Gail R.
Martin, an American biologist, died on February 9, 2026. She was known for her pioneering work on the isolation of pluripotent stem cells from normal embryos, for which she coined the term “embryonic stem cells.” Martin also was widely recognized for her work on the function of fibroblast growth factors and their negative regulators in vertebrate organogenesis.
She and her colleagues contributed to gene targeting technology.
Gail Roberta Martin (née Zuckman, April 12, 1944 – February 9, 2026) was an American biologist. She is known for her pioneering work on the isolation of pluripotent stem cells from normal embryos, for which she coined the term ’embryonic stem cells’. She is widely recognized for her work on the function of fibroblast growth factors and their negative regulators in vertebrate organogenesis. She and her colleagues made contributions to gene targeting technology.