Aaron Wasserman, Ph.D.

Aaron Wasserman is a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of medicine at Michigan State University.  He runs the iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) research program in the Hong/Williams laboratory, where he studies the structure, maturation, and regeneration of cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells).  His current work focuses on the role of centrosomes in causing human cardiac disease and identifying therapeutics to treat these disorders.  During his Ph.D. at Michigan State, Dr. Wasserman found that oxytocin, a neuroendocrine hormone, is released after cardiac injury, leading to the activation of a resident cardiac stem cell population and facilitating heart regeneration.  His research constitutes the first evidence of an evolutionarily-conserved, brain-controlled mechanism that induces regeneration of the injured heart.  He also made significant contributions to the field of cardiac developmental modeling by working on a protocol to construct three-dimensional human heart organoids, often referred to as “miniature hearts”, from iPSCs.  During his Master’s at the University of Michigan, Dr. Wasserman studied the molecular mechanisms of mutations that cause cardiomyopathies (heart muscle diseases).  His long-term research interests lie with the major organ systems of the body, such as the heart and the brain, and how they work together to maintain homeostasis.  Dr. Wasserman is also a passionate and experienced university educator and mentor, and looks forward to molding the next generation of scientists throughout his career.