Research in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy
The Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy has recently welcomed the appointment of Wendy Marie Campana, Ph.D., a distinguished neuroscientist, as its new chair. Campana brings a wealth of expertise and a vision for advancing research that bridges fundamental science and clinical impact.
Campana’s groundbreaking work has transformed our understanding of how nerve cells and their supporting cells respond to injury and contribute to chronic pain. Her research explores mechanisms that could lead to new therapies for conditions affecting millions worldwide. With more than 75 peer-reviewed publications in areas such as peripheral nerve biology, spinal cord injury, Schwann cell physiology, and neuropathic pain, Campana is recognized as a leader in the field. Read more
Vision Science Research
Department researchers also affiliated with the UC Davis Center for Vision Science include professors Anna La Torre, Nadean Brown, Thomas Glaser, Marie Burns and Ed Pugh.
- Catalyst for a Cure – Glaucoma Research Foundation and Regulation of Retinal Neurogenesis by Foxp1 (Site Principal Investigator (PI Anna La Torre). A multi‑institution consortium accelerating strategies to prevent retinal ganglion cell loss, the eye cells lost in glaucoma, and restore vision. La Torre is also the site PI of a study on how a gene called Foxp1 helps guide the early development of the retina.
- Optic Stalk–Disc Development and Differentiation. Optic Stalk (PI Nadean Brown) research aims to uncover why certain eye diseases occur by studying how the eye develops in mice.
- Homeotic Hotspot in the Human Genome for Eye and Brain Disease (PI Thomas Glaser) is a study of specific regions of the human genome that act like “hotspots” for eye and brain development. These areas contain genes that can influence conditions affecting vision and neurological health.
Research Mission
To conduct discovery research that advances our understanding of biological mechanisms, with a long-term goal of achieving a mechanistic understanding of human disease, making way for the development of therapeutic interventions that improve human health.
Faculty research interests span a constantly evolving spectrum that includes vision biology, cell biology, developmental biology, neurosciences, stem cells, and cancer biology. More about individual research programs can be viewed on websites for each investigator's website here.
Research interests in the department include:
- Stem Cell Biology
- Developmental and Reproductive Biology
- Cancer Biology
- Vision Science
- Intracellular Trafficking and Cell-matrix Interactions
- Development of the Nervous System
Some of the most recently funded or renewed projects include:
- Regulation of Phosphoinositide Metabolism and Calcium Dynamics in the Neocortex, a project led by associate professor Sergi Simo with co-PI Eamonn Dickson, professor of physiology and membrane biology. This study will look at how a protein complex called CRL5 helps manage certain chemical processes and calcium dynamics.
- Innate Immune Response to SARS‑CoV‑2 in the Olfactory Epithelium. The goal of this study is to look at how cells in the nose respond when infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Professor Qizhi Gong is the principal investigator.
- Function and Regulatory Mechanisms of the Wnt5a‑Ror Morphogenetic Pathway (NIGMS). This study, led by Henry Ho, focuses on a signaling system called the Wnt5a-Ror pathway, which helps shape how tissues form and organize in the body.
- Novel Strategies for Understanding and Treating Fibrous Dysplasia. This collaboration with UCSF focuses on understanding how abnormalities in the Gs signaling pathway cause abnormal bone growth and affect fracture repair. Associate professor Fernando Fierro is the site PI.
- Role of post-transcriptional regulation on cortical cell fate specification, led by La Torre and Simo. This research studies how the developing brain makes the right types of cells at the right time, focusing on small molecules called microRNAs that help control this process.
Associated Labs
Brown Lab (Professor Nadean Brown). What they study: Developmental genetics of eye development.
Burns and Pugh Lab (Professor Marie Burns and Distinguished Professor Edward Pugh). What they study: Photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells in the eye.
Fierro Lab (Associate Professor Fernando Fierro). What they study: Regenerative medicine.
Gong Lab (Professor Qizhi Gong). What they study: The olfactory epithelium.
Ho Lab (Professor Henry Ho). What they study: Wnt5a-Ror signaling in development and disease.
Knoepfler Lab (Professor Paul Knoepfler). What they study: How changes in gene regulation (epigenetics) affect stem cells and cancer growth.
La Torre Lab (Professor Anna La Torre). What they study: Stem cells and vision restoration.
Schumann Lab (Professor Cynthia Schumann). What they study: Neurodevelopmental disorders.
Simo Lab (Associate Professor Sergi Simo). What they study: Development and disorders of the central nervous system.
Tarantal Lab (Professor Alice Tarantal). What they study: Translational research, using nonhuman primate models to advance gene therapy, stem and progenitor cell‑based regenerative medicine, and in vivo imaging to study and treat pediatric and congenital diseases.
