Benjamin Ohlstein

Dr. Benjamin Ohlstein is Associate Professor in Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Principal Investigator at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute. His laboratory investigates gastrointestinal stem cell biology using Drosophila as a model system.

Research focuses on:

• Mechanisms of intestinal stem cell maintenance and differentiation
• Notch signaling pathways in cell fate specification
• Tissue regeneration following injury
• Evolutionary conservation of gut renewal mechanisms

Publications establish fundamental insights into stem cell dynamics, including discovery of intestinal stem cells in Drosophila and characterization of regenerative processes. Recent work examines hormonal control of stem cell division and polarity regulation.