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Cell Biology

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program

About

cancer cell

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.

Faculty

Basic and translational brain tumor research

Innate immunity, Cell clearance, Inflammatory and autoimmune disease

Systems biology approaches to study gene dosage in neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental disorders

Biophysics of membrane pore formation; research and therapeutic applications of lipid nanoparticles.

Matrix Biology and Engineering

Hematology and Oncology, Cell Biology, Lipid Signaling, Cancer Cell Signaling, and RNA Biology

Adult-born neurons, perineuronal nets, and microglia in hippocampal plasticity and behavior in health and disease

Neuron-glia and glial-glial interactions

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of Neisserial pathogenesis

Host/pathogen Interaction - Chlamydia Infection

Ion channels and Ca2+-signaling in inflammation, immunity and tissue homeostasis

Cell Adhesion and Adhesion-Dependent Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Morphogenesis

Neural Development; Cell Division in Neural Stem Cells; Axon Outgrowth and Guidance

Cytoskeletal architecture, dynamics and roles in cellular physiology and disease; High-resolution live cell and tissue imaging

Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology. Medical Automation Research. Neurotransmitters, cell surface receptors and intracellular second messengers.

Chromosome organization; Nucleosome structure; Histone marks; Structural cell biology

Acute Myeloid Leukemia: molecular and cellular biology events which mediate aberrant epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms during disease establishment and progression

Vascular wall remodeling, intimal hyperplasia, stenosis, aneurysm, retinal degeneration.

Regeneration and Systemic Responses to Tissue Damage

Understanding Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Leading to Blood Vessel Formation

The Role of Mitochondrial Fusion and Fission in Tumorigenesis.

Advancement in the design of imaging agents; molecular imaging and radiological sciences.

Architecture and function of biological membranes

Regulation of Polarized Morphogenesis

The role of glia in the development, maintenance and regeneration of the nervous system

Precision medicine, translational science, regeneration, organoids, high resolution imaging, computational modeling

RNA regulatory networks and RNA binding proteins during cardiovascular development and in cardiovascular disease

Molecular and metabolic adaptations of cancer cells.

Restoration of Homeostasis in Disease

Cellular Engineering

Composition, Biophysics and Physiology of Cellular Membranes

Wnt/PCP signaling in inner ear development Mouse models for human deafness Wnt/PCP signaling in neural tube closure

Immune System Regulation of Cardiometabolic Disease

Neuroscience

Regulation and function of tyrosine phosphorylation in complex networks

Mitochondrial regulation of innate immune and antiviral signaling

Understanding the neural code underlying motivated behaviors like feeding, drinking, and social interaction, with a focus on how malfunction in associated brain areas are involved in diseases like addiction and eating disorders

Obesity and Aging

Investigating the cell-biological foundations of development

Developmental Genetics, Evolution and Regeneration

Director of Graduate Studies for Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology

Delineate the physiological importance and structure-function relationship of ER-associated degradation in humans.

Chromosome segregation and aneuploidy in meiosis and mitosis

Assembly and Plasticity of Neural Circuits

Auditory Neurobiology

Regulation of neural stem cell proliferation during development and adulthood

Gram-positive pathogenesis; type VII secretion; impact of secreted effectors on host-pathogen interactions and immune responses

Spatial Cell Biology. Neuronal Morphogenesis and Disease. Cancer Migration and Invasion.

Mechanisms of chromosome segregation in Mitosis and generation of Chromosomal Instability in tumors

Role of endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation in health and disease

Cell behavior and morphogenesis during early mouse development.

Regulation of cell-surface stability and intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins in epithelial cells

Complex Genome Rearrangements

Understanding Protein and RNA regulations of gene expression via chromatin structure in myeloid cell development and diseases

Vascular Biology, Nanotechnology, Biomaterials, Drug Delivery

Cancer biology and immunology, Immuno-oncology, Immunometabolism, Genetically-engineered mouse models

The formation, function, coordination, and pathology of multinucleated cell types that make up the placenta and musculoskeletal system.

Endosomal function and dysfunction in neurons. Development of the nervous system: cytoskeleton and membrane traffic in axon and dendrite growth.

Investigating regeneration through genetics and single-cell analysis

Regulation of Gene Expression, Development and Tumor Progression by TGF beta Signaling

Cardiovascular Development and Cerebrovascular Pathologies

Researching fundamental roles of the epigenome in control of the context-specific transcriptional programs.

Mechanisms of Huntington's Disease Pathogenesis

Genetics, Functional Genomics, Epigenetics, Lung repair/regeneration, Metabolic regulation, Alveolar stem cells, Chromatin interaction, Innate immune response, Live-cell imaging