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preovulatory follicle

preovulatory follicle after LH

follicle after ovulation

Research in the Department of Cell Biology is concerned with cells as well as how cells function in the context of the various tissues of the body. Our goal is to discover molecular and physiological mechanisms that underlie the treatment and prevention of human disease.

The department faculty participate in the first year medical and dental student curriculum, and the Foundations of Biomedical Science course for graduate students. Several faculty are also contributors to medical student textbooks.

The core of the department consists of former members of the Department of Physiology, which was chaired by Richard D. Berlin for over 30 years. He oversaw the change to Cell Biology, the addition of members from the former Departments of Pharmacology and Anatomy, and the formation of the Center for Vascular Biology (Linda Shapiro, Director) and the Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (Pedro Mendes, Director). The Department of Cell Biology is also the academic home for basic science faculty members in the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center (Christopher Pickett, Interim Director) and the Center for Quantitative Medicine (Pedro Mendes, Director). The department organizes the annual Richard D. Berlin lecture.

Cell Biology Retreat

Retreat photo

Cell Biology and Vascular Biology, 2017 retreat at the Pond House (photo by Charan Devarakonda)

Department News

National Honor for Medical School's Mark Terasaki

Mark R. Terasaki, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cell Biology on July 18, 2023. (Photo provided by Mark Terasaki/UConn Health Center Photo)

Congratulations to associate professor Mark Teraski, now a fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology! Dr. Terasaki is among a cohort of 19 new fellows elected by their peers. They will be formally recognized at the ASCB's joint meeting with the European Molecular Biology Organization, in December in Boston.

Seminars 2023

March 29, 2023
Stuart Newfeld, Arizona State University. “TGF-beta signaling regulates insulin expression in adult females” (Inaba, Host). Hybrid

April 19, 2023
Orna Cohen-Fix, The National Institutes of Health. “The Centriculum: a centrosome-associated membrane that affects centrosome structure and function” (Terasaki, Host). Hybrid

May 24, 2023
Jessica Rouge, UConn, Storrs. “Overcoming biological barriers to nucleic acid delivery using enzymatically released DNA surfactant conjugates” (Smilowitz, Host). Hybrid

June 7, 2023
Juliette Fedry, Utrecht University. “Visualization of translation and protein biogenesis at the ER membrane”. (Jaffe, Host). Hybrid

June 9, 2023
Hitoshi Takizawa, Kumamoto University, Japan. “A crosstalk between microbial signals and hematopoiesis”. (Oguro, Host). Hybrid

July 10, 2023
Goro Yoshizaki, Tokyo University of Marine Science & Technology. "Manipulation of germ-line stem cell in fish: Can mackerel produce bluefin tuna gametes?"(Inaba, Host). Hybrid

October 18, 2023
Kim Jonas, King's College, London. "Understanding the role(s) of gonadotrophin hormone receptor oligomerization in reproductive function and aging". (Jaffe, Host). Hybrid

November 8, 2023
Sei Yoshida, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.  "Macropinocytosis-AKT/mTORC1 pathway in human health and diseases". (Inaba Oguro, Host). Hybrid

Past Seminars