Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB)

Througout the day, Aurora high school students participated in demonstrations and tours of the Cell and Developmental Biology labs.  Approximately 90 students experienced research demonstrations in six CDB labs, as well as virtual human anatomy and surgical simulators. Click here for a more information about the lab tours.

Dr. Sandy Martin, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology,​ was awarded an NIH / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant. The project title is, "Brown fat dynamics: elucidation of molecular drivers using hibernation as a model."

Dr. Wendy Macklin received an NIH / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke grant, with the project title, "Development of zebrafish as a screening tool for remyelination drugs."

Dr. Wendy Macklin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, was awarded a National MS Society grant, spanning three years. The title of the grant is, "Role of integrin linked kinase in CNS myelination."

Associate Professor, Dr. Linda Barlow, recently received an NIH grant for her project titled, "Mechanisms of Adult Taste Bud Regeneration."

Cell and Developmental Biology Instructor, Dr. Marco Tizzano, is the recipient of an NIH grant, titled, "Nasal solitary chemosensory cells linking irritation to inflammation."

The University of Colorado School of Medicine has awarded Robin Michaels, Ph.D., the Fifth Annual Faculty Professionalism Award in recognition of her 17 years of educational, research and administrative work. One of the nominating letters described Michaels’ “unwavering commitment to s​tudents and most importantly her ability to model and inspire professional behavior to the next generation of physicians.” Michaels is an associate professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and an assistant dean of the Essentials Core Medical Curriculum.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. David Gire, was awarded with a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. The project title of the grant is "Modulation of olfactory bulb processing by centrifugal projections from piriform." Dr. Gire is a member of Dr. Diego Restrepo's lab.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Jennifer Stratford, received a fellowship award from the National Institutes of Health. The project title of the grant is "Gustatory coding in brainstem nuclei using a novel c-Fos-tau-LacZ mouse model." Dr. Stratford is a member of Dr. Tom Finger's lab.

CDB professor, Tom Finger, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Jennifer Stratford, were featured in Wired magazine.  A study on the taste sensation umami (the taste of glutamate), by Dr. Stratford and Dr. Finger was initially published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Wired wrapped ​it into an article on “Why We Like the Taste of Protein.” The original journal article reports that mice can enjoy eating glutamate merely by its detection in the gut even in the absence of the sense of taste.  Click here to read the article.

CDB Instructor, Dr. Shoba Thirumangalathu, was ​awarded an R03 grant by the National Institutes of Health. The project title of the grant is, "Characterizing the essential role of sonic hedgehog in taste bud development." Dr. Thirumangalathu is a member of Dr. Linda Barlow's lab.

Associate Professor Chad Pearson was honored by being named one of America's Most Promising Scientists as a 2011 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. Twenty-two scientists nationwide were named by The Pew Charitable Trust. Click here to read more.

Post Doctoral Fellow, Dany Gaillard, was awarded a two-year American Heart Association (AHA) SWA Postdoctoral Fellowship. His project title is, "Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and dietary lipid regulation of taste." Dr. Gaillard is a member of Dr. Linda Barlow's lab.

Cell and Developmental Biology Assistant Professor Linda Barlow and Craniofacial Biology Professor Mary Reyland have been named multi-PIs on a NIH-R21 grant. The project title is, "PKC delta and cell renewal in irradiated taste epithelium."

Post Doctoral Fellow, Danielle Harlow, was awarded a National Multiple Sclerosis Society Grant. The title of the project is, "Chemotropic molecules in oligodendrocyte precursor migration." Dr. Harlow is a member of Dr. Wendy Macklin's lab.

Post Doctoral Fellow, Shane Rolen, was awarded a NRSA grant. The project title is, " TrpM5 characterizes a main olfactory projection to the medical amygdala." Dr. Rolen is a member of Dr. Diego Restrepo's lab.

Associate Professor Chad Pearson was awarded an American Cancer Society Institution Research Grant. The title of the project is, "The Role of the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Upregulated Protein, ADR16, in Centriole Assembly and Ciliogenesis."