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Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy

Gordon Douglas, Ph.D.

Gordon Douglas, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor
3302 Tupper Hall, Davis Campus
(530) 752-7101
e-mail


Recent/Current
Research Funding

National Institutes of Health

UC Davis Children’s
Miracle Network

Research Interests

The overall objective of Dr. Douglas’s research is to understand how the formation of differentiated trophoblast phenotypes is orchestrated in trophoblast progenitor cells.

Successful pregnancy outcome in human and non-human primates is largely dependent on the activity of different kinds of trophoblast cells, all of which are derived from the trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst. Invasive (extravillous) trophoblasts migrate into uterine tissue and penetrate superficial uterine blood vessels. Non-invasive (villous) cytotrophoblasts fuse and form syncytiotrophoblast which forms the outer layer of the villous placenta. Disruption of trophoblast differentiation and trophoblast invasion are implicated as a cause of preeclampsia and other disorders of pregnancy.

Current funded projects are:

  1. Understand how blood flow-derived shear stress regulates trophoblast invasive behavior

  2. Understand the role of the transcription factor FoxD3 in trophoblast stem cell differentiation

Dr. Douglas is also a co-investigator on a project (PI, Dr Abdul Barakat) that investigates the role of Nesprin-1 in mechanical force transmission in endothelial cells.

Representative Publications

Vandevoort, C.A., Thirkill, T.L., and Douglas, G.C. 2007. Trophoblast stem cells from rhesus blastocyst outgrowths. Stem Cells and Development 16:779-788.

Thirkill, T.L., Cao, T., Stout, M., Blankenship, T.N., Barakat, A., and Douglas, G.C. 2007. Muc1 Is Involved In Trophoblast Transendothelial Migration. Biochim Biophys Acta 1773:1007-14.

Cao, T.C., Thirkill, T.L. Wells, M., Barakat, A.I., and Douglas, G.C. Trophoblasts and shear stress induce an asymmetric distribution of ICAM-1 in uterine endothelial cells. 2007. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 59:167-181.

Douglas, B.C., Vandevoort, C., Kumar, P., Chang, T.C., Golos, T. G. Trophoblast stem cells: Models for investigating trophectoderm diferentiation and placental development. Endocrine Reviews, in press.