Intestinal villi are finger-like projections that line the small intestine, increasing surface area to help with absorption of nutrients. Injuries to the intestinal villi can cause a range of health problems, and can even be life-threatening. In this Share Your Research Talk, physician-scientist trainee Takahiro Ohara discusses his research on the molecular and cellular processes that drive recovery of intestinal villi. He describes the fetal-like state that cells on damaged villi take on, and how adaptive differentiation of these cells leads to proper villus recovery.