Supervisor
Prof. Diego Balboa
Diego Balboa, PhD, is a Principal Investigator, Academy Research Fellow, and Docent at the University of Helsinki, where he leads research on diabetes, stem cell biology, and genome editing. His work focuses on developing human pluripotent stem cell models to investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying beta-cell dysfunction and monogenic diabetes. By integrating CRISPR-based engineering, functional genomics, and stem cell-derived pancreatic islets, he aims to advance precision medicine approaches for metabolic diseases. Dr. Balboa has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and has established international collaborations bridging basic, translational, and clinical diabetes research.
Selected publications
Mereu E. et al. | A single-cell multi-omic atlas of the human pancreas reveals potential for cellular plasticity across development, health, and disease. Cell Metab. (2026), DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2026.07.023
Bernardo E. et al. | HNF1A and A1CF coordinate a beta cell transcription-splicing axis that is disrupted in type 2 diabetes. Cell Metab. (2025), DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.07.007
Balboa D. et al. | Functional, metabolic and transcriptional maturation of human pancreatic islets derived from stem cells. Nat. Biotechnol. (2022), DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01219-z
Balboa D. et al. | Insulin mutations impair beta-cell development in a patient-derived iPSC model of neonatal diabetes. eLife (2018), DOI: 10.7554/eLife.38519
Link to research group website: Balboa lab