CCAM at UConn Health
Is developing new approaches for in vivo measurements and manipulation of molecular events within the cell, and new computational approaches for organizing such data into quantitative models.
CCAM integrates new microscope technologies for making quantitative in vivo live cell measurements with new physical formulations and computational tools that will produce spatially realistic quantitative models of intracellular dynamics.
To investigate the relationships between experimental and computational worlds, we use a tripartite approach described as:
- Measure - develop new tools for measuring spatially resolved dynamic behavior of molecules in cells.
- Model - develop new methods for spatial modeling of biological systems.
- Manipulate - develop new techniques for manipulating the spatial distribution of molecules in living cells.
These three analytical approaches, (measurement, modeling and manipulation) are integrated and interdependent, e.g., models generate predictions that can be validated with new measurements, as well as experimental approaches that manipulate intracellular signals and structures. These approaches allow us to tackle fundamental questions of how the spatial organization of molecules in cell is established and how it is utilized to control cell function. CCAM hosts a confluence of expertise in physics, chemistry, experimental cell biology and software engineering immersed in a biomedical research setting that values interdisciplinary collaborations, and our Training Program in Cell Analysis and Modeling provides a new model for interdisciplinary training in cell biology. CCAM is the home of the Virtual Cell, a computational environment for cell biological modeling developed as a NIH-designated National Resource, and also hosts a variety of projects in biophotonics and live cell microscope imaging methods as well as a state-of-the-art user microscopy facility for nonlinear, confocal, and widefield microscopy.
Inclusivity Statement
CCAM is committed to fostering an inclusive and tolerant research environment. We support students and faculty of all races, religions, ethnicities, differing physical abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
UConn maintains a number of resources to promote inclusivity and to report complaints:
Office of Institutional Equity
Ombuds Office
Dean of Students Office Bias Reporting
Office for Diversity and Inclusion
School of Medicine Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs

Upcoming Events
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Aug
19
CAM Research in Progress - Milda Stanislauskas12:00pm
CAM Research in Progress - Milda Stanislauskas
Friday, August 19th, 2022
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
UConn Health Virtual
CAM Research in Progress
Time: 12:00 pm
Speaker: Milda Stanislauskas
Title: "Mechanical Regulation of Focal Adhesion Kinase"
Meeting Link: https://uconnhealth.webex.com/meet/pmendesContact Information: Tiffany; jespersen@uchc.edu
More -
Aug
24
CCAM Seminar Series - Athma Pai3:00pm
CCAM Seminar Series - Athma Pai
Wednesday, August 24th, 2022
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
UConn Health Hybrid - Grossman Auditorium
CCAM Seminar Series
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Virtual/Grossman Auditorium
Speaker: Athma Pai, Assistant Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School
Title: "Racing to the 3’ end – estimating the rates of individual steps of RNA processing"
Host: Michael Guertin
Meeting Link: https://uchc.webex.com/uchc/j.php?MTID=m4faa50f0103478e4124c7d1192fdd8dd
Meeting Number – 2621 881 2328
Meeting password -3MdNkvmGX35Contact Information: tiffany; jespersen@uchc.edu
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Aug
26
CAM Presentation - Joe Masison12:00pm
CAM Presentation - Joe Masison
Friday, August 26th, 2022
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
UConn Health Virtual
CAM Presentation
Time: 12:00 pm
Speaker: Joe Masison
Tile: TBAContact Information: Tiffany; jespersen@uchc.edu
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Sep
2
CAM Presentation - Prem Shrestha12:00pm
CAM Presentation - Prem Shrestha
Friday, September 2nd, 2022
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
UConn Health Virtual
CAM Presentation
Speaker: Prem Shrestha
Title: TBAContact Information: Tiffany; jespersen@uchc.edu
More -
Sep
9
CAM Research in Progress - Sheng Li (JAX)12:00pm
CAM Research in Progress - Sheng Li (JAX)
Friday, September 9th, 2022
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Other Virtual
CAM Research in Progress
Speaker: Sheng Li (JAX)
Title: TBD
Meeting Link: https://uconnhealth.webex.com/meet/pmendesContact Information: Tiffany; jespersen@uchc.edu
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News
- New publication of the Vera-Licona Lab06-20-22 Congratulations to Dr. Paola Vera-Licona and Lauren Marazzi who recently published a paper in npj Systems Biology and Applications on NETISCE: a network-based tool for cell fate reprogramming. In this paper, they introduce NETISCE, a novel computational tool for identifying cell fate reprogramming targets in static networks. In combination with machine learning algorithms, NETISCE […]
- The 23rd Annual Workshop on Computational Cell Biology05-25-22 The 23rd Computational Cell Biology workshop took place at R. D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (CCAM) on May 23-25th. For 3 days more than 40 online participants learnt how to use VCell, COPASI and SpringSalad software tools for modeling of cell biology systems. 16 participants participated in the “project track”, working […]
- Paola Wins Worldwide Interstellar Initiative Alumni Program05-18-22 Congratulations to Paola Vera-Licona for winning the competitive Worldwide Interstellar Initiative Alumni Program. Paola, along with her collaborators, won the award from the New York Academy of Sciences and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development. This collaborative program brings international scientists together, early in their careers, as a means of fostering scientific achievements. […]
- Congratulations to Ashkan Novin and Kshitiz on their fellowship.05-04-22 Ashkan Novin (graduate student) and Kshitiz (PI) from Evolutionary Medicine Group led by Kshitiz received the prestigious RNA Therapeutics Fellowship by Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to create a commercial idea to prevent cancer from spreading.
- Publication for the Evolutionary Medicine Group02-02-22 Yasir Suhail from Evolutionary Medicine Group led by Kshitiz published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), mapping the genetic and transcriptional across mammals with different placental invasion. Kshitiz lab, along with Gunter Wagner at Yale had previously advanced a theory “Evolved Levels of Invasability” drawing a causation between type of pregnancy […]