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Derek Thirstrup is a rising leader in stem cell biology and advanced microscopy, whose work focuses on automating the culture and imaging of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). His most-cited paper, "Automated human induced pluripotent stem cell culture and sample preparation for 3D live-cell microscopy" (2023, 17 citations), pioneers a high-throughput, reproducible method for preparing iPSCs for live-cell imaging in three dimensions. This contribution addresses a critical bottleneck in stem cell research—manual variability and low throughput—by integrating robotic culture systems with sample preparation protocols that preserve cell viability and dynamics. Thirstrup’s approach enables researchers to capture real-time cellular behaviors, such as differentiation and organoid formation, with unprecedented consistency. While his citation count is still growing, the impact of his work is evident in its adoption by labs seeking to scale iPSC-based studies for disease modeling and drug screening. His achievements mark a significant step toward fully automated, high-content stem cell research, positioning him as a key innovator at the intersection of bioengineering and regenerative medicine.