Biography
Luke studied Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario (London, Canada). As a summer research student Luke developed a passion for stem cell biology in the lab of Professor Gordon Keller, differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into cardiovascular cell types, at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute (Toronto). In 2020, Luke completed a Wellcome-funded DPhil in Chromosome and Developmental Biology as a Clarendon Scholar at the University of Oxford under Professor Elizabeth J Robertson. During his DPhil he identified a novel transcriptional regulator that orchestrates the formation of the first blood cells in early mouse embryos. Following his DPhil, Luke gained industry experience as a Vertex Fellow at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, working within a multidisciplinary team on human disease modelling and drug discovery. In 2022, he joined Professor Bertie Göttgens' research group at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute as a Research Associate. Soon after, he was awarded a Wellcome Early-Career Award (2023-2028) to investigate the role of developmental history in molecular convergence and was elected as a Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College in 2024.
Publications
B Theeuwes*, LTG Harland*†, A Bisia, I Costello, M-L Ton, T Lohoff, SJ Clark, R Argelaguet, NK Wilson, W Reik, E Bikoff, EJ Robertson**, B Gottgens**. (2024) Eomes directs the formation of spatially and functionally diverse extra-embryonic hematovascular tissues. bioRxiv
I Imaz-Rosshandler*, C Roder*, C Guibentif*, LTG Harland*, M-L Ton, P Dhapola, D Keitley, R Argelaguet, FJ Calero-Nieto, J Nichols, JC Marioni†, MFTR de Bruijn†, B Gottgens†. (2024). Tracking Early Mammalian Organogenesis – Prediction and Validation of Differentiation Trajectories at Whole Organism Scale. Development 151 (3), dev201867
LTG Harland, C Simon, AD Senft, I Costello, L Greder, I Imaz-Rosshandler, B Gottgens, J Marioni, EK Bikoff, C Porcher, MFTR de Bruijn† and EJ Robertson†. (2021). The T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin governs haemogenic competence of yolk sac mesodermal progenitors. Nature Cell Biology 23, 61-74.
Other Professional Activities
Junior Research Fellow and Governing Body Fellow (Wolfson College)
