Dr. Stephanie Xie Gives Guest Seminar on Inflammatory Memory in Hematopoietic Stem Cells

As part of the 2026 COI Summer Scientific Retreat, we were delighted to host Dr. Stephanie Xie, from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre of UHN and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. On May 13, Dr. Xie delivered an engaging seminar titled “Inflammatory Memory on Hematopoietic Stem Cells as a Driver of Clonal Selection” on how inflammation shapes hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function across aging and disease. 

In her lecture, Dr. Xie discussed how human HSCs endure lifelong inflammatory challenges and the lasting impact this has on blood formation. She highlighted her team’s use of advanced in vivo models and single-cell analysis approaches to uncover previously unappreciated diversity within the HSC compartment, including a subset that retains a molecular “memory” of past inflammatory exposure and adopts a more restrained, quiescent behavior. She discussed how this adaptive state is observed across a range of conditions, from aging to disease, and how genetic alterations associated with clonal hematopoiesis can reshape these responses and influence stem cell activity. Her lecture came full circle as she connected these concepts back to the case of M116, the world’s longest-surviving individual who lived to 117 and donated her tissues for research. Analysis of her blood revealed three distinct HSC clones defined by different mutation profiles, showing that these stem cell states may ultimately relate to differences in health and longevity. 

We give our sincere appreciation to Dr. Xie for sharing her inspiring research journey and contributing to a thought-provoking scientific exchange during the retreat. 

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