Jose Maria Polo is a biochemist and stem cell biologist who has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the mechanism underpinning how cells can be changed into other cell types, known as cellular reprogramming. By developing and combining advanced cellular models and genomic techniques with sophisticated computational approaches, he has been a major force in innovating and advancing the reprogramming, embryo modelling and stem cell fields. Polo has led his field at the highest level internationally and nationally, and his integrated vision of science has driven the translation and expansion of reprogramming advances into additional research areas and industry.