Anai Gonzalez Cordero

Associate Professor Anai Gonzalez Cordero is a Group Leader at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) and Conjoint Senior Lecturer at The University of Sydney. She leads research in stem cell-based therapies for deafness and blindness, focusing on retinal and auditory degenerative diseases. Her work involves developing organoid models to study human development and disease mechanisms. She established the Stem Cell & Organoid Facility at CMRI to support collaborative research.

Education: PhD in retinal regeneration (Wellcome Trust Programme, 2013). Research expertise includes stem cell biology, developmental biology, and translational medicine.

Research Interests: Stem cell-derived organoids for modeling diseases like Usher syndrome, gene and cell therapies, and mechanisms of sensory cell degeneration. Key projects involve retinal and inner ear organoid differentiation to advance treatments for inherited conditions.

Grants & Collaborations: Multiple grants from NHMRC, MRFF, and other bodies for projects on stem cell therapies, retinal degeneration, and gene therapy development. Active collaborations include the Luminesce Alliance and University College London.

Students: Advises PhD candidates Jasmeen Issar, Vivienne Kaiser, and William Yates on projects involving retinal diseases and gene therapy.

Labs/Teams: Stem Cell Medicine Lab and Stem Cell & Organoid Facility at CMRI, fostering collaborative research in stem cell applications and disease modeling.