Trista E. North

Dr. Trista E. North serves as Co-Director of the Developmental and Regenerative Biology Program and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She leads the North Lab within the Stem Cell Program and Department of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children's Hospital, where her research focuses on developmental hematopoiesis and stem cell function. Dr. North is also affiliated with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University.

• B.A. in Biology and Psychology from Bowdoin College (1996)
• Ph.D. from Dartmouth College (2002) working with Dr. Nancy A. Speck on Runx1's role in hematopoietic stem cell development
• Postdoctoral research with Dr. Leonard I. Zon at Boston Children's Hospital

Dr. North's research explores how extrinsic and environmental cues guide hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) formation, self-renewal, and tissue regeneration. Her lab combines genetic methods and chemical biology approaches in zebrafish embryos with transcriptomics and high-resolution microscopy to identify pathways regulating HSC induction, expansion, and differentiation. Current research focuses on oxygen and glucose metabolism, mechanical cues from blood flow, inflammatory signaling, and epigenetic regulation in HSC development. The lab employs ex vivo murine tissue explant studies, human induced pluripotent stem cell cultures, and in vivo functional analyses including injury/recovery models and HSC transplantation assays.

Analysis of Dr. North's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms controlling hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions during embryonic development. Her work spans multiple model systems including zebrafish, mouse, and human cell cultures, with particular emphasis on the role of epigenetic regulators (EZH1/2), biomechanical forces (YAP signaling), metabolic regulation of inflammasome activity, and extracellular matrix components in HSC production. A recurring theme is the translational potential of these findings for improving HSC production in culture for clinical applications.

Dr. North pioneered a bioactive chemical screening approach in zebrafish that led to the first FDA approval for clinical investigational use of a zebrafish research-derived compound (Prostaglandin E2). She serves on the Executive Board of the Zebrafish Disease Models Society as Treasurer and is an active member of the American Society of Hematology Scientific Committee on Stem Cells and Regeneration.

Dr. North has successfully mentored numerous trainees who have secured independent funding (NIH, NSF, CIHR) and presented at major conferences. All PhD trainees in her lab have graduated within 5 years with at least one first-author publication. Her lab members participate in weekly lab meetings, zebrafish group meetings, and individual career mentorship sessions. Undergraduate and technician staff consistently transition to graduate or medical school programs. The North Lab maintains collaborative relationships with multiple research groups including the Daley, Zon, and Goessling labs, and utilizes shared resources through the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

The North Lab operates a sophisticated zebrafish facility supporting their research on hematopoietic development. Lab members include postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research technicians, and undergraduate researchers working on complementary projects that collectively investigate the environmental and molecular cues guiding hematopoietic stem cell formation. The lab participates in the Boston Children's Hospital zebrafish community and collaborates with clinical researchers to translate basic findings into potential therapeutic applications for blood disorders.