Meri Teresa Firpo

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July 22, 2022

Meri mentored me at the University of Minnesota. She is the reason I want to be scientist and she helped me realize my true potential as a researcher. I admire Meri and her contributions to science and to my career. I hope to be as strong and independent... more

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November 14, 2021 · via iPhone

The science superhero image of Meri was created for this event. It was a live event that was recorded for the podcast Science Friday. Here is the link—you can listen to Meri do two of the things she loved the most: teach and talk about science.... more

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Nick Myers reacted on this.

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November 14, 2021 · via iPhone

Thank you to everyone who participated in Meri’s memorial on Friday. When the recording is posted, I hope anyone who couldn’t “attend” is able to watch. It was wonderful to hear and see people from all areas of Meri’s life together, sharing... more

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November 12, 2021

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November 12, 2021

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November 12, 2021 · via iPhone

It was a pleasure working with Meri at Memphis Meats (now Upside Foods). I will remember Meri for her stories, her wit and brilliant sarcasm, for her love of family and the pride she exuded when talking about her nieces and nephews, and of course her... more

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November 12, 2021

Meri was such a dear friend to many of us in Minnesota. She just fit into my family by loving my sons (Wes and Nolan),making pies for my brother's wedding celebration, joining us for holidays and spending many days scrapbooking and boating at the Lake... more

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Faith Goenner and Nick Myers reacted on this.
Nick Myers I remember you. I went to the roller derby with you and Meri,my first and only time. One of the teams was named Kilmore Girls. It was always a pleasant adventure with Meri. I miss her so much. She drove me to Duluth to see Lake Superior and we went even... more
- November 15, 2021
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November 12, 2021 · via iPhone

Here are lots of photos and lots of love. I will miss you, Meri. 💛🌞🌻

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November 12, 2021

I knew Meri in the late '80s when I was first becoming friends with her sister Michele (we worked together) and Meri was living in NYC too. I spent time with Meri on a number of occasions with Michele and Rob (then Michele's boyfriend, now her husband).... more

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November 12, 2021 · via iPhone

Along with many other admirable qualities, Meri was fun! Wish I had more pix of her to share. I’ll post general family photos in another batch. 💛
ps The pix of Catie and Greg on the phone are also of Meri—she was on the other end.

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November 11, 2021

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November 11, 2021

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November 10, 2021

I came to know Meri a few years ago when she applied to work at Memphis Meats (now known as Upside Foods). My early impressions of Meri were her classic authenticity as a cell biologist and the pride she took in leading her R&D team at the company. She... more

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November 10, 2021

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November 10, 2021

November 7, 2021

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November 6, 2021 · via iPhone

The photos and memories of Meri posted here are so touching. Sending deepest condolences to the Firpo family as well as Meri’s friends and colleagues. 💐

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November 6, 2021

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November 4, 2021

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November 4, 2021

Meri enjoyed blogs, and one of the blogs she shared with me is Cake Wrecks. I needed to get some groceries. I think Meri was shopping with me in spirit because I wandered through the bakery and there was a cupcake cake. Thanks to the blog, every time we... more

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Faith Goenner reacted on this.

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November 2, 2021 · via mobile

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November 2, 2021 · via mobile

Nick Myers reacted on this.

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November 2, 2021 · via mobile

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October 31, 2021

Twenty five years ago Meri appeared in my life. Meri’s swagger, her short skirts and confidence while walking the hallways at UCSF, impressed me. Quite a few Friday evenings we spend in the mission where she lived, and which, at that time, was still... more

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October 31, 2021

I enjoyed hearing about the Italian holidays, her conference travels, and the white water rafting adventure...and so many more. Meri traveled home for Thanksgiving while I watched Ivan. I made an entire Thanksgiving meal, and was nervous because I had... more

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Faith Goenner reacted on this.

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October 31, 2021

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Faith Goenner reacted on this.

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October 31, 2021

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October 31, 2021

I learned so much from Meri. We took two cooking classes together, and had fun being creative in what we made for our assignments.

I was honored that I was entrusted to take care of Ivan when Meri traveled. He pulled the purple dinosaur off the shelf... more

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October 31, 2021

October 29, 2021

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October 29, 2021 · via iPhone

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October 27, 2021

I shared this on Paul's Blog. Reposting it here.

I met Meri over a cocktail at a scientific conference – where all good long-term collaborations begin. I was working with Dr. James Thomson at the time, and he introduced us remarking on Meri’s work... moreI shared this on Paul's Blog. Reposting it here.

I met Meri over a cocktail at a scientific conference – where all good long-term collaborations begin. I was working with Dr. James Thomson at the time, and he introduced us remarking on Meri’s work deriving some of the first human embryonic stem cell lines and the meticulousness in her culture work. She was bold and confident, sharp and quick, had a great sense of humor, spoke sarcasm as a second language, and had no hesitation in giving Jamie a hard time. I liked her immediately. We were instantly fast friends, and that closeness lasted nearly two decades.

We worked together on both the ISCI and ISCBI initiatives, as well as other projects, and I was always impressed with Meri’s work ethic, and her dedication to just getting it right. She understood how science should be done, and expected that level of effort from herself, her team and her collaborators. She was the very first person I trusted with the unpublished TeSR media formulations. I sent her media to test in her laboratory in Minnesota because I knew that she was the ultimate test – if Meri said it worked, it worked. Through the years she became my go-to for punting around the hard scientific questions. She was always unselfish in her advice, honest and matter-of-fact, even when her opinion wasn’t favorable. Some might see her style as harsh, but I always appreciated that approach – love it or hate it, you knew where you stood.

The two things I admire most in an individual are transparency and integrity, and Meri had both in spades. In both personal and professional matters, she never hesitated to give her opinion and to tell the truth, even hard truths, but always with your best interests at heart. She was like the perfect crème brulee – hard and occasionally bitter on the shell, but it didn’t take much effort to crack open to reveal that she was mostly all softness and sweetness. She would do anything for a friend, never arrived as a guest without bringing the most thoughtful hostess gifts (even after years of visits), and always checked in when she knew you needed it.

Her science was outstanding. Her contributions impacted the field from the very beginning. Through training courses at The Jax she essentially trained the first generation of pluripotent stem cell researchers who then went on to train their own laboratories. She taught proper stem cell technique literally around the world, leading courses in the US and in China and places in between as well as in her own lab. She worked primarily in diabetes research for the bulk of her career, and for the last several years worked to advance the science related to cultured food products. Always on the tip of the spear, and always doing well grounded research. Her personal scientific contribution will certainly be missed, but her body of work is the foundation for forward progress in several arenas, and the students and investigators she has trained continue on, allowing her impact to be felt in this scientific community for generations.

And for those of us privileged enough to call her friend, the mark she has left on all of us continues as well. I will forever see her in every greyhound, every ocean, and every after-conference cocktail with the science girlies. She is a bright light that has left us too soon. My condolences to all who knew and loved her. less

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October 27, 2021

The stem cell blog " the Niche" by Paul Knoepfler has a post regarding Meri, and several tributes as well https://ipscell.com/2021/10/tribute-to-pioneering-stem-cell-scientist-meri-firpo/