For University of Georgia Ph.D. student Morgane Golan, the most meaningful outcome of her journey through graduate school wasn’t found under a microscope; it was found in the community she built along the way.
A student in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Golan is paving a new path in medicine as part of the nation’s first and only program offering both bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in regenerative bioscience — a field of study exploring ways to replace, repair and regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.
At CAES, she works alongside industry-leading research professors and award-winning students to bridge biology and medicine through tissue engineering, gene therapies, cell manufacturing and more.
“In cell manufacturing, we say that the process is the product,” Golan said. “In this case, both the process and the product were the community and connections, the network and the relationships that I built at CAES.”
The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is home to the nation’s first and only program offering both bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in regenerative bioscience. Source: Morgane Golan
Where the journey began
When she began her college journey, Golan had planned to attend vet school. During her pre-veterinary program, however, she discovered an affinity for research that inspired her to explore alternative graduate programs.
Her undergraduate mentors suggested connecting with Dr. Steven Stice, a D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia and the director of the UGA Regenerative Bioscience Center (RBC), where researchers work to find treatments for conditions like traumatic brain injuries, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia — all of which currently have no cure.
Soon thereafter, she planned a trip to Athens, Georgia, and quickly fell in love with the charming college town, beautiful red brick buildings and lush campus.
“Bringing my husband back to see this place, it was just an immediate realization that we were going to end up here,” Golan said.
The time had come for her to make her final decision: would she pursue veterinary school, or would she accept a position with Dr. Stice at the University of Georgia?
“By that point, there was no contest,” she said. “I had met Dr. Stice. I learned about his research, the program at large and the community of research scientists I would be involved with. There was no chance that I was going anywhere else.”
UGA is ranked No. 1 for best student life among public universities in the United States. Source: University of Georgia
Joining the UGA Regenerative Bioscience Center
Finding a doctoral advisor who genuinely champions his or her Ph.D. candidates is critical to a graduate student’s success. In Dr. Stice, Golan found not only a mentor, but a mentor who was adaptable, flexible and dedicated to investing in her growth. He provided a personalized learning experience, customized to Golan and her needs.
“He doesn’t mentor any two students the exact same way,” she added.
An official member of the RBC, Golan began working with Dr. Franklin West, a CAES professor who co-founded the center alongside Stice in 2004. There, her research focused on developing therapies that stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanisms to restore brain function in a pig model of traumatic brain injury.
After two years, Golan transitioned to in vitro research in cell manufacturing. Supported by both Dr. West and Dr. Stice, she began a new role as a graduate trainee in the Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), an Engineering Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation.
“CMaT has given me opportunities to engage in research, education and outreach in ways I never thought possible. I got to really step up into the role of a leader,” she said.
The journey continues
As part of this interdisciplinary program, Golan’s work combined neuroscience, cell manufacturing and bioengineering. She worked in state-of-the-art laboratories filled with groundbreaking tools and technologies, and she was supported by a team of scientists and entrepreneurs advocating for her every step of the way.
She combined her passions for lab research, education and community outreach in her dissertation focused on answering one key question: “How do we advance access to regenerative bioscience?”
Knowing that she had to engage young researchers to expand access, Golan started working as a teaching assistant in Dr. West’s animal biotechnology course within the Regenerative Bioscience major for undergraduates. There, she developed an active learning strategy called the “Biotech Toolbox” to help students engage deeply with primary scientific literature.
“I didn’t actually get to process the data until after the semester had ended and all the final grades were in, so it wasn’t until weeks later that I started to see this approach actually works,” she said. “It’s so exciting to show that this new active reading strategy truly benefits students.”
Golan’s research in the Stice laboratory focused on optimizing manufacturing pipelines to support patient access to stem cell-derived therapies for neurological conditions. Source: Morgane Golan | Photo credit: Adi Vaxman Photography
Life as an alumna
Golan graduated from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with her Ph.D. in Regenerative Bioscience in May 2026. Her achievements remain unforgettable to the proud CAES alumna.
In addition to successfully defending her dissertation to a full-house public audience, she also won the UGA Excellence in Teaching Award and began teaching an experiential course-based undergraduate research experience sponsored by CMaT.
Bringing her dissertation into her community, Golan has also partnered with educators within the Athens-Clarke County System to explore ways that regenerative bioscience can be made accessible to high school students, science teachers and families.
Currently, Golan is building a five-day program in cell manufacturing for high school students, a project also sponsored by CMaT.
“Bringing my ideas, passions and love of science to the community has enriched this journey,” she added.
Golan has accepted a position as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Georgia where she will continue to design evidence-based, active-learning learning opportunities that integrate foundational biology with authentic translational research.
