This week, our class did a Skype chat with a lady name Charis Walko. Charis is a stem cell researcher for a company called Stemcell Technologies. During the chat, Charis gave us a very informative and helpful lesson about stem cells. She told us how they worked, the different kinds of stem cells, and much more. A day before the Skype chat our class had put together some questions regarding Charis, her job, and stem cells in general. We asked her these questions at the end of our chat and gave us answers that exceeded what I had expected. I love the fact that she gave us such an in depth learning experience with stem cells. I understand stem cells much more then I did before and enjoyed the learning experience!:)

Here are a few of the many questions we asked Charis during our Skype chat:

• How is your area of work (stem cell research) contributing to modern day medicine?

-In the future, we’re looking into having bank like buildings that yo can go to. If you ever are in need of stem cells to repair your body in any way, you can go to the bank. Under your name will be a healthy, living stem cells from your body that can be used to repair blood cells, or grow a whole new organ!

• What types of diseases can be treated with stem cells?

– 80 diseases can be treated with stem cells, most of them connected to disorders. others include eyes, muscles, etc.

• What is your favourite thing about your job?

– always trying to decipher things that no one has discovered before.