News

Centriole Length is Controlled by a Conserved Complex of Protein Called the Distal Tip Complex
Sep 21, 2023

The Rogers Lab publishes study in Current Biology by lead author John Ryniawec, postdoc, who discovered new regulators of centriole growth, a crucial step during the assembly of this essential and ubiquitous organelle. The authors find that coordination between these evolutionarily conserved regulators is required for reproduction in a fruit fly model organism.


Three CMM Faculty Members Receive WIMS Torchbearer Award
Sep 15, 2023

Drs. Valerie Schaibley, Jean Wilson, and Yana Zavros were selected as part of the inaugural Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Torchbearer awardees. These awards serve to recognize remarkable achievements and invaluable contributions made by women physicians and scientists.


Dr. Anne Cress Selected as a 2023 Woman of Impact
Sep 15, 2023

Anne Cress, PhD, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Vice Dean for COM-T Operations and Strategy and Chief of Staff, was selected as a 2023 Woman of Impact. Each year, the Office of Research, Innovation & Impact (RII) selects 30 UArizona faculty and staff members who have made a significant contribution to the UArizona's identity as a world-class research institution.


Dr. Joann Sweasy Elected VP/President Elect of Association of American Cancer Institutes
Aug 21, 2023

Dr. Joann Sweasy, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, was recently elected to serve as Vice President/President-Elect of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Board of Directors.


Dr. Coen Ottenheijm Awarded 2.3M Grant to Study Lung Disease
Aug 14, 2023

Coen Ottenheijm, Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, was awarded a 2.3M grant from the National Institutes of Health. The grant funds will be used to study the role of titin in the pathophysiology of diaphragm weakness during mechanical ventilation. Congratulations, Dr. Ottenheijm!


CMM Researchers Use Organoids to Develop Novel Therapies and Better Understand Diseases
Jun 28, 2023

Read about how CMM researchers are using organoids (tissue or small tumors grown in the lab) to understand and treat cancer and other diseases.


Jared Alvarado Awarded Lura Hanekamp Dedicated Staff Award of Excellence
Jun 26, 2023

Congratulations to Jared Alvarado, Funeral Director/Embalmer for the Willed Body Program, for being selected for the Lura Hanekamp Dedicated Staff Award of Excellence! Jared is integral to our mission of teaching and research through his many contributions to the Willed Body Program and outreach to the community.


Congratulations to the CMM Spring and Summer 2023 Graduates!
Jun 14, 2023

We wish you all the best on your next adventure!


Dr. Henk Granzier Awarded Distinguished Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize
May 18, 2023

Dr. Henk Granzier, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, was awarded the Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize for Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity. This prize honors individuals who have made major contributions to their field, with an emphasis on originality.


Warfel Lab Discovers New Mechanisms Driving Prostate Cancer Invasion
Apr 26, 2023

The Warfel lab has published a paper in the Journal of Cell Biology identifying PIM1 as a critical regulator actin dynamics and hypoxia-induced cell migration that is critical for prostate cancer invasion.


Dr. James Proffitt Awarded 2023 COM-T Teaching Awards
Mar 20, 2023

Assistant Professor James Proffitt received two faculty awards from the College of Medicine – Tucson. Dr. Proffitt received the Academy of Medical Education Scholars (AMES) award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching, as well as an Award Recognizing Professionalism in Basic Science Teaching.


Training Tomorrow's Genetic Counselors
Mar 10, 2023

The Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and University of Arizona Health Sciences are training some of Arizona's next genetic counselors. Click for more.


CMM Department Ranked #5 in BRIMR 2022 Rankings
Feb 21, 2023

The Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) ranked #5 in the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) 2022 rankings of Cell Biology/Anatomy Departments within Schools of Medicine. CMM ranked #17 in the 2021 BRIMR rankings. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is a nonprofit organization that publishes rankings of institutions, departments, and investigators based on the amount of funding they receive from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) in a given year.


Dr. Donata Vercelli Named AAAS Fellow
Feb 01, 2023

Donata Vercelli, MD, Regents Professor in Cellular & Molecular Medicine was named an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Dr. Vercelli was recognized for her research on asthma and airway diseases and the genetic and environmental mechanisms that control susceptibility to complex lung diseases.


CMM Researchers Give Talks at ASCB Meeting
Dec 21, 2022

Dr. Mert Colpan, Researcher/Scientist in the Gregorio Lab, and Dr. John Ryniawec, Postdoctoral Resarch Associate in the Rogers Lab, were invited to speak at the 2022 American Society for Cell Biology Meeting.


Dr. Julie Ledford and Co-PIs Awarded $3.4M Grant for RaeSedo Inc. to Develop New Therapies for Asthma
Oct 06, 2022

Dr. Julie Ledford and her co-principle investigators were awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Technology Transfer grant for their startup company RaeSedo, Inc. The project is titled, "Development of SP-A Derived Peptidomimetics for the Treatment of Asthma" and the total award will amount to $3.4 Million over two years. Dr. Scott Boitano (UArizona), Dr. Josef Vagner (UArizona), and Dr. Monica Kraft (Mount Sinai Medicine) are the co-principle investigators on the project. Click for more about their company, RaeSedo.


Dr. Paul Gignac Awarded $1 Million NSF Grant to Form Research Coordination Network
Sep 12, 2022

Associate professor Paul Gignac in the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine has been awarded $1 million by the National Science Foundation to form a Research Coordination Network focused on improving computed tomography data access and stewardship.


Dr. Maria Czuzak Honored with COM-T Mentoring Award
Sep 06, 2022

Maria Czuzak, PhD, Associate Professor of Cellular & Molecular Medicine and Director of Anatomy, received a 2022 Faculty Mentoring Award from the College of Medicine - Tucson. These awards recognize the importance of mentorship for the success of the medical college faculty.


Married Couple are ‘Heart and Soul’ of Willed Body Program
Aug 25, 2022

Kat and Jared Alvarado, funeral directors for the Willed Body Program, were featured in a UA Health Sciences news article praising their outstanding contributions to the success of the program.


Maggert Lab Discovers DNA Instability That May Lead to Cancer
Jun 16, 2022

Keith Maggert, PhD, along with his former graduate student, Farah Bughio, PhD, discovered that a form of DNA called heterochromatin is unstable and can result in genetic mutations which increase the chances of developing cancer.


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