Michelle Starz-Gaiano
Associate Professor
| Phone |
410-455-2217
|
|---|---|
| starz@umbc.edu | |
| Education |
Ph D, New York University School of Medicine (2002)
BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1994)
|
| Website | http://umbc.edu/biosci/general/user/starz |
Research Interests
Characterizing the signaling events that enable cells to migrate, be maintained as stem cells, and contribute to tissue architecture, by employing Drosophila genetics, molecular biology, imaging, and interdisciplinary approaches. In particular, our research group focuses on understanding the regulation of the well-conserved Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway.
Teaching Interests
Cell Biology, Developmental Genetics, Biomathematics. Evidence-based improvements in pedagogy
Selected Classes
| Fall 2016 | BIOL 303 – Cell Biology |
|---|---|
| Spring 2016 | BIOL 414 – Eukaryotics Gen/Mol Biol |
| BIOL 614 – Gen & Euk Mol Biol |
Contracts, Fellowships, Grants, and Sponsored Research
Regulation and function of STAT signaling in cell adhesion Grant (Funded) Sponsored by NSF, Biological Sciences IOS (Feb 15, 2011 – Jan 31, 2017)
Intellectual Contributions
(2018) Drosophila Jak/STAT Signaling: Regulation and Relevance in Human Cancer and Metastasis. Special Issue: Drosophila models of human disease International journal of molecular sciences
(2018) Cytokine exocytosis and JAK/STAT activation in the Drosophila ovary requires the vesicle trafficking regulator α-Snap. Journal of Cell Science
(2017) A hormonal cue promotes timely follicle cell migration by modulating transcription profiles. Mechanisms of development
(2016) Circuitous genetic regulation governs a straightforward cell migration Cambridge MA Trends in Genetics
(2016) Identification of Novel Regulators of the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway in Border Cell Migration in the Drosophila Ovary Bethesda G3
(2016) Apontic regulates somatic stem cell numbers in Drosophila testes BMC Developmental Biology
(2015) Socs36E limits STAT signaling via Cullin2 and a SOCS-box independent mechanism in the Drosophila egg chamber Mechanisms of Development
(2015) Tissue landscape alters adjacent cell fates during Drosophila egg development. Nature communications
(2015) A mathematical model of collective cell migration in a three-dimensional, heterogeneous environment. PloS one
(2015) Upright imaging of Drosophila egg chambers Journal of Visualized Experiments
(2015) Culturing Egg Chambers and Investigating Developmental Processes through Live Imaging. Drosophila oogenesis: Methods in Molecular Biology Series Springer
(2014) Phagocytic ability declines with age in adult Drosophila hemocytes Aging Cell
(2012) Group Choreography: Molecular Mechanisms Orchestrating the Collective Movement of Border Cells Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
Effects of cell packing on chemoattractant distribution within a tissue AIMS Biophysics