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We are the people behind the scenes of the research projects that help keep the University of Iowa on the cutting edge of science. From cancer to cystic fibrosis to muscular dystrophy, we perform the lab tests and we do the analyses to help researchers achieve their ultimate goal of improving healthcare for you and your family. 

We also prepare today's undergraduates to be tomorrow's graduate students and your future researchers and healthcare providers. Over 50% of our summer interns successfully attend graduate school and pursue careers in STEM fields including Genetic Counseling, Medicine, Nursing, Computational Biology and Molecular Genetics. 

Genetics Cluster Initiative

Genetics transcends departments, colleges and disciplines and generates both needs and services in the basic sciences, health care, bioethics, law, bioinformatics and communications.

The Genetics Cluster Initiative at the University of Iowa includes professors from each of the aforementioned specialties, providing for a true round table discussion and collaborative approach to the unique nuances of personalized genomic medicine. 

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Recent Publications

PI3K regulates TAZ/YAP and mTORC1 axes that can be synergistically targeted

Thursday, February 12, 2026
Keith C Garcia
Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of cancers with few shared therapeutic targets. We show that PI3K signaling is frequently activated in sarcomas due to PTEN loss (in 30-60%), representing a common therapeutic target. The PI3K pathway has lacked a downstream oncogenic transcription factor. We show TAZ and YAP are transcriptional co-activators regulated by PI3K and drive a transcriptome necessary for tumor growth in a PI3K-driven sarcoma mouse model. This PI3K-TAZ/YAP axis exists in parallel to...

Spatial transcriptomics analysis uncovers ER stress in MANF-deficient Purkinje cells underlying alcohol-induced cerebellar neurodegeneration in mice

Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Wen Wen
Alcohol use disorders (AUD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders in the United States affecting more than 10% of the adult population. Cerebellar atrophy and Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration are frequently observed in patients with AUD. Alcohol can cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in PCs and alter PC structure and function. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an ER stress inducible protein highly expressed in PCs. It is neuroprotective in various ER...

EHE cell cultures are a platform for mechanistic and therapeutic investigation

Friday, October 10, 2025
Nicholas Scalora
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a difficult to treat vascular sarcoma defined by TAZ-CAMTA1 (TC) or YAP-TFE3 (YT) fusion proteins. Human cell lines needed to further understand the pathogenesis of EHE have been lacking. Herein, we describe a method to generate EHE extended primary cell cultures. An integrated multi -omic and functional approach was used to characterize these cultures. The cell cultures, relatively homogenous by single cell RNA-Seq, demonstrated established...

Extracellular Vesicles-Induced Cell Homing and Odontogenesis via microRNA Signaling for Dentin Regeneration

Thursday, August 14, 2025
Venkateswaran Ganesh
Reparative tertiary dentinogenesis requires the recruitment and odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as bioactive molecules have gained attention in regenerative medicine for their ability to mediate tissue repair through intercellular communication, influencing cell recruitment, proliferation, and differentiation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of EVs on DPSC homing and odontogenic differentiation for dentin regeneration....

Utility of Genetic Information for Management in Kidney Transplantation and Living Donation

Friday, July 18, 2025
Yasar Caliskan
Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for kidney failure in eligible patients, significantly improving survival and quality of life. While short-term post-transplant survival has improved, long-term outcomes remain limited. Advances in genetic research have the potential to transform kidney transplantation. The shortage of donor organs underscores the need for improved organ availability, optimized immunosuppression, and enhanced monitoring to minimize repeat transplants. Improved...

Events

Hawk-IDDRC Seminar Series: Bob McMurray, PhD "The smallest bits of language develop the slowest: New thinking about speech perception and word recognition shapes our understanding of language and reading disorders" promotional image

Hawk-IDDRC Seminar Series: Bob McMurray, PhD "The smallest bits of language develop the slowest: New thinking about speech perception and word recognition shapes our understanding of language and reading disorders"

Friday, February 13, 2026 12:00pm to 1:00pm
General Hospital

Please join us for the Hawk-IDDRC Seminar Series, featuring Bob McMurray, PhD, Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Psychological and Brain Sciences "The smallest bits of language develop the slowest: New thinking about speech perception and word recognition shapes our understanding of language and reading disorders"
Friday, Feb. 13, 2026
Noon–1 p.m. CST
Pediatric Conference Center JCP 2415
Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.
Or join us via zoom:
https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/98587296500...

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom) promotional image

Hardin Open Workshops - EndNote Desktop (Zoom)

Friday, February 13, 2026 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Virtual

EndNote is a reference management tool that helps you to easily gather together your references in one place, organize them, and then insert them into papers and format them in a style of your choosing. This session will walk you through the basics of using EndNote to collect and format your citations. The class will be hands-on, and there will be time for questions at the end.

PLEASE NOTE

Enrollment in HOW is open to all University of Iowa affiliates and residents of the state of Iowa. Advance...

Clinical Rounds: Carolyn Turvey, PhD promotional image

Clinical Rounds: Carolyn Turvey, PhD

Monday, February 16, 2026 12:30pm to 1:20pm
Psychological and Brain Sciences Building
Please join us for this exciting installment of clinical rounds featuring Dr. Carolyn Turvey.