Molly Pleasants Lowndes

Molly Pleasants Lowndes serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. She is affiliated with the reNEW research center and the Brickman Lab, specializing in stem cell and developmental biology with emphasis on early embryonic lineage specification.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University (2013), thesis: 'Dissecting the Functions of Desmosomal Cadherins in Cell-Cell Adhesion and Tissue Maintenance'
• Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008)

She completed postdoctoral training at King's College London (2014-2016).

Dr. Lowndes investigates embryonic stem cell pluripotency maintenance mechanisms, focusing on dynamic Oct4 transcription factor regulation. Her research employs proteomic approaches with post-translational Oct4 reporters to determine how Oct4 levels influence self-renewal versus differentiation decisions. This work bridges molecular signaling, epigenetic regulation, and developmental genetics to elucidate fundamental embryogenesis processes.

Her publication trends reveal strong interdisciplinary connections between metabolism-epigenome crosstalk ($$\text{NAD}^+$$-dependent pathways), gastruloid-based embryonic modeling, and evolutionary conservation of pluripotency factors. These studies span cell biology, developmental genetics, and regenerative medicine with significant translational implications.

She operates within the Brickman Lab at reNEW, a collaborative hub for stem cell research utilizing advanced in vitro models and molecular profiling techniques to study early human development and disease mechanisms.