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Overview

The Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology explores the events governing the organization, structure and function of cells, tissues, and organisms, with a focus on the development, regeneration, and patterning of organs. To achieve this we are using a multitude of model organisms, including mouse, Drosophila, zebrafish, and Xenopus. Furthermore, our mission is to instruct medical and graduate students in the diverse aspects of biological sciences, with focus in cell and developmental biology and stem cell biology.

The department has currently 21 primary faculty and several secondary faculty, all participating in our scientific programs and seminar series. In addition, we are providing the institution with core facilities that allow the use of model organisms in any context of basic research, and translational and clinical research, and we provide the school with a high content screening facility for cell based assays.

The main areas of research are focused on signaling pathways (Drosophila, mouse, Xenopus, zebrafish), cell death (Drosophila), organogenesis (Drosophila, mouse, zebrafish), fertilization (mouse), stem cells (mouse, zebrafish), and cancer models (Drosophila, mouse). In addition, several labs are using model organisms and cell culture assays in genomic and/or drug screens. For example, Drosophila is being used to screen for new drugs in the contexts of cancer and diabetes, or mouse and Drosophila are being employed in modeling the behavior of cancer cells and progression of tumors.

The study of biological mechanisms through a broad and multi-tiered approach reveals the unifying principles of biological development, structure and function with exquisite clarity, and provides important links to medical disorders and therapeutic potential. The graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are trained in these principles through their participation in a series of seminar series, rigorous lab work, and multidisciplinary approaches to interesting questions in biomedical research. Our faculty members are fully committed to providing a highly interactive, cutting-edge environment for postdoctoral fellows, MSTP and Ph.D. student training that develops creative and independent scientists. Many faculty members of the department are closely associated with the Black Family Stem Cell Institute (BFSCI), the Tisch Cancer Institute, and the Center for Molecular Cardiology at the School of Medicine. Collaborations between laboratories using different model organisms and systems are common and postdoctoral fellows and graduate students are an integral part of this process. The department fosters collaborations with faculty in other basic science departments as well as with clinical scientists through joint projects, seminars, interdisciplinary programs, and training grants.

The Department of Developmental & Regenerative Biology occupies the 25th floor and parts of the 18th floor of the Annenberg Building and the 7th floor and part of 3rd floor of the Atran Building.