Haley O'Brien, PhD, Associate Professor (Educator Scholar Track) of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Jared Alvarado, Funeral Director/Embalmer for the Willed Body Program, were honored at the University of Arizona Health Sciences 2025 Awards Ceremony. Dr. O'Brien received the 2025 Excellence in Access, Community and Belonging Award, celebrating her commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. Jared received the 2025 Recognizing Excellence in Professionalism Award for his outstanding dedication and service. Congratulations, Dr. O'Brien and Jared!

Congratulations to Greg Rogers, PhD, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, on the successful renewal of his R35 award for Established Investigators! His project entitled "Characterizing the molecular mechanisms of centriole duplication and elongation" is a $3.3M 5-year award to study centriole assembly using cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells.

Congratulations to Shanna Hamilton, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, on receiving the American Heart Association Transformation Project Award! Her project will receive $100,000 annually for three years in support of this important research. Dr. Hamilton also received a Research, Innovation, and Impact Core Facilities Pilot Program grant in the amount of $10,000. Click for more

Jared Alvarado has been recognized by the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) in its 2025 summer awards cycle. With over a decade and a half of experience as a licensed funeral director specializing in anatomical embalming, he spearheads donor- and student-facing efforts through the University of Arizona Willed Body Program. This award supports his efforts to teach anatomy through hands-on dissection, preparing future professionals for medical practice. Click for links.

Dr. Paul Gignac’s new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that PAX6 gene expression helps sensory organs compensate for eye loss in cave-dwelling salamanders, offering valuable insights into the regulartory networks of complex organ systems. Click to read more.

The UA American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship kicked off on June 2nd. We’re thrilled to welcome our new fellows and look forward to supporting their growth as scientists! L to R: Cole Bauer, Yash Rohilla, Adriana Frost, Elaine Kang, Bella Tran

CMM would like to congratulate recent (and soon-to-be) graduates from our MS program, along with their faculty advisors. We are proud of your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments! Also, many thanks to the faculty mentors! Click for the list of graduates.

CMM researchers Paul Gignac, PhD, and Haley O'Brien, PhD, are part of a team that is creating 3D-printed models of human brains to help medical students better understand healthy vs unhealthy anatomy. Click to read more and view video.

Associate Professor Noel Warfel in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and colleagues have been awarded a $1.7M to study mechanisms of chemoresistance in bone metastatic prostate cancer and develop new treatment strategies. Dr. Warfel developed the first PROTAC targeting PIM kinases and this research will test its efficacy in translational models of prostate cancer.

Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, MBA, Professor and Head of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, celebrated his investiture as the Czarina M. and Humberto S. Lopez Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research. Click to read more.