On this episode we take a look at the role induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are playing in drug discovery and development for neurodegenerative diseases. Our host Oleksandr sat down with Professor Evangelos Kiskinis, who is leading his own research group at the Northwestern University in Chicago. Evangelos and his team are leading the way on the development of novel cell-based models for ALS, epilepsy and other types of neurological conditions. Check out this episode to learn more about: ◦ Evangelos's career story and what got him excited in stem cell research ◦ Challenges in modeling neurodegenerative diseases in a dish ◦ iPSC based models for inherited vs sporadic diseases ◦ Transitioning promising in vitro discoveries into clinical trials ◦ iPSC based cell replacement therapies for Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease ◦ The future of iPSC based models in drug discovery ◦ Evangelos's advice to young scientists pursuing academic career ◦ Get in touch with Evangelos: ◦ LinkedIn: Evangelos Kiskinis ◦ Web: http://evangeloskiskinislab.org/index.html Make sure to download the full show notes with our guest's bio, links to their most notable work, and our recommendations for further reads on the topic of the episode at pmedcast.com