News

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CMM is excited to welcome five students from our dual-degree microcampus program to Tucson for summer research internships!