FACULTY

Cell biology is a dynamic discipline that combines the interests and methods of a wide variety of scientific fields. Studies of cell function are central to modern biological research as they focus upon investigating the basic structural and functional unit of life: the cell. By applying a wide range of experimental approaches to the study of cellular processes, including biochemical and physical analysis of molecules and cells in culture, and morphological methods, cell biologist have made major discoveries that have had a dramatic impact on human health. This key link between fundamental studies of cell function and their relevance to disease is highlighted by the work of the Cell Biology Faculty within the Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development. Ongoing studies in the areas of membrane trafficking, membrane dynamics, cell signaling, motility, organelle composition and function, studies of the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix provide important insights and information that is ultimately crucial for developing effective treatments for cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and a host of other diseases that disrupt normal cell function. Stephen Santoro

Display Name	Research Interest
Richard Benninger	Cellular heterogeneity and electrical synapse plasticity in pancreatic islet function, and dysfunction in diabetes, ageing and therapeutic treatments
Jim Bridges	Epithelial cell specification during lung development, epithelial cell renewal in distal lung injury and repair, pulmonary surfactant-related interstitial lung diseases
John Caldwell	Functional regulation of ion channels in plasma membranes and Golgi membranes using electrophysiology and molecular biology
James DeGregori	Cancer Evolution and Cancer Signaling Pathways
Tobias Eckle	The role of circadian rhythm proteins in cellular adaptation to hypoxia and ischemia
Thomas Evans	Molecular and cellular mechanisms of early embryonic development in C. elegans using genetic and biochemical approaches
Katherine Fantauzzo	Receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in mammalian craniofacial development
Lydia Heasley	Investigating the molecular causes and cellular/developmental consequences of the fascinating genetic elements known as structural genomic variations (e.g., copy number alterations, chromosome rearrangements, loss of heterozygosity, etc.)
Joan Hooper	Cell interactions and gene regulatory networks driving mammalian craniofacial development
Ethan Hughes	Oligodendrocytes and their Precursors in the Adult Central Nervous System
Sujatha Jagannathan	mRNA surveillance in health and disease
Igor Kogut	My laboratory is investigating the mechanisms leading to cellular reprogramming and aging, as well as induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-associated cellular rejuvenation.  My group’s expertise in producing mRNA and manipulating RNA transfections was crucial for identifying and optimization of a cocktail of factors that can “rejuvenate” human somatic cells, which we can now deliver into cells via non-integrating clinically relevant RNA molecules.  My group is currently exploring the applicability of this somatic cell rejuvenation approach in improving outcomes of skin transplantation. In addition, my laboratory works extensively with genetically corrected patient iPSCs and skin cells derived from these iPSCs as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a group of severe inherited skin blistering diseases.
Edward Lau	Protein synthesis and proteome dynamics in induced pluripotent stem cell models of cellular differentiation and senescence
Amanda Law	Molecular, cellular and genetic basis of neurodevelopmental mechanisms involved in risk for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders
Shi-Long Lu	Molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies for squamous cell carcinomas
Wendy Macklin	Oligodendrocyte development and disease
Susan Majka	Define how pulmonary mesenchymal vascular progenitor cells (MVPC) regulate microvascular function and adaptive angiogenesis underlying the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases (CLDs), including emphysema, fibrosis and TSC/LAM
Jim McManaman	Mammary gland development and function
Michael McMurray	Mechanisms of assembly and inheritance of dynamic macromolecular structures: Higher-order septin assemblies in budding yeast
Jeffrey Moore	Molecular regulation of the microtubule network in cell division and disease
Christian Mosimann	How cells acquire their fates during development and how these processes go wrong in congenital disease
Jessica Nelson	Molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of behavioral plasticity
Chad Pearson	Cell biology of the cytoskeleton: Centriole and cilia assembly and function
Eric Pietras	How inflammation reprograms hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate choices
Rytis Prekeris	Regulation of cell division, cell polarity and cell migration during development and cancer
Tânia Reis	The Genetic Basis of Obesity and Neuronal Control of Energy Balance in Drosophila melanogaster
Diego Restrepo	Olfactory signal transduction and olfactory sensory coding using electrophysiological, morphological and molecular techniques
Olivia Rissland	The role of protein and mRNA decay during early Drosophila embryogenesis
Charles Sagerstrom	Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions
Stephen Santoro	Development and adaptation of the mammalian olfactory system
David Schwartz	Investigating the genetic and biological determinants of diseases that are influenced by the environment
Kunhua Song	Mechanisms governing cardiomyocyte lineage commitment and pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies
Emily Su	Molecular mechanisms of impaired placental angiogenesis and function in human fetal growth restriction
Kelly Sullivan	Deciphering the role of interferon signaling in Down syndrome using a combination of cell-based and in vivo models
Matthew Taliaferro	Gene expression; subcellular RNA localization; localized translation in neurons; high-throughput screening; RNA-seq
Arianne Theiss	Mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal disease
Ronald Vagnozzi	Cellular mechanisms of cardiac wound healing, fibrosis, and inflammation. Macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk in the heart
Rajeev Vibhakar	Pediatric Oncology & Neuro-Oncology with an emphasis on medulloblastoma
Eszter Vladar	How multiciliated cells adopt their cell fate, build cilia and orient the cilia for directional clearance during normal development, regeneration and human disease
Michael Zuscik	Osteoarthritis pathogenesis & treatment; Connections between the gut microbiome and skeletal homeostasis & disease

Stem Cell Biology Research offers enormous therapeutic potential for a wide range of clinical disorders including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, chronic heart disease, end-stage renal disease, liver failure and cancer. Realizing the promise of using stem cells in treating human disease will ultimately depend upon defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. These fundamental principles are at the heart of modern Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development and highlight the dynamic interdisciplinary work being undertaken by the faculty and graduate students in the Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development Graduate Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Display Name	Research Interest
Linda Barlow	We use in vivo molecular genetic mouse models, and in vitro taste organoids derived from adult lingual stem cells  to understand how taste buds renew during normal homeostasis, and how this regenerative process is impacted by cancer therapies that cause taste dysfunction in patients
Peter Dempsey	Extracellular Signals in Intestinal Stem Cell Niche
Igor Kogut	My laboratory is investigating the mechanisms leading to cellular reprogramming and aging, as well as induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-associated cellular rejuvenation.  My group’s expertise in producing mRNA and manipulating RNA transfections was crucial for identifying and optimization of a cocktail of factors that can “rejuvenate” human somatic cells, which we can now deliver into cells via non-integrating clinically relevant RNA molecules.  My group is currently exploring the applicability of this somatic cell rejuvenation approach in improving outcomes of skin transplantation. In addition, my laboratory works extensively with genetically corrected patient iPSCs and skin cells derived from these iPSCs as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a group of severe inherited skin blistering diseases.
Susan Majka	Define how pulmonary mesenchymal vascular progenitor cells (MVPC) regulate microvascular function and adaptive angiogenesis underlying the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases (CLDs), including emphysema, fibrosis and TSC/LAM.
Eric Pietras	How inflammation reprograms hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate choices
Dennis Roop	Skin development and disease
Stephen Santoro	Development and adaptation of the mammalian olfactory system
Michael Zuscik	Osteoarthritis pathogenesis & treatment; Connections between the gut microbiome and skeletal homeostasis & disease

All animals begin life as a single cell, the result of a fusion between sperm and egg. Through a staggering multitude of molecular, cellular and tissue level events, a properly organized, multicellular embryo is formed. In the last decade, our understanding of many of these processes has expanded dramatically due to the advent of cellular, molecular biological and genetic approaches. Intriguingly, many of these processes first recognized in developmental contexts have also been implicated in human disease. These types of fundamental studies form the core of cutting edge research in Developmental Biology by faculty of the Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Display Name	Research Interest
Bruce Appel	Development and repair of the vertebrate nervous system
Linda Barlow	We use in vivo molecular genetic mouse models, and in vitro taste organoids derived from adult lingual stem cells  to understand how taste buds renew during normal homeostasis, and how this regenerative process is impacted by cancer therapies that cause taste dysfunction in patients
Emily Bates	Mechanisms underlying developmental signaling in mice and in fruit flies and genetic modeling of human disorders
Kristen Boyle	Mechanisms underlying developmental predisposition for obesity and metabolic disease using human cell culture models
Martin Breuss	The Breuss laboratory is interested in genomic and cellular mosaicism. We assess its impact on human disease and utilize it as a tool to unravel brain and germline development.
Jim Bridges	Epithelial cell specification during lung development, epithelial cell renewal in distal lung injury and repair, pulmonary surfactant-related interstitial lung diseases
Joseph Brzezinski	Development of the mammalian retina
David Clouthier	Signaling pathways regulating craniofacial and cardiovascular development
Thomas Evans	Molecular and cellular mechanisms of early embryonic development in C. elegans using genetic and biochemical approaches
Katherine Fantauzzo	Receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in mammalian craniofacial development
Santos Franco	Neural stem cell fate-specification, neurogenesis, cell migration and circuit formation in the developing CNS
Lydia Heasley	Investigating the molecular causes and cellular/developmental consequences of the fascinating genetic elements known as structural genomic variations (e.g., copy number alterations, chromosome rearrangements, loss of heterozygosity, etc.)
Joan Hooper	Cell interactions and gene regulatory networks driving mammalian craniofacial development
Amanda Law	Molecular, cellular and genetic basis of neurodevelopmental mechanisms involved in risk for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders
Traci Lyons	Mechanisms of lymphatic mediated metastasis of breast cancer
Wendy Macklin	Oligodendrocyte development and disease
Christian Mosimann	How cells acquire their fates during development and how these processes go wrong in congenital disease
Jessica Nelson	Molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of behavioral plasticity
Jamie Nichols	Skeletal development and variability
Eric Pietras	How inflammation reprograms hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate choices
Rytis Prekeris	Regulation of cell division, cell polarity and cell migration during development and cancer
Tânia Reis	The Genetic Basis of Obesity and Neuronal Control of Energy Balance in Drosophila melanogaster
Diego Restrepo	Olfactory signal transduction and olfactory sensory coding using electrophysiological, morphological and molecular techniques
Dennis Roop	Skin development and disease
Charles Sagerstrom	Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions
Stephen Santoro	Development and adaptation of the mammalian olfactory system
Julie Siegenthaler	CNS vasculature and meninges development and function
Kunhua Song	Mechanisms governing cardiomyocyte lineage commitment and pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies
Emily Su	Molecular mechanisms of impaired placental angiogenesis and function in human fetal growth restriction
Kelly Sullivan	Deciphering the role of interferon signaling in Down syndrome using a combination of cell-based and in vivo models
Lori Sussel	The main focus of our research is to understand the complex transcriptional networks that regulate development, differentiation and function of the pancreas
Trevor Williams	Transcriptional regulation of mouse embryonic development and the role of transcription factors in mammary gland development and breast cancer

The faculty listed below are currently accepting students into their labs.

Display Name	Research Interest
Bruce Appel	Development and repair of the vertebrate nervous system
Linda Barlow	We use in vivo molecular genetic mouse models, and in vitro taste organoids derived from adult lingual stem cells  to understand how taste buds renew during normal homeostasis, and how this regenerative process is impacted by cancer therapies that cause taste dysfunction in patients
Emily Bates	Mechanisms underlying developmental signaling in mice and in fruit flies and genetic modeling of human disorders
Martin Breuss	The Breuss laboratory is interested in genomic and cellular mosaicism. We assess its impact on human disease and utilize it as a tool to unravel brain and germline development.
Joseph Brzezinski	Development of the mammalian retina
James DeGregori	Cancer Evolution and Cancer Signaling Pathways
Peter Dempsey	Extracellular Signals in Intestinal Stem Cell Niche
Katherine Fantauzzo	Receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in mammalian craniofacial development
Lydia Heasley	Investigating the molecular causes and cellular/developmental consequences of the fascinating genetic elements known as structural genomic variations (e.g., copy number alterations, chromosome rearrangements, loss of heterozygosity, etc.)
Ethan Hughes	Oligodendrocytes and their Precursors in the Adult Central Nervous System
Sujatha Jagannathan	mRNA surveillance in health and disease
Igor Kogut	My laboratory is investigating the mechanisms leading to cellular reprogramming and aging, as well as induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-associated cellular rejuvenation.  My group’s expertise in producing mRNA and manipulating RNA transfections was crucial for identifying and optimization of a cocktail of factors that can “rejuvenate” human somatic cells, which we can now deliver into cells via non-integrating clinically relevant RNA molecules.  My group is currently exploring the applicability of this somatic cell rejuvenation approach in improving outcomes of skin transplantation. In addition, my laboratory works extensively with genetically corrected patient iPSCs and skin cells derived from these iPSCs as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a group of severe inherited skin blistering diseases
Edward Lau	Protein synthesis and proteome dynamics in induced pluripotent stem cell models of cellular differentiation and senescence
Sue Majka	Define how pulmonary mesenchymal vascular progenitor cells (MVPC) regulate microvascular function and adaptive angiogenesis underlying the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases (CLDs), including emphysema, fibrosis and TSC/LAM
Michael McMurray	Mechanisms of assembly and inheritance of dynamic macromolecular structures: Higher-order septin assemblies in budding yeast
Jeffrey Moore	Molecular regulation of the microtubule network in cell division and disease
Christian Mosimann	How cells acquire their fates during development and how these processes go wrong in congenital disease
Jessica Nelson	Molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of behavioral plasticity
Rytis Prekeris	Regulation of cell division, cell polarity and cell migration during development and cancer
Tânia Reis	The Genetic Basis of Obesity and Neuronal Control of Energy Balance in Drosophila melanogaster
Charles Sagerstrom	Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions
Stephen Santoro	Development and adaptation of the mammalian olfactory system
Julie Siegenthaler	CNS vasculature and meninges development and function
Lori Sussel	The main focus of our research is to understand the complex transcriptional networks that regulate development, differentiation and function of the pancreas
Matthew Taliaferro	Gene expression; subcellular RNA localization; localized translation in neurons; high-throughput screening; RNA-seq
Arianne Theiss	Mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal disease

Display Name	Research Interest
Bruce Appel	Development and repair of the vertebrate nervous system
Linda Barlow	We use in vivo molecular genetic mouse models, and in vitro taste organoids derived from adult lingual stem cells  to understand how taste buds renew during normal homeostasis, and how this regenerative process is impacted by cancer therapies that cause taste dysfunction in patients
Emily Bates	Mechanisms underlying developmental signaling in mice and in fruit flies and genetic modeling of human disorders
Richard Benninger	Cellular heterogeneity and electrical synapse plasticity in pancreatic islet function, and dysfunction in diabetes, ageing and therapeutic treatments
Kristen Boyle	Mechanisms underlying developmental predisposition for obesity and metabolic disease using human cell culture models
Martin Breuss	The Breuss laboratory is interested in genomic and cellular mosaicism. We assess its impact on human disease and utilize it as a tool to unravel brain and germline development
Jim Bridges	Epithelial cell specification during lung development, epithelial cell renewal in distal lung injury and repair, pulmonary surfactant-related interstitial lung diseases
Joseph Brzezinski	Development of the mammalian retina
John Caldwell	Functional regulation of ion channels in plasma membranes and Golgi membranes using electrophysiology and molecular biology
David Clouthier	Signaling pathways regulating craniofacial and cardiovascular development
James DeGregori	Cancer Evolution and Cancer Signaling Pathways
Peter Dempsey	Extracellular Signals in Intestinal Stem Cell Niche
Tobias Eckle	The role of circadian rhythm proteins in cellular adaptation to hypoxia and ischemia
Thomas Evans	Molecular and cellular mechanisms of early embryonic development in C. elegans using genetic and biochemical approaches
Katherine Fantauzzo	Receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in mammalian craniofacial development
Santos Franco	Neural stem cell fate-specification, neurogenesis, cell migration and circuit formation in the developing CNS
Adam Green	Investigating novel targets and therapeutic strategies in the treatment of pediatric high-grade glioma (HGG), including diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)
Lydia Heasley	Investigating the molecular causes and cellular/developmental consequences of the fascinating genetic elements known as structural genomic variations (e.g., copy number alterations, chromosome rearrangements, loss of heterozygosity, etc.)
Joan Hooper	Cell interactions and gene regulatory networks driving mammalian craniofacial development
Ethan Hughes	Oligodendrocytes and their Precursors in the Adult Central Nervous System
Sujatha Jagannathan	mRNA surveillance in health and disease
Igor Kogut	My laboratory is investigating the mechanisms leading to cellular reprogramming and aging, as well as induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-associated cellular rejuvenation.  My group’s expertise in producing mRNA and manipulating RNA transfections was crucial for identifying and optimization of a cocktail of factors that can “rejuvenate” human somatic cells, which we can now deliver into cells via non-integrating clinically relevant RNA molecules.  My group is currently exploring the applicability of this somatic cell rejuvenation approach in improving outcomes of skin transplantation. In addition, my laboratory works extensively with genetically corrected patient iPSCs and skin cells derived from these iPSCs as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a group of severe inherited skin blistering diseases.
Edward Lau	Protein synthesis and proteome dynamics in induced pluripotent stem cell models of cellular differentiation and senescence
Amanda Law	Molecular, cellular and genetic basis of neurodevelopmental mechanisms involved in risk for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders
Shi-Long Lu	Molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies for squamous cell carcinomas
Traci Lyons	Mechanisms of lymphatic mediated metastasis of breast cancer
Wendy Macklin	Oligodendrocyte development and disease
Susan Majka	Define how pulmonary mesenchymal vascular progenitor cells (MVPC) regulate microvascular function and adaptive angiogenesis underlying the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases (CLDs), including emphysema, fibrosis and TSC/LAM
Jim McManaman	Mammary gland development and function
Michael McMurray	Mechanisms of assembly and inheritance of dynamic macromolecular structures: Higher-order septin assemblies in budding yeast
Jeffrey Moore	Molecular regulation of the microtubule network in cell division and disease
Christian Mosimann	How cells acquire their fates during development and how these processes go wrong in congenital disease
Jessica Nelson	Molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of behavioral plasticity
Jamie Nichols	Skeletal development and variability
Karin Payne	Growth plate cartilage biology, signaling pathways involved in bony bar formation after growth plate injury & development of stem cell- and biomaterial-based approaches for cartilage regeneration
Chad Pearson	Cell biology of the cytoskeleton: Centriole and cilia assembly and function
Eric Pietras	How inflammation reprograms hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate choices
Rytis Prekeris	Regulation of cell division, cell polarity and cell migration during development and cancer
Tânia Reis	The Genetic Basis of Obesity and Neuronal Control of Energy Balance in Drosophila melanogaster
Diego Restrepo	Olfactory signal transduction and olfactory sensory coding using electrophysiological, morphological and molecular techniques
Olivia Rissland	The role of protein and mRNA decay during early Drosophila embryogenesis
Dennis Roop	Skin development and disease
Charles Sagerstrom	Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions
Stephen Santoro	Development and adaptation of the mammalian olfactory system
David Schwartz	Investigating the genetic and biological determinants of diseases that are influenced by the environment
Julie Siegenthaler	CNS vasculature and meninges development and function
Kunhua Song	Mechanisms governing cardiomyocyte lineage commitment and pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies
Emily Su	Molecular mechanisms of impaired placental angiogenesis and function in human fetal growth restriction
Kelly Sullivan	Deciphering the role of interferon signaling in Down syndrome using a combination of cell-based and in vivo models
Lori Sussel	The main focus of our research is to understand the complex transcriptional networks that regulate development, differentiation and function of the pancreas
Matthew Taliaferro	Gene expression; subcellular RNA localization; localized translation in neurons; high-throughput screening; RNA-seq
Arianne Theiss	Mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal disease
Ronald Vagnozzi	Cellular mechanisms of cardiac wound healing, fibrosis, and inflammation. Macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk in the heart
Rajeev Vibhakar	Pediatric Oncology & Neuro-Oncology with an emphasis on medulloblastoma
Eszter Vladar	How multiciliated cells adopt their cell fate, build cilia and orient the cilia for directional clearance during normal development, regeneration and human disease
Trevor Williams	Transcriptional regulation of mouse embryonic development and the role of transcription factors in mammary gland development and breast cancer
Michael Yeager	How the lung vasculature -blood vessels and particularly lymphatics- operate during episodes of acute and chronic inflammation
Michael Zuscik	Osteoarthritis pathogenesis & treatment; Connections between the gut microbiome and skeletal homeostasis & disease