In ancient Greece, it is believed that once lived a deity called Prometheus. Prometheus stole fire of life from the god and gave it to the humans. Zeus, which is the king of gods was displeased with Prometheus action and chained Prometheus to the mountains. Each day, crows will come and eat the organs of Prometheus. However, all of the organs will regenerate in the next day. That story, even though a fiction, illustrate the potential of one of the newest branch of medicine: regenerative medicine.Regenerative medicine is the solution to Indonesia future health problem. In the 21st century Indonesia is facing a difficult period called that is common in developing countries Double burden of disease . We can define double burden of disease as the increasing of the prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases in the developing country in addition to the persistent public health problem caused by infectious diseases . If infectious disease can be cured easily by giving antibiotics , that is not the case with chronic diseases in which the present aim of the treatment is usually prevention of futher deterioration of condition. However, this paradigm will be challenged in the future with the advent of the advances of research in regenerative medicine and stem cell theraphy. In the future, chronic degenerative diseases can be cured utilizing stem cell technology.Regenerative medicine is defined as a medicinal branch which studies the replacement of human tissue and the possibility to restore its function. (1)This branch of medicine is considered revolutionary. In which this branch of medicine restore the morphological and physiological function of a particular organ. However, as other science of medicine have experienced, the advancement of this new technology especially in Indonesia is still comparatively slow compared to public expectation. This is caused by lack of manpower and public funding in this unorthodox way of tackling chronic diseases. Only several institutions have the will and resources to undertake this great challenges: Kalbe Farma, RSUD dr. Soetomo in Surabaya and Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia. (2)The application of regenerative medicine to the advancement of humanity is virtually unlimited, from the post-surgery treatment of hernia inguinalis to regeneration of lumbar to cure low back pain.(3) However, in Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia, the application of this research is limited to disease of neuronal and muscular origin. One of the reason why regenerative medicine is not developing in Indonesia is because of the lack of human resource that have expertise in the field of stem cell and regenerative medicine. Many scientist are not eager in facing a disease that is so delibitating and frustating like the chornic diseases. I believe that this is a missed opportunity to solve one of the greatest mysteries of medicine: the key to solving chronic diseases problem.In the future, Indonesia is poised to become one of the powerhouses of stem cell research in Asia. Because in Indonesia, there are no regulation that barred stem cell research from getting federal funding. Unlike other countries such as The United States under Bush administration in which stem cell research is barred from getting federal funding from the goverment. (4) This same rules applies also in some of the more conservative countries in Europe.One of the degenerative medicine that I would like to solve with stem cell technology is diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic degenerative disease in Indonesia. In a survey done in Depok in 2005, it was found that 14.7% of the patient is having Type II diabetes melitus. (5) Finding a sollution to the diabetes epidemic is of an utmost importance because of the multiorgan effect of DM type II. Untill now, there are no cure for diabetes melitus, only medication to control blood sugar level. This may not proove sufficient as research shows that person with Diabetes Melitus who have a stable blood sugar level still have higher risk of having complication for DM compared with people not having DM. 21st century physician believe that Stem Cell may hold the key to cure DM.(6)I believe that Newcastle University is the best place to learn about diabetes and its possibility to cure it with stem cell theraphy. As Newcastle University is one of only three stem cell research center in the UK. It boast North East England Stem Cell Center Institute, one of the most technologically advanced and publication-productive center in the United Kingdom. Intelectually, Newcastle University is also the home of many of the greatest minds in the field of pancreatic stem cell research. Names such as Professor James Shaw is a leading minds in the creation of beta cell of pancreas from stem cell. The combination of the facility, instructor and mind-stimulating environment of Newcastle University will ensure the academic success of the students there.Moreover, Newcastle University had established Diabetes Reseach Group (DRG) in 2003. DRG is the leading research group in bench-to-bedside research that linked biomedical science to population based need of diabetes problem. This research group combined many basic science area such as biochemistry, histology with more clinical subjects such as internal medicine and regenerative medicine. This combination of basic and clinical faculty members will create the environment that the basic research done there is according to the need of the clinician. One of the landmark achievement of this group that really interest me is last year publication that Newcastle researcher can reverse patient with type II diabetes with tight calorie control. This publication gives evidence that research that is done in DRG-NU can be applied in the population setting. I hope that the work I am doing there in the future will be applied to patients around the world.(7)I am fully aware that this course is a research intensive course with an emphasis in our research project compared to the taught component of the program. I hope that my previous experience in hand-on research in my previous project Epidemiology of Dengue Fever Infection in Jakarta, Indonesia which enables me to do PCR to dengue victim will aid me in the project I will have in Newcastle. I also have several experiences in presenting my work as a researcher and won award in the field of medical research. As I have been invited into Leiden International Medical Student Conference, March 2011, in The Leiden, The Netherlands. And at that event I was awarded Best Presentation in The Field of Pediatrics by Universiteit Medich Sentrum, Leiden. I was also invited to European Student Conference in Berlin, Germany to present my research in PODIKSUS HIV-RSCM FKUI. This research was also published in the journal of European Journal of Medical Research. I was also previledged to represent Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia in Malalysia-Indonesia-Brunei research conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This previous experiences will illustrate my interest and aptitute toward research in FKUI.And thus, for the reasons I have stated above, I am applying for a position in Master of Research of postgraduate study in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine of Newcastle University This is not an application for merely advancing my own knowledge but rather an acceptance of the call to arms to be in the frontline of 21st century war against chronic and irreversible illness that plagued us all.