Josh Nelson, a CIRM Bridges trainee, didn’t experience a straightforward path into regenerative medicine.

For 20 years, Josh worked in entertainment as a technical director for various theaters in California. Though his career had its exciting moments, it ultimately wasn’t fulfilling for him, and he felt that his scientific acumen and compassion for others were underutilized.

In his 20s, Josh had considered pursuing a career in the medical field. However, he chose to postpone this goal to focus on raising his children. After decades in the entertainment industry, he felt ready to make the move to a career that matched his passions.

A Transition to Science and Medicine

Josh’s transition to medicine was methodical and deliberate.

He embarked on a path to medicine by pursuing a second bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Humboldt in Cellular and Molecular Biology while working as a clinical medical assistant in rural primary care. While in that role, he conducted numerous informational interviews with healthcare professionals and rigorously assessed his strengths and weaknesses.

After graduating, Josh was accepted into the CIRM Bridges Program through Cal Poly Humboldt. His internship took place at the Conklin Lab at Gladstone Institutes—an institution with a major stem cell program and home to Nobel prize winner Shinya Yamanaka, who invented pluripotent stem cell technology. Gladstone Institutes’ labs are also supported by various CIRM grants.

With the guidance of his mentors at Humboldt and Gladstone Institutes, he significantly expanded his biomedical knowledge through hands-on research in a world-class facility.

Before completing his CIRM Bridges internship in July 2024, Josh received exciting news: he was accepted into medical school at Pacific Northwest University-Health Sciences.

As he now prepares for the next journey in his career, he reflects on the training he’s received over the years and why he’s confident that his new path will lead to a fulfilling and rewarding medical career.

“CIRM’s Bridges program has offered me a stellar opportunity to be a part of cutting-edge research into treatments and therapies for currently incurable diseases,” Josh says. “I feel very grateful to have this opportunity, and I would like to give back by sharing my story with the next generation of scientists in California. My hope is that my story opens the door for people who would benefit from this experience and, in turn, benefit others who depend on our research.”

Supporting the Next Generation of Regenerative Medicine Scientists

Josh’s journey is just one unique story and outcome from the CIRM-funded Bridges Program.

Since its inception in 2009, the program has provided paid internships, hands-on training, and educational opportunities in stem cell research, especially at institutions without significant stem cell research programs.

The Bridges Program is active at 15 institutions in California, each with unique eligibility criteria and application processes. To learn more about CIRM’s education and training programs, visit this page on CIRM’s website.

Discover more about Josh’s journey and his perspectives on regenerative medicine:

---

Some responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. 
 
CIRM: What inspires you to do stem cell/regenerative medicine research?
Josh: Our research aims to be translational, and I want to offer my future patients the opportunity for cutting-edge therapy and clinical trials.

CIRM: What inspired you to participate in CIRM’s Bridges Program?
Josh: It was an opportunity for me to participate at the highest level of bio-medical research. Gladstone Institutes offers a collaborative, team-based science environment that is enjoyable and inspiring to me.

CIRM: Did the CIRM Bridges Program support you on your path to becoming a scientist or in making a career decision? If so, please tell us about it.
Josh: Yes, simply having this opportunity is a great deal of support. Financial support, of course, is through CIRM. My mentors at Cal Poly Humboldt are great, and the lab I work in is also funded by CIRM. I was already planning to go into medicine before CIRM Bridges and felt that to truly offer my future patients the best care, I needed to participate in biomedical research at the highest level.

CIRM: Did you face any obstacles (personal or professional) while participating in CIRM’s Bridges Program? If so, how did you overcome them?
Josh: Certainly, loneliness was unexpected, but my lab is very supportive and collaborative and I hardly had time to be lonely. Moving to a new city and working a lot was challenging.

CIRM: What is your current role and what do you do?
Josh: I am a CIRM Bridges Intern, and I act as an integral member of the Conklin Lab at Gladstone Institutes, a fully independent research institute with an affiliation with UCSF as well as Stanford and UC Berkeley. I perform molecular experiments, analyze the data, and culture stem cells. My role is very similar to a research associate. 

CIRM: Why do you think stem cell research is important and why is it important to continue funding that research?
Josh: Simply stated, stem cell therapies offer cures for, as of now, incurable diseases. Stem cell therapies are not only the future of therapeutic interventions, but they also allow us to study a human-based model of disease for translational research. Funding stem cell research is important for much more than stem cell therapy alone. Patient-derived iPSCs offer us the opportunity to understand human biology in a way that we have never been able to before.

CIRM: What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine?
Josh: My advice is to focus your foundational basic science learning on cell biology and genetics.

CIRM: Anything else you’d like to share about your experience?
Josh: CIRM Bridges has offered me a stellar opportunity to be a part of cutting-edge research into treatments and therapies for currently incurable diseases. I feel very grateful to have this opportunity, and I would like to give back by sharing my story with the next generation of scientists in California. My hope is that my story opens the door for people who would benefit from this experience and, in turn benefit others who depend on our research. Together, we can increase the quality of life for future generations.