I am a stem cell biologist whose innovative work on the lymphatic vascular niche for hair follicle stem cells opened the door to fundamental research areas to advance therapeutics for enhancing tissue regeneration. This has unearthed the lymphatic capillary network as a novel stem cell niche component, advancing our knowledge of how stem cells synchronize and coordinate tissue regeneration. My goal is to perform innovative and fundamental research to aid our understanding of 'stemness' identity and behavior.