Cell Biology

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all uni- and multicellular life and exhibits fascinating complexity and organization. Remarkable advances in optical microscopy and live cell imaging now make it possible to probe complex processes from the molecular to subcellular and from single cells to tissues. Combined with traditional genetics, powerful gene-editing technologies and genome-level analyses, the cell biologist now has an unprecedented set of tools available to probe mechanistic underpinnings of biological processes. Research at UVA features rich and diverse training in modern Cell Biology from a creative and internationally-recognized faculty. Research in Cell Biology employs the latest cellular, molecular, biophysical, and microscopic technologies, including engineered mutant mice, Drosophila, Xenopus, C. elegans, and Zebrafish. At the individual cell level, we specialize in exploring intracellular transport, organelle dynamics, cell compartmentalization, cytoskeleton, and signaling in the context of complex cellular behaviors, such as mitosis, cell adhesion, motility, mechanotransduction, and cell polarity.  Training in cell biology forms the basis not only for making new discoveries into the fundamental mechanisms of how proteins function in cellular contexts,  and their relationship to cell division, differentiation and morphogenesis, but also for understanding and exploring the links to human diseases where the fundamental processes of cytoskeletal dynamics, signal transduction, mitosis, cell adhesion, motility, mechanotransduction, and polarity go awry. These studies thus create opportunities to address fundamental mechanisms of diseases, including cancer, birth defects, cognitive impairment, and tissue degeneration.