We’re delighted to share that Ritika Saxena, one of our recent Hawkesbury Canoe Classic PhD Scholarship recipients, has now submitted her PhD dissertation (entitled Improving the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional haematopoietic stem cells, called ‘iHSCs’) at the University of Melbourne. Her journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are proud to have supported her through the most formative chapter of her already exciting research career.

Ritika’s research was based at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in the Blood Development Laboratory, affiliated with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW). She was supervised by Professor Andrew Elefanty and co-supervised by Associate Professor Elizabeth Ng and Professor Ed Stanley. Together with other members of the laboratory, they set out to address a critical challenge: understanding how haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs, or blood stem cells) are made in the human embryo, and how we could better replicate this process in the laboratory using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This would allow the generation of perfectly matched, lab-grown blood stem cells for people who need a stem cell transplant in the future.

A Groundbreaking Discovery

One of the most exciting parts of Ritika’s PhD was her contribution to a landmark paper in Nature Biotechnology (Ng et al., 2024). This research demonstrated for the first time, that lab grown stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), can be turned into fully functional blood stem cells capable of long term regeneration. These lab grown cells, known as iHSCs, could one day provide life-saving treatments for patients needing stem cell transplants.

Ritika played a key role in this breakthrough by generating one of the two key iPSC lines used extensively in this study. The impact of this research has been immense, attracting global media attention with an estimated reach of over 625 million people. The paper has already been cited 38 times and accessed over 51,000 times. This breakthrough is now the foundation for a $US35 million licensing deal with Retro Biosciences to develop a clinical-grade therapy — a powerful example of how fundamental research translates into real world medical innovation.

Moving towards Personalised, Off-the-Shelf Therapies

Over the course of her PhD, Ritika developed genetically engineered stem cell lines that glow under certain conditions, helping researchers track how blood stem cells form. Her thesis explored how to make this process more efficient and reliable. Using cutting edge techniques like single cell sequencing and live imaging, she mapped out the step-by-step process of how blood stem cells emerge.

This work has created a valuable resource for scientists around the world, enabling comparisons between lab-grown blood stem cells and real blood stem cells found in the human embryo, cord blood and adult bone marrow. These insights bring us closer to delivering personalised, off-the-shelf stem cell therapies for patients with blood disorders.

Ritika’s supervisor Professor Andrew Elefanty, noted this area of research has been a major bottleneck in the field for many years, and that Ritika’s work has significantly increased the efficiency of generating transplantable stem cells. Ritika’s work is currently being prepared for two separate scientific publications.

Not “Just a Boffin”

Although she has worked long and hard to complete her research, with many late nights in the lab and at her desk as she finalised her dissertation, Ritika did not hide herself away from the world. Quite the contrary, she took on many roles away from the lab, including presenting at national and international conferences, and mentoring younger students. She presented at 10 major conferences, including in New York, Chicago and Heidelberg, and undertook research visits to Copenhagen and Milan, where she advanced her expertise in spatial transcriptomics and live cell sorting.

Among the many prizes and awards presented to Ritika throughout her PhD candidature is the prestigious Victorian International Education Award (Student of the Year – Research), awarded in 2022. Since then, Ritika’s work has been featured in the Herald Sun’s “Top 20 Under 40 Researchers” in Australia and again in 2025 as part of a profile on Indian-Australian women leading in STEM.

High Praise from Her Supervisor

Professor Andrew Elefanty of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute says,

“It is abundantly clear that Ritika is an exceptional young scientist – motivated and passionate about her work, deeply knowledgeable about her science, and a persuasive communicator with a sharp intellect. Throughout her PhD, she has demonstrated scientific rigour, creativity, and leadership well beyond her years. She is also driven to leave a lasting impact on the communities she is part of, working to improve the experience of those who follow her.

“Ritika’s doctoral research has been both ambitious and impactful, contributing to landmark discoveries in the field of stem cell medicine. She has demonstrated outstanding dedication not only to her scientific work, but also to mentoring, public outreach, and efforts to improve research culture. As her PhD supervisor, I have every confidence that she will become a successful and influential leader in the field.

“It has been a privilege to supervise Ritika during this formative stage of her career. I would also like to sincerely thank the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation for supporting her through the Arrow Hawkesbury Canoe Classic PhD Scholarship. This support has played an important role in enabling Ritika to thrive as a young scientist and to pursue research of meaningful impact.”

Thank you to Arrow and the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic

Ritika reflects, “I truly believe I would not be where I am today without the support of the Arrow Hawkesbury Canoe Classic PhD Scholarship. This funding gave me the freedom to fully focus on my science, attend key conferences, and embrace leadership and outreach opportunities that have shaped who I am becoming as a scientist. I am now preparing for the next chapter as I am applying for postdoctoral fellowships in Europe, building on the relationships and models developed throughout my PhD. Thank you for believing in students like me, and for empowering young researchers to prioritise their training and growth so that they can maximise their scientific impact.”

We couldn’t be prouder of Ritika and all that she has achieved. Her journey is a powerful reminder of how investing in young researchers can lead to world changing discoveries.

We’re pleased to have been able to join with our friends at The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic to offer Ritika the level of support her work deserves, and we join with them to wish Ritika every success in her career.