News

Dr. Haley O'Brien and Jared Alvarado Recognized by University of Arizona Health Sciences

Haley O'Brien, PhD, Associate Professor (Educator Scholar Track) of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Jared Alvarado, Funeral Director/Embalmer for the Willed Body Program, were honored at the University of Arizona Health Sciences 2025 Awards Ceremony. Dr. O'Brien received the 2025 Excellence in Access, Community and Belonging Award, celebrating her commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. Jared received the 2025 Recognizing Excellence in Professionalism Award for his outstanding dedication and service. Congratulations, Dr. O'Brien and Jared!


Dr. Faye McGechie Starts First CMM Vertically Integrated Project Team and Receives Seed Grant

Faye McGechie, PhD, Assistant Professor (Educator Scholar Track) of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, started the Functional Anatomy and Visualization Lab Vertically Integrated Project Team. The Lab focuses on innovative ways to research and communicate complex anatomy in primate systems. They use medical and biological imaging techniques to answer questions pertaining to form, function, and evolution in living and fossil organisms. Dr. McGechie was awarded a VIP Catalyst Seed Funding Award from Research, Innovation, and Impact to support the creation of the VIP Team.


Dr. Gregory Rogers Receives R35 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institutes of Health – National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Congratulations to Greg Rogers, PhD, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, on the successful renewal of his R35 award for Established Investigators! His project entitled "Characterizing the molecular mechanisms of centriole duplication and elongation" is a $3.3M 5-year award to study centriole assembly using cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells.


Dr. Shanna Hamilton Awarded American Heart Association Transformation Project Award and RII Core Facilities Pilot Program Grant

Congratulations to Shanna Hamilton, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, on receiving the American Heart Association Transformation Project Award! Her project will receive $100,000 annually for three years in support of this important research. Dr. Hamilton also received a Research, Innovation, and Impact Core Facilities Pilot Program grant in the amount of $10,000. Click for more


CMM’s Jared Alvarado Selected for International Anatomy Training Program

Jared Alvarado has been recognized by the American Association for Anatomy (AAA) in its 2025 summer awards cycle. With over a decade and a half of experience as a licensed funeral director specializing in anatomical embalming, he spearheads donor- and student-facing efforts through the University of Arizona Willed Body Program. This award supports his efforts to teach anatomy through hands-on dissection, preparing future professionals for medical practice. Click for links.


Looking at the Eye through a Genotype-Phenotype Lens

Dr. Paul Gignac’s new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that PAX6 gene expression helps sensory organs compensate for eye loss in cave-dwelling salamanders, offering valuable insights into the regulartory networks of complex organ systems. Click to read more.


Welcome the First Cohort of UA AHA SURF Fellows!

The UA American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship kicked off on June 2nd. We’re thrilled to welcome our new fellows and look forward to supporting their growth as scientists! L to R: Cole Bauer, Yash Rohilla, Adriana Frost, Elaine Kang, Bella Tran


Congratulations to the Class of 2025 CMM Master's Graduates!

CMM would like to congratulate recent (and soon-to-be) graduates from our MS program, along with their faculty advisors. We are proud of your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments! Also, many thanks to the faculty mentors! Click for the list of graduates.


College of Medicine – Tucson team is creating its own brain models to help medical students better understand healthy anatomy.

CMM researchers Paul Gignac, PhD, and Haley O'Brien, PhD, are part of a team that is creating 3D-printed models of human brains to help medical students better understand healthy vs unhealthy anatomy. Click to read more and view video.


Janko Nikolich, MD, PhD, Appointed as Regents Professor

The Arizona Board of Regents appointed Dr. Nikolich as Regents Professor. This is the highest faculty rank at the University of Arizona, and limited to no more than 3% of the tenured and tenure-track university faculty members.


Dr. Noel Warfel Awarded a Department of Defense Grant to Develop New Treatments for Bone Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Associate Professor Noel Warfel in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and colleagues have been awarded a $1.7M to study mechanisms of chemoresistance in bone metastatic prostate cancer and develop new treatment strategies. Dr. Warfel developed the first PROTAC targeting PIM kinases and this research will test its efficacy in translational models of prostate cancer.


Congratulations to Dr. Sakthivel Sadayappan on his Investiture as Endowed Chair

Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, MBA, Professor and Head of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, celebrated his investiture as the Czarina M. and Humberto S. Lopez Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research. Click to read more.


National Wear Red Day

Members of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Sarver Heart Center, and the Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program participated in National Wear Red Day to bring attention to cardiovascular disease in women. Click for more.


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