Vivian Gama
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB)
Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology (VCSCB)
Vanderbilt Brain Institute (VBI)
Our research program aims to reveal new molecular mechanisms involved in regulating cell fate. The lab focuses on three main lines of research: 1) Mechanisms by which mitochondrial biology regulates normal and cancer stem cell fate – role of the BCL-2 family of proteins modulating mitochondrial morphology/function, stem cell self-renewal, pluripotency and differentiation; 2) Examining the role of MCL-1 in early human neural development using three dimensional systems (embryoid bodies, neural rosettes and brain organoids; 3) Function of the ubiquitin ligase CUL9 in the transition from a stem cell to a neural progenitor cell.
Our research program aims to reveal new molecular mechanisms involved in regulating cell fate. The lab focuses on three main lines of research: 1) Mechanisms by which mitochondrial biology regulates normal and cancer stem cell fate – role of the BCL-2 family of proteins modulating mitochondrial morphology/function, stem cell self-renewal, pluripotency and differentiation; 2) Examining the role of MCL-1 in early human neural development using three dimensional systems (embryoid bodies, neural rosettes and brain organoids; 3) Function of the ubiquitin ligase CUL9 in the transition from a stem cell to a neural progenitor cell.
Keywords: stem cells , mitochondrial dynamics , neural stem cells , brain organoids , apoptosis , mitochondria
Research Area: Stem Cell Biology & Regeneration , Cancer Biology , Developmental Neuroscience , Developmental Biology