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Ian Macara

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC)
Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology (VCSCB)
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB)
Program in Developmental Biology (PDB)


We use a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, from single-molecule imaging to mouse models, to investigate how epithelial cells polarize and organize into tissues, and how these processes are disrupted in cancer. We use the mammary gland as a model, and study the role of stem cells and progenitors in responses to tissue damage, and mechanisms of homeostasis.

We use a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, from single-molecule imaging to mouse models, to investigate how epithelial cells polarize and organize into tissues, and how these processes are disrupted in cancer. We use the mammary gland as a model, and study the role of stem cells and progenitors in responses to tissue damage, and mechanisms of homeostasis.

Keywords: stem cells , cell imaging , polarity , breast cancer , epithelia , CRISPR

Research Area: Imaging , Stem Cell Biology & Regeneration , Epithelial Biology , Cancer Biology , Developmental Biology