The Ropa Lab
Harnessing the Potential of Hematopoietic Cells to Improve Therapies
James Ropa
Principal Investigator
Contact
James Ropa
Principal Investigator
Medical and Molecular Genetics
Indiana University School of Medicine
975 W Walnut Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
The Ropa lab is a research lab at the Indiana School of Medicine located in Indianapolis, IN. We are focused on improving outcomes for patients with blood and immune disorders using basic and translational science approaches. Blood and immune disorders such as hematologic malignancies and immune deficiency syndromes affect millions of people worldwide and account for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. These disorders arise from mutations, deficiencies, or dysregulation of the hematopoietic system, often in the hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor cell (HPC) compartment. Correction of this dysregulation through cellular therapies or via targeted manipulation of molecular programs are potential avenues of treatment for hematologic diseases. Thus, it is critical to understand the regulation of HSC/HPC function, how dysregulation causes disease, and how these mechanisms can be targeted for clinical utility. However, a comprehensive understanding of factors that regulate healthy and diseased HSC/HPC function is still being developed. Our research program studies intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect hematopoietic cell functional potency and how these processes can be targeted for improved treatment of hematologic disease. Our group has a specific interest in improving the potency of hematopoietic cells for use in hematopoietic cell therapies, including transplantation, gene editing, and immune effector cell therapies. Additionally, our group examines axes of regulation that are critical for both healthy and diseased cell growth and health.
10/26/25-10/27/25
Jim was invited to be a speaker and session chair for a Cord Blood Connect session at the annual Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) annual meeting. Our collaborators at 42Bio also received a Best Abstract award for the work that we completed with them assessing the utility of different CD34+ cell isolation techniques, including their novel FerroBio technology. It was a great conference highlighting a lot of excellent work being done in cell therapies, and the Ropa Lab was excited to get to talk about our own exciting work!
Jim was invited to be a speaker and session chair for a Cord Blood Connect session at the annual Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) annual meeting. Our collaborators at 42Bio also received a Best Abstract award for the work that we completed with them assessing the utility of different CD34+ cell isolation techniques, including their novel FerroBio technology. It was a great conference highlighting a lot of excellent work being done in cell therapies, and the Ropa Lab was excited to get to talk about our own exciting work!
10/21/25
Jim was announced as the 2025 Cord Blood Association Foundation Research Scholar Award recipient. Jim received his award at the annual Cord Blood Connect meeting, which took place at the larger Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) annual meeting. This award will allow the lab to continue developing expression based potency analyses for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We are very grateful to the CBA Foundation as well as to the New England Cryogenic Center for their generous donation making this award possible.
Jim was announced as the 2025 Cord Blood Association Foundation Research Scholar Award recipient. Jim received his award at the annual Cord Blood Connect meeting, which took place at the larger Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) annual meeting. This award will allow the lab to continue developing expression based potency analyses for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We are very grateful to the CBA Foundation as well as to the New England Cryogenic Center for their generous donation making this award possible.
9/29/25
Allie and Jimin both presented excellent posters at the annual IUSM Medical and Molecular Genetics Symposium!
Allie and Jimin both presented excellent posters at the annual IUSM Medical and Molecular Genetics Symposium!
7/1/2025
It was recently announced that Jim is a recipient of one of ten Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust Awards for young investigators. This award will allow the lab to research oxygen dependencies of acute myeloid leukemias using mouse models and omics technology.
It was recently announced that Jim is a recipient of one of ten Ralph W. and Grace M. Showalter Research Trust Awards for young investigators. This award will allow the lab to research oxygen dependencies of acute myeloid leukemias using mouse models and omics technology.
6/1/2025-7/31/2025
Aysha Bennett from Indiana University Bloomington joined the Ropa Lab for the summer. Her project focused on treating hematopoietic cells with recombinant proteins associated with potency to improve expansion for use in transplantation. Great job Aysha!
Aysha Bennett from Indiana University Bloomington joined the Ropa Lab for the summer. Her project focused on treating hematopoietic cells with recombinant proteins associated with potency to improve expansion for use in transplantation. Great job Aysha!
3/1/2025
It has been a busy several weeks for the lab- Dr. Jimin Park, PhD has joined the lab as a postdoctoral researcher and Allie Kim will be the Ropa Lab's first graduate student! Jim wasn't told to prepare for the first official lab photo.
It has been a busy several weeks for the lab- Dr. Jimin Park, PhD has joined the lab as a postdoctoral researcher and Allie Kim will be the Ropa Lab's first graduate student! Jim wasn't told to prepare for the first official lab photo.
12/9/2024
Jess Newton joined the lab as a research technician!
Jess Newton joined the lab as a research technician!
10/3/2024
Our protocols are approved, our equipment is in, it is time to start running experiments! We are starting the process of recruiting at all levels- if you think our research sounds awesome please contact Jim to indicate your interest in working with us!
Our protocols are approved, our equipment is in, it is time to start running experiments! We are starting the process of recruiting at all levels- if you think our research sounds awesome please contact Jim to indicate your interest in working with us!
9/7/2024
Jim presented his work on omics approaches to identify potent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as a Best Abstract oral presentation at Cord Blood Connect Meeting in Miami, FL.
Jim presented his work on omics approaches to identify potent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells as a Best Abstract oral presentation at Cord Blood Connect Meeting in Miami, FL.
8/1/2024
The Ropa Lab officially opens its doors!
The Ropa Lab officially opens its doors!