Olson Lab studies muscle cells as a model for understanding how stem cells adopt specific fates and how programs of cell differentiation and morphogenesis are controlled during development.

Nutrition and exercise intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk factors; weight loss and maintenance in bariatric surgery patients; role of nutrition and exercise in cardiovascular risk factors; influence of the eating environment on energy intake.

Kidney disease has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. The Carroll Lab performs basic and translational research focused on kidney development, maintenance and regeneration. 

Zhang (Chun-Li) Lab research focuses on cellular plasticity in the adult nervous system and modeling human neurodegenerative diseases. We use cell culture and genetically modified mice as model systems. Molecular, cellular, electrophysiological, and behavioral methods are employed.

The Douglas lab seeks to understand how stress response pathways alter cell physiology, and ultimately influence the aging process and human disease.

Our laboratory actively studies disease processes that disrupt normal metabolism.

The Wu Laboratory mainly focuses on using stem cell models to gain novel insights in mammalian development and develop regenerative medical applications.

O'Donnell Lab investigates mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis using molecular and biochemical studies and animal models.

The Tagliabracci Lab studies the phosphorylation of extracellular proteins by a novel family of secreted kinases. This kinase family is so different from canonical kinases that it was not included as a branch on the human kinome tree.

The Jiang lab studies fundamental mechanisms governing how diverse cell types are generated from naive progenitor cells and how cells of different types are put together to form appropriate body structures such as limbs during embryonic development. The lab also studies how damaged cells are replenished by stem cells during tissue repair and organ regeneration in adult life. We are particularly interested in understanding how cells communicate with one another to influence their growth and fate determination and how miscommunication among different cells leads to developmental abnormality and cancer progression.