and what it might take to create a computer-based simulator of human embryonic development.

Dr. Shakiba is a 2025 Gairdner Early Career Investigator and Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on understanding how stem cells communicate, cooperate, and compete with one another during development.

By combining stem cell biology, systems biology, and genetic engineering, her lab is uncovering the biological rules that shape how tissues and organs form. In this conversation, Nika shares how interdisciplinary thinking has shaped her career, why public understanding of stem cell science matters, the role of mentorship in scientific growth, and how curiosity and serendipity have guided some of her most important career decisions.