Many salamanders possess the ability to completely regenerate lost or injured body parts, even as adults. This phenomenon has mesmerized people for hundreds of years, but only now do scientists have the tools necessary for fully understanding how it happens. In her lecture Jessica Whited will cover the mechanisms of this process, using limb regeneration in axolotl salamanders as the prime example. She will also discuss the benefits of understanding the principles of regeneration, including future regenerative medicine applications. Whited is an assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University.