Paul Knoepfler

I'm a scientist, writer, and advocate.

My daughter Julie and I have written a new book, How to Build a Dragon, that literally goes through how one would build a real dragon.

I'm a professor of cell biology and human anatomy at UC Davis School of Medicine. My lab's research focuses on stem cell and cancer cell biology. Our big picture goals are to make safer and more effective stem cell therapies and new cancer treatments. We use cutting edge technologies like stem cells, CRISPR, and organoids in our work. I'm also very interested in policy matters like on whether to use CRISPR to make designer babies. My TED talk on that last topic has more than 1.3 million views: https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_knoepfler_the_ethical_dilemma_of_designer_babies?language=en

I'm also a blogger at http://www.ipscell.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: pknoepfler.

In 2013 I was named one of the 50 most influential people in the stem cell world.

In 2009 I was diagnosed with a serious form of prostate cancer at age 42. Dealing with the cancer and the treatment were and continue to be very difficult, but this experience has inspired me to start blogging, which has been a very positive thing. I also am a patient advocate as well and that in part stemmed from my own cancer experience.

My first book, Stem Cells: An Insider's Guide is your guided tour into the world of stem cells. I wrote it in an approachable way, but my goal is that you'll learn a great deal and be entertained as well. I hope to write more books, but need a break from this 360 pager and besides I have a lot of teaching and research to do...and I do need some sleep each day.

My second book, GMO Sapiens, dives into the amazing science of human genetic modification. Things like designer babies and cloning that used to be pretty much just sci-fi are becoming a reality. Are we ready for that? What will this mean for all of us and our world?

I grew up in the Seattle area and went to Bellevue High School. I graduate from Reed College with a BA in English Literature, but took science and started out as a pre-med major. After Reed, I realized I wanted to do science and write. I got a Ph.D. from UC San Diego School of Medicine in Molecular Pathology.