Aziz Aboobaker

Professor Aziz Aboobaker is a member of the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on animal regeneration and the stem cells that enable this process. The planarian flatworm model system is used to study tissue regeneration and stem cell biology, including the role of pluripotent adult stem cells called neoblasts. His work also explores molecular mechanisms related to cancer and aging, such as stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Recently, his team has sequenced the genome of the amphipod crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis to investigate regeneration and stem cell biology in this species.

Aziz Aboobaker is a Professor of Comparative and Functional Genomics at the University of Oxford, specializing in regeneration, stem cells, ageing, and the evolution of life history traits. His research explores the molecular mechanisms underlying regenerative processes in diverse organisms, including planarians, nematodes, and crustaceans. By integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and functional approaches, he investigates how stem cells contribute to tissue repair, aging, and evolutionary adaptation. His work also examines the role of microRNAs, Hox genes, and signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin in developmental and regenerative contexts. Aboobaker's research bridges evolutionary biology and regenerative medicine, offering insights into the conservation and divergence of regenerative mechanisms across species.