Barak Blum

Barak Blum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, affiliated with the ERP Program since 2015. His research focuses on understanding β-cell maturation, pancreatic islet architecture, and regenerative medicine applications for diabetes treatment.

Education:

• BSc, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (2001)
• MSc, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2004)
• PhD, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2009)
• Postdoctoral training, Harvard University and Harvard Stem Cell Institute

Research Interests:

Dr. Blum investigates how β-cells achieve functional maturity and maintain it in health/disease. His lab uses human pluripotent stem cells, mouse genetics, and bioinformatics to study β-cell development and diabetes mechanisms. Key areas include:
- Molecular regulation of β-cell differentiation
- Islet architecture dynamics
- β-cell dedifferentiation in type-2 diabetes

Advising & Training:

• Current PhD student: Matthew Wagner
• Past student: Bayley Waters (PhD ’24)

Labs/Teams: Leads a lab focused on pancreatic β-cell biology and regenerative strategies for diabetes.