Graduate Students

The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology has a strong history of providing outstanding training environments for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists. Many of our trainees have gone on to positions at prestigious educational or commercial institutions. The following list provides information about alumni who have trained in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

	Rachel Buckley Mentor: Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D. (Stowers) Email: rchennault@kumc.edu Research Project: There are two human congenital deformities that result from abnormal cranial suture formation and maintenance. Known causes of Craniosynostosis (premature suture fusion) and Cleidocranial Dysplasia (failure in suture closure) involve mutations in various genes critical to bone development. My project investigates the role of Hoxb1 in patterning cranial suture formation, suggesting also that Hoxb1 functions later in embryonic development than previously thought.
	Jennifer Dennis Mentor: Paul Trainor, Ph.D. (Stowers) Email: jcrane@kumc.edu Research Project: Cranial neural crest cells are a multipotent, migratory cell population which is responsible for forming the majority of the bone, cartilage, nerves, and connective tissue of the head and face. Craniofacial abnormalities account for one third of all congenital birth defects, and are mainly attributed to defects in cranial neural crest cells. Because of their importance in craniofacial development, it is essential to understand the mechanisms underlying the formation and differentiation of this cell population. Therefore, my project involves examining the molecular signals necessary for the induction and patterning of the cranial neural crest in mice, in order to determine the mechanisms that regulate this cell type during development.
	Megan Dunn Mentor: Doug Wright, Ph.D. Email: mdunn@kumc.edu
	Megan Johnson Mentor: Doug Wright, Ph.D. Email: mjohnson4@kumc.edu Research Project: My project focuses on diabetic neuropathy. Specifically, I am looking at how diabetes affects different subpopulations of neurons innervating the skin. I am using immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, and laser capture microdissection combined with RNA microarrays to examine the differential vulnerability of these subpopulations to diabetes with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets.
	Alexandra Knudson Mentor: Doug Wright, Ph.D. Email: aknudson@kumc.edu Research Project: My project is looking at diabetic neuropathy (DN). I am doing a multi-species (mouse, rat, and human) analysis of the gene expression changes in DN. Additionally, I'm investigating the changes in peripheral myelinated fibers in DN across species.
	Chris Liverman Mentor: Nancy Berman, Ph.D. Email: cliverman@kumc.edu My research will focus on hormonal regulation of neuropeptides in the trigeminal ganglion as it relates to migraine and cranio-facial pain.
	Karra Muller Mentor: Doug Wright, Ph.D. Email: kjones1@kumc.edu Research Project: My project involves the investigation of the effects of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy on large sensory nerve fibers and concomitant deficits in balance and gait. Using a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, I am quantifying subtle sensorimotor deficits and further characterizing aberrant large-fiber innervation in muscle spindles. In addition, I am working on improving the sensorimotor deficits through aerobic exercise therapy and insulin treatment.
	Hope Nicely Mentor: Dianne Durham, PhD Email: hnicely@kumc.edu I am interested in how auditory sensory neurons respond to and recover from damaging stimuli. Nearly half of Americans will suffer from some sort of hearing impairment over the course of their lifetimes. Our current therapies to treat hearing impairment target only the peripheral organs of hearing, housed within the ear. There are no therapies to attenuate or prevent the associated degradative loss of auditory neurons. My research utilizes histochemical, immunocytochemical, and molecular approaches to characterize neuroplasticity in auditory neurons following disruptions in auditory signaling.
	Binu Paul Mentor: Greg Vanden Heuval, Ph.D Email: bpaul@kumc.edu Research Project: My primary research goal is to explore and understand the molecular mechanisms involved in one of the life-threatening genetic diseases, polycystic kidney disease. Research in this field can lead to better treatment regimens. There is increased ectopic expression of Cux-1, a homeobox gene in both human as well as mouse models of polycystic kidney disease. Regulated expression of Cux-1 is very important during development. In one sentence, my aim is to further elucidate the role of Cux-1 in polycystic kidney disease and development.
	Autumn Ruiz Mentor: Ed Stephens, PhD Email: aruiz@kumc.edu
	Kimberly Schmitt Mentor: Ed Stephens, PhD Email: kschmitt@kumc.edu
	Elizabeth Taglauer Mentor: Peggy Petroff, PhD Email: etaglauer@kumc.edu Research Project: My research project will be to further characterize the immunological function of key B7 co-receptor molecules within placental tissue. The B7 family of co-receptors provides an important regulatory mechanism for the immune system, and certain members may be critical for immunological control at the maternal-fetal interface.