Sam Wattrus, Ph.D.

Sam is a Junior Fellow in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research group utilizes a combination of genetics, lineage tracing, and live-cell imaging in zebrafish to understand how cells interact during development and regeneration. Sam received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College, where he studied Human Developmental & Regenerative Biology. As an undergraduate, he worked in the laboratories of Dr. Amy Wagers and Dr. John Gurdon to investigate aging in mammalian skeletal muscle and cellular reprogramming in Xenopus laevis. He later completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Leonard Zon at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His graduate work focused on hematopoietic stem cell development and macrophages in the stem cell niche in zebrafish. For his work on macrophages and stem cell biology, Sam was included on the 2024 Forbes 30 under 30 Science list. 

Outside of the lab, Sam enjoys cooking, spending time with his family, and playing bass in the Longwood Symphony Orchestra.