Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology

The research of faculty in the areas of Tissue/Organ Biology & Endocrinology addresses biology at the level of the organism, moving from the molecular biology of the individual cell to integrated tissues, organs and organisms, and asking how this biology impacts human disease. UCSF has a long history in the biological sciences that relate to this area of research that is reflected in current Organized Research Units including the Center for Reproductive Sciences, Diabetes Center, Hormone Research Institute, Metabolic Unit, Liver Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Lung Biology Center, and Gladstone Institutes.

Among the specific research topics pursued are the genetic basis of obesity, the role of extracellular matrix in regulating cell function, the biological basis of diabetes, reproductive biology, adrenal function, ion fluxes in skin and epithelium, and calcium homeostasis.

External Links:

Participating Faculty

Thea Mauro, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Ionic Fluxes Control Keratinocyte Adhesion, Differentiation and Secretion

Ari Molofsky, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Type 2 immunity in organ health and disease

Keith Mostov, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
How the most common organs, epithelial tubes, are formed and regenerated.

Lennart Mucke, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders
Mentorship Development: 

9/11/20    Mentoring Across Differences

Ken Nakamura, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Mitochondrial Pathobiology in Neurodegenerative Disease
Mentorship Development: 

9/11/20    Mentoring Across Differences

Robert Nissenson, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Signal Transduction Mechanisms in Bone Cell Differentiation and Function

Todd Nystul, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Epithelial stem cells and cancer

Feroz Papa, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Protein misfolding diseases and novel therapies

Rushika Perera, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Organelle dynamics (autophagy, lysosomes, mitochondria) and metabolic reprogramming in cancer.

Roberto Ricardo Gonzalez, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Decoding the role of allergic immunity in tissue health

Paolo Rinaudo, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Reprogramming of the embryo: Investigating the long term health effects of preimplantation embryo manipulation

Minnie Sarwal, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Organ transplant biology and immunology advances by the use of high throughput technologies using single-cell and single-nuclear RNASeq, T cell and B cell receptor sequencing, single-cell and phsopho-protoemics, CyTOF and spatial imaging.

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