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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 14h

Join us for CTB RIPS next Friday, October 16! Luye An, PhD “Seeing Autoimmune Dry Eye Through Two Lenses: Conserved Therapeutic Targets in Aire KO Mice and Sjögren’s Patients” Camilla Teng, PhD “TGFβRI Drives Upper Lip Morphogenesis Through Modulating Early Olfactory Development”

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

As we wrap up National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we extend a special shoutout to former CTB postdocs who have advanced to specialist status. Thank you to all our outstanding postdocs – CTB is grateful to have you! 🧫🥼🌟 #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

By integrating structural insights with mutational analyses, he aims to understand NF1 conformational dynamics and regulatory interactions to improve our understanding of how NF1 patient variants cause disease. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Pedro Diaz Parga joined the Vasudevan lab in March 2026, where he investigates the mechanisms of NF1, linking molecular structure to functional outcomes.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

She recently earned her PhD from the University of Maryland in the lab of Lisa Taneyhill, where she studied the development of cranial sensory nerves. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Caroline Halmi joined CTB in August 2026 in Sarah Knox's lab @knoxstar.bsky.social, where she is excited to further explore the interactions between the peripheral nervous system and the tissues that it innervates.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Building on his background in multi-omics and computational biology, he is particularly interested in understanding neurofibromatosis-associated cancer signaling and translating these insights into new therapeutic strategies. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Ankit Halder is a postdoc in the Vasudevan lab whose research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms driving schwannomas, neurofibromas, and MPNSTs.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

During his graduate training in Dr. Deborah Leckband's lab, Arthur investigated how cadherins translate mechanical cues into biochemical signals. His research interests broadly center on Schwann cell biology, mechanobiology, and cell-cell interactions in cancer. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Arthur Zou, a postdoc in the Knox lab @knoxstar.bsky.social, studies the role of Schwann cells in pancreatic tumor development and metastasis. His current work, funded by the National Cancer Institute, examines how Schwann cells contribute to tumor progression and the metastatic microenvironment.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Peggy Hung is a postdoc in the Vasudevan lab studying neural crest-specific phenotypes using KrasG12D, Rasa1, and Nf1 conditional mouse models to better understand how alterations in the RAS pathway contribute to disease development. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Abby Kindberg is a postdoc in the Bush lab @jeffbush.bsky.social, joint with the Klein lab, who is working to generate new models of RASopathies, a family of craniofacial syndromes that results from deregulated Ras signaling. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! Thank you to all our wonderful postdocs for your dedication, contributions, and the vital role you play in advancing research! Throughout the week, we will be introducing CTB postdocs who have joined in the past year 🔬✨ #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

UCSF Radiation Oncology @ucsfradonc.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Congratulations to Harish Vasudevan Lab on its first R01 to study neurofibromatosis tumor suppressors in nerve sheath tumors! Learn more here: reporter.nih.gov/search/n0B0c... @neurosurgucsf.bsky.social @ucsfcancer.bsky.social

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Gregor Bieri will join as Assistant Professor in the Departments of CTB, Anatomy, and the Bakar Aging Research Institute! The Bieri Lab will study vascular mechanisms that bridge exercise with brain homeostasis in aging and disease, opening in January 2027!

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Join us for a special CTB seminar with Dr. Sanjeeva Srivastava, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay! Friday, August 21, 10:00-11:00 am, HSW-300 Talk Title: "Proteogenomics and Brain Tumors: Integrating BrainProt and DrugProtAI for Precision Oncology" Details: calendar.ucsf.edu/event/ctb-sp...

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

A wonderful afternoon in sunny Golden Gate Park for the CTB summer picnic, with delicious BBQ, cornhole and soccer, music, and fun! 🧺🌸

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Join us tomorrow for monthly CTB RIPS! Friday, June 12, 10:00-11:00 am, HSW-303 Max Hammer “Investigating the Role of Translational Control in Multiciliated Cell Differentiation” John Vaughen, PhD “Functional Neuronal Lipotype Specification via Developmental Activity, Diet, and the Lysosome”

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Join us tomorrow for a special CTB seminar with Dr. Frank McCormick, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center! Friday, May 29, 10:00-11:00 am, HSW-303 Presentation Title: "RAS proteins in human disease" Zoom: ucsf.zoom.us/j/9342576119... Details: calendar.ucsf.edu/event/ctb-sp...

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Fun times at the CTB Holiday party yesterday with a great turnout!

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Andrei Goga @andreigoga.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

The UCSF Breast Oncology Program is happy to partner with One More City and founder Christine O’Connell to support metastatic breast cancer research. This will be the 4th year that together with Rapha they have sponsored a century ride. @ucsfcancer.bsky.social @ctbatucsf.bsky.social

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Journal of Cell Biology @jcb.org · 13/11/2025

@xsciteng.bsky.social et al. of the @jeffbush.bsky.social lab @ctbatucsf.bsky.social reveal cellular mechanisms of tissue fusion in the developing face. They demonstrate that actomyosin-generated forces drive tissue fusion, necessitating an elevated cadherin threshold. rupress.org/jcb/article/...

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

We are excited to share that Ace Lewis and Yasmeen Ibrahim will speak at the CTB Department Research In Progress Seminar tomorrow! We look forward to seeing you there!

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Wrapping up National Postdoc Appreciation Week with a big thank you to our outstanding postdocs! #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Elliott is postdoc in the Sneddon lab who is excited to uncover novel insights of transcription factor function in pancreatic endocrine development--a project recently funded by a Hillblom Foundation Fellowship award. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Hector, a postdoc in the Wittmann lab @microtubule.bsky.social, works on chromosome dynamics in cancer and stem cells and is developing methods to identify chromosomes in live mitotic cells as well as interfering with chromosome segregation by optogenetic approaches. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Ting, a postdoc in the L’Etoile lab @girlsinscience.bsky.social, was recently awarded the BARI Postdoctoral Fellowship to study how nights of poor sleep contribute to age-related memory decline in tiny roundworms, which—like humans—also experience sleep loss and memory deterioration as they age.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Yuwei Zhang joined the Sneddon lab in 2025. Her research accomplishments include using patient-derived stem cells and CRISPR to investigate the molecular basis of β-cell failure, while her current work aims to bioengineer more functional, transplant-ready islets. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! We are celebrating all the incredible postdocs in the CTB Department! Thank you for your dedication and the vital role you play in advancing research! We will be introducing some of the postdocs who have joined in 2025. #ucsfNPAW #UCSFpostdocs

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Kyle Jacobs, a Biomedical Sciences PhD candidate in the Kutys Lab, is studying mechanisms of blood vessel inflammation and how this inflammation is dysregulated in diseases like atherosclerosis.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Cambria Chou-Freed, a Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. student in Diane Barber and Dan Wagner's labs, is investigating intracellular pH dynamics during zebrafish larval tail regeneration.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

We are thrilled that Hydronovo www.hydronovo.com has been awarded an NIH SBIR grant to develop Ceviginate, a new therapeutic for regenerating salivary gland function in debilitating xerostomia. The discoveries for this breakthrough come from the lab of Sarah Knox in CTB!

hydronovo.com

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

Karin Shamardani, DDS/PhD candidate, is working with Jeff Bush @jeffbush.bsky.social to study how Efnb1 and the understudied actin-regulator gene Shrm4 interact to control palatal outgrowth and mesenchymal organization during craniofacial development.

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

The Department of Cell and Tissue Biology has outstanding graduate students from several different programs at UCSF. We are grateful! Over the next several weeks, we will highlight some of these students and share their research focus.

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Erica Hutchins @drericabiophd.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Big congrats to Minyoung (Lily) Kim, a DDS/PhD student in my lab @ctbatucsf.bsky.social @ucsfdentistry.bsky.social for receiving her F30 NRSA Notice of Award from NIDCR!!!! 🥳🥳

media.tenor.com

a man and a woman are jumping in the air in a living room .

Alt: Seinfeld cast dancing in celebration

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Andrei Goga @andreigoga.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

Our latest on cancer metabolism by star student Tonatiuh Montoya @ctbatucsf.bsky.social @ucsfcancer.bsky.social Liver cancers driven by the MYC oncogene are reliant on alanine metabolism. Alanine is the second most abundant amino acid and can partially substitute for glucose and glutamine. 🧪

biorxiv.org

Alanine Catabolism as a Targetable Vulnerability for MYC-Driven Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death world-wide in part due to the shortage of effective therapies, and MYC overexpression defines an aggressive and especially difficult to treat su...

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

We are happy to have @semilc.bsky.social and the Choksi Lab join the CTB community!

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

CTB welcomes new Assistant Professor Semil Choksi @semilc.bsky.social to the department! The Choksi Lab will study how airway stem cells generate multiciliated cells - and how this process goes wrong in respiratory disease. His lab is opening this August. Visit choksilab.org to learn more!

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Erica Hutchins @drericabiophd.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Excited to be speaking at West Coast SDB! Thanks Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social, Frank Macabenta, and Jaimie Van Norman for organizing!!

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Journal of Cell Science @jcellsci.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Giulia Viola, Torsten Wittmann @microtubule.bsky.social and colleagues @ctbatucsf.bsky.social use protein nanocages to benchmark fluorescent proteins in live cells. Highlight: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/... Article: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/... #OpenAccess #ReadandPublish

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

We are excited to share that Nathan Griffin and Petria Thompson will speak at the CTB Department Research In Progress Seminar today! We look forward to seeing you there!

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

We are excited to share that Arvind Rajan and Karin Shamardani will speak at the CTB Department Research In Progress Seminar today! We look forward to seeing you there!

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Andrei Goga @andreigoga.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Pleased to have our reviewed preprint out now @elife.bsky.social Outstanding work by Drs. Rachel Nakagawa, Dan Van de Mark, and Andrew Beardsley. Shout out to @genophoria.bsky.social, Mary-Kate Hayward and many others Press Release Here elifesciences.org/for-the-pres... @ucsfcancer.bsky.social

doi.org

Tumor Cell Spatial Organization Directs EGFR/RAS/RAF Pathway Primary Therapy Resistance through YAP Signaling

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UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology @ctbatucsf.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

We are excited to share that Annie Kingsland will speak at the CTB Department Research In Progress Seminar tomorrow! We look forward to seeing you there!

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Andrei Goga @andreigoga.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Check out outstanding grad student Daphne Superville @dasuperville.bsky.social update of DECIPHER-seq package for NMF analysis of single cell sequencing. She is currently using this approach to analyze breast metastasis-specific gene programs.

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Jeff Bush @jeffbush.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Happy graduate student appreciation week to David Sung and Luke Lucido!…also trying to encourage them to join Bluesky

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Reposted by UCSF Department of Cell and Tissue Biology

Jeff Bush @jeffbush.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

I'm thrilled to share that CTB faculty Fred Chang has been elected as a AAAS fellow! Congratulations to Fred on this well-deserved honor. @fredchanglab.bsky.social @ctbatucsf.bsky.social www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/03/429681/ucsfs-fred-chang-honored-election-aaas

ucsf.edu

UCSF’s Fred Chang Is Honored with Election to AAAS

Cell biologist Fred Chang, MD, PhD, has been named a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a highly esteemed lifetime honor within the scientific community.

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Jeff Bush @jeffbush.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Congratulations to Camilla Teng, for winning the "Platform presentation SDB prize" for post-docs at the Northwest SDB meeting, which sounds like it was a fantastic meeting! Camilla will be on the faculty job market soon, so look out for her! @socdevbio.bsky.social @ctbatucsf.bsky.social

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Andrei Goga @andreigoga.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

As noted by @beckettws.bsky.social "The FDA approved 356 drugs from 2010 to 2019... Overall, this analysis identified NIH-funded research associated with 354 of 356 products (99.4%) approved from 2010 to 2019. The products without NIH funding were a chelating agent and osmotic laxative." 🧪

jamanetwork.com

Comparison of Research Spending on New Drug Approvals by the NIH vs the Pharmaceutical Industry

This cross-sectional study examines National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical industry investments in recent drug approvals.

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