Thanks to an invitation from Assoc. Prof. Aleš Hampl, DVM, Ph.D., the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, was pleased to welcome Professor Duanqing Pei, a distinguished scientist and, since 2018, an Associate Member of EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organisation, an intergovernmental organisation that promotes excellence in the life sciences. Professor Pei currently serves as the Dean of the School of Future Biomedicine at Westlake University and the Director of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health at the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation.
Professor Pei is primarily recognised for his pioneering work in understanding the molecular mechanisms that control cell fate, using cell reprogramming as a key paradigm. His recent research also focuses on the translational aspects of stem and progenitor cells.
"My lab works on mechanisms associated with cell fate decisions. We have demonstrated that vitamin C acts through histone and DNA demethylases to facilitate cell fate changes during iPSC generation, and EMT-MET plays a crucial role in both reprogramming and differentiation. Building on these insights, we continue to probe cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate decisions in both reprogramming and development," says Prof. Pei about his research focus.
During his visit, Professor Pei summarised his achievements in the epigenetic regulation of cell states in a public seminar. He also proposed a conceptual chromatin "open-close" binary logic for cell fate control and introduced the interface between pluripotent and somatic states.
Furthermore, Professor Pei learned about relevant research activities at the faculty in one-on-one meetings with Zdeněk Andrysík, Pavel Krejčí, Vladimír Rotrekl, Dáša Bohačiaková, Tomáš Bárta, Irena Koutná, and Aleš Hampl.
A key part of the visit was a meeting with faculty representatives, including Dean Prof. Martin Repko and Vice-Dean for Research, PhD Studies, and Institutional Development Prof. Tomáš Kašpárek. Together, they discussed promising opportunities for future collaboration in both science and education.
