Research
Research Interests
Research interests in the department include:
Our research programs are funded by many sources, including:
- The National Institutes of Health
- The National Science Foundation
- The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
- Several other private agencies
The Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy is based in Tupper Hall on the Davis campus, but our members have laboratories in Davis and on the Sacramento campus. Visit our resources and facilities page for more information on research laboratories and facilities.
Stem Cell Biology
Several researchers in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy study stem cells. Studies include:
- The development of stem cell therapies (Alice Tarantal, Jan Nolta) and novel stem cell lines (Kent Erickson)
- Wnt signaling in neural stem cells (Chenji Zhou)
- The function of myc in stem cell behavior (Paul Knoepfler)
Developmental and Reproductive Biology
A number of scientists study developmental and reproductive biology. Projects include:
- Molecular mechanisms of neural development (Qizhi Gong)
- Molecular mechanisms underling sperm-egg interactions
- Implantation and placentation (Allen Enders, Tom Blankenship and Gordon Douglas)
- The roles of cell-matrix interactions during vertebrate development (Richard Tucker)
Cell Biology
Cell biology research includes:
- Studies of Golgi-localized spectrins (Ken Beck)
- The intermediate filaments of the lens (Paul FitzGerald and John Hess)
Neurobiology
Neurobiology research includes:
- The development of the olfactory system (Qizhi Gong)
- The development of the visual system and the neural crest (Richard Tucker)
- The development of the somatosensory thalamus (Xiao-Bo Liu)
- Wnt signaling in the developing nervous system (Chenji Zhou)
- The development of neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (Jan Nolta)
Vision Science
Vision Science research includes:
- Control of cell fate decisions (Nadean Brown)
- Genetic basis and mechanisms of retinal diseases (Tom Glaser)
- Photoreceptor signal transduction (Edward Pugh, Jr.)
- Intermediate filaments and protein aggregation diseases (Paul FitzGerald)
- Signal transduction cascade in rod photoreceptors (Marie Burns)
