The focus of our laboratory is to understand the molecular determinants underlying cell reprogramming and hematopoietic specification. In humans, the multiple differentiated cell states are normally stable and inherited through cell division. Under certain conditions, cell fate can, however, be modified or reversed. Cell reprogramming can be achieved experimentally in different ways, including nuclear transfer, cell fusion or expression of transcription factors. The emergent ability to directly reprogram somatic cells into desired hematopoietic cell-types is opening avenues to the discovery of new therapies for immune and blood diseases. Our approach focuses on Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) for their remarkable regenerative potential and Dendritic Cells (DCs) as key orchestrators of immunity. The goals of my laboratory are a) to understand at the molecular level how hematopoietic cellular identities are specified during development employing cellular reprogramming and b) to use this knowledge to design new strategies for regenerative medicine and cancer immunotherapy.