News
Sep 04, 2019
Asthma and COPD are the most commonly diagnosed chronic lung diseases in the United States. While it is now recognized that a percentage of severe asthmatics develop fixed airway obstruction, little is known pertaining to the basic underlying mechanisms of this progression. Dr. Ledford's research will examine the role of club cell secreted protein (CC16) in the context of airway infection as a previously overlooked link in understanding this progression.
Aug 27, 2019
Anne Cress, PhD, and Gregory Rogers, PhD, received the prestigious NCI Provocative Questions Initiative grant to study molecular mechanisms of genomic alterations that contribute to early stages of prostate cancer initiation and progression. As co-PIs of this multi-PI (MPI) award, they lead an investigative team that includes Drs. Noel Warfel and Ray Nagle to investigate a link between hypoxia and organelle instability.
Jul 30, 2019
Curtis Thorne, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and doctoral student Carly R. Cabel recently undertook an ambitious study to determine whether therapeutic targeting of LRP6 – a cell-surface receptor protein that mediates cell growth of its surrounding tissue environment - was a suitable treatment strategy for colon cancer, thus challenging the current scientific dogma and approaches to patient care. The results of Dr. Thorne and Ms. Cabel's experiments were published in a letter in the June 2019 issue of Developmental Cell.
Jul 30, 2019
Curtis Thorne, PhD, and UA doctoral student Carly Cabel validated findings from a 2018 collaborative study that identified a possible new therapeutic target for colon cancer – after a Harvard lab challenged the initial results.
Jul 29, 2019
A major unmet clinical need is to distinguish cancer that is non-aggressive (low risk) versus those that are aggressive (high risk). Using the gene editing core service in the UA Cancer Center (led by Dr. Nathan Ellis), members of the CressLab in collaboration with two other CMM faculty (Drs. Cindy Miranti and Noel Warfel) found that tumors use a specific modification of an adhesion receptor called α6 integrin to generate invasive aggressive networks.
Jun 05, 2019
Previously at Yale University, Dr. Sweasy brings expertise in basic sciences that will facilitate translational research.
May 28, 2019
John Ryniawec (GPMM student), Dan Buster, PhD, Gregory Rogers, PhD and their collaborators recently published a new study in the journal Developmental Cell. They show a new mechanism linking the centrosome biogenesis machinery with the mitotic spindle orientation apparatus in Drosophila stem cells. Their work also reveals a new role for the kinase Polo-like kinase 4 in promoting centrosome disassembly.
May 21, 2019
The Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway (P-MAP) program recently relaunched with their sixth cohort of students for the 2019-2020 academic year.
May 15, 2019
Congratulations to Samantha Harris, PhD for her promotion to full Professor, and to Julie Ledford, PhD for her promotion to Associate Professor!
May 01, 2019
Noel Warfel, PhD was awarded an Idea Development Award from the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program to study the role of PIM kinases in prostate cancer invasion and metastasis, as well as test new strategies to improve the treatment of patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer.
Apr 30, 2019
New graduate program at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson will begin in fall Semester 2019. Genetic counseling one of nation’s fastest-growing careers.
Apr 16, 2019
Donata Vercelli, MD - Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine - was recently awarded the Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity for her long-standing scientific expertise and research contributions towards preventing childhood asthma.
Apr 01, 2019
The Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine is delighted to welcome the following new Molecular Medicine PhD students to our department: Hao Zhang (Cusanovich Lab) and Yaeren Hernandez (Granzier Lab). We also extend a friendly welcome to the following PhD students who will be working in labs with CMM faculty: Selina Kindelay (Genetics GIDP - Maggert Lab) and Reeba Varghese (Cancer Bio GIDP - Thorne Lab).
Mar 21, 2019
3-day pre-symposium workshop beginning Wednesday May 15
Mar 04, 2019
CMM PhD student Austin Conklin (Romanoski Lab) and PhD Candidate Lauren Schultz (Gregorio Lab) are the recipients of the prestigious 2019-20 ARCS Foundation Scholarships. The ARCS Foundation - Phoenix Chapter - is dedicated to advancing science and technology in the US, and selects outstanding doctoral-track students in science, engineering, and medical Research with a track record of academic excellence.
Feb 14, 2019
Drs. Julie Ledford, PhD (left) and Monica Kraft, MD (right) win the $10,000 prize during UA Research Day's ‘Shark Tank’ Event for their pitch on a new, inhaled therapeutic for the treatment of asthma and potentially even COPD, cystic fibrosis and pneumonia.
Feb 12, 2019
Dr. Donata Vercelli, a Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, will speak as part of the renowned College of Science Lecture Series on February 12, 2019.
Feb 01, 2019
Congratulations to the University of Arizona Genetic Counseling Graduate Program (UAGCGP), which has been granted accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). The new Master’s in Genetic Counseling program, part of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, will begin in Fall 2019.
Dec 19, 2018
Julie Ledford, PhD - an Assistant Professor in CMM - together with colleagues in the Department of Medicine and the Asthma and Airways Disease Research Center recently published their study entitled “Club Cell Secretory Protein Deficiency Leads to Altered Lung Function” in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. While Club Cell Secretory Protein 16 (CC16) has been described as a serum biomarker for obstructive lung diseases, a distinct mechanism of action for CC16 has remained elusive.