Director, Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center 2005-present
NIH Research Resource Director 2002-present
NSF CAREER Award 2002-2006
University of Kentucky Research Professor 2010
Faculty, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center

Faculty, Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky Medical School
Editorial Board, Regeneration 2013
 

Laura:

BS Environmental Biology and Water Resources, Heidelberg University
MS Aquaculture, Kentucky State University
Member World Aquaculture Society and US Aquaculture Society since 2001
Author/Co-Author of 29 publications in technical and non-technical journals

Chris:

B.S/M.S. - The University of Jordan, Amman Jordan (2009)

The amazing regenerative potential observed among lower vertebrates can be traced to the loss and gain of novel genes. My research focuses on the identification and characterization of the functional roles of novel duplicated genes from the highly regenerative salamander, the Mexican axolotl. Currently, I am studying a group of novel duplicated genes that are involved in oxidative stress and JNK signaling, one of the oxidative stress-induced signaling pathways that leads to cellular proliferation and apoptosis, using the axolotl tail embryo model.

Research interests: Regenerative biology, gene duplication, oxidative stress, molecular phylogenetics, and bioinformatics.

B.S. - University of California, Santa Cruz (2014)

My interest lies in utilizing computational and statistical approaches to further understand the genetic mechanisms that drive the regenerative response in the axolotl. With the myriad of expression datasets available that quantitatively describe regeneration of axolotl tissues, I hope to utilize bioinformatic techniques available to combine these datasets and elucidate the conserved pathways that fuel the regenerative process in multiple tissue types. 

Research interests: Regeneration biology, functional and statistical genomics, network and systems biology

M.D., Central South University, Hunan, China (2001)
M.S., University of South China, Hunan, China (2007)

Current projects: 
1. Chemical screening for common cell signaling pathways using ambystoma 
mexicanum tail regeneration model. 
2. Data analysis and validation for RNA sequencing and microarray datasets.
3. Discovering signal pathways and molecules controlling cell proliferation, cell migration and cell apoptosis, which are essential for tissue regeneration.
 

Research interests: Regenerative Medicine, bioinformatics, biostatistics and cancer biology.

PhD in Biology – Complutense University of Madrid (2018)

MSc in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics – Open University of Catalunya & University of Barcelona (2017)

MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation – International University Menéndez Pelayo (2013)

BSc in Biology– University of Santiago de Compostela (2012)

I am interested in understanding the mechanisms that underlie biodiversity and their evolution, especially in amphibians. I use high-throughput genomic techniques to study the genetic basis of life history traits.

Research interests: Axolotl diversity and conservation, Ecology and evolution of caecilians and salamanders, Epigenomics, Tissue regeneration in salamanders, Transcriptomics.

PhD in Biomedical Sciences – University of Florida (2018)

BSc in Chemistry – University of Florida (2009)

I am interested in understanding how the innate immune system of the axolotl contributes to their regenerative abilities. In particular, the functions of the macrophage to promote tissue and limb regeneration.

Research interests: Regeneration biology, immunology, tissue regeneration and remodeling