Fima Zaltsman

He/Him

I am gay and I am a stem cell biologist.//

I received my PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, I was in Dr. Laura Kiessling’s group, studying the role of mechanical cues in the cell fate decisions of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Currently, I’m a postdoc in Dr. Jeremy Willsey’s lab at UCSF. As part of the Psychiatric Cell Map Initiative, I’m using hPSC-derived neural cells to investigate the protein-protein interaction networks of genes implicated in autism spectrum disorder and other neuropsychiatric disorders. My scientific interests are driven by a desire to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders in the hopes of facilitating access to new therapeutic interventions for patients. Outside of lab, I enjoy biking, yoga, good food, traveling and live music.

Twitter: @fimazaltsman