University of Massachusetts-Boston · BiologyMccusker Lab
Catherine D Mccusker · Boston, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Catherine D Mccusker's lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston studies how certain cells in axolotls, a type of salamander, can effectively regenerate limbs after injury. The lab focuses on the signaling pathways and epigenetic factors that allow these cells to respond to regenerative cues, aiming to uncover how to enhance regenerative abilities in mammals. Undergraduates in the lab gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge techniques to explore these fascinating biological processes.
limb regenerationaxolotlsignal transductionchromatin remodelingepigeneticscellular responsesFGF signalingBMP signalingresearch trainingpatterning competency
Research Aims
3AIM 01Test the requirement of Nrg1/ErBB signaling in regenerating axolotl limb cells.
AIM 02Identify downstream genetic targets activated by FGF and BMP signaling.
AIM 03Explore the influence of positional information on gene expression regulation during limb regeneration.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular biology techniquesgene expression analysissingle-cell RNA sequencingin vivo regeneration experimentsexperimental designdata collection and analysismicroscopyanimal handling techniques
Output against the department
Publications65bottom 17% of dept.856th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.9kbottom 21% of dept.812th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.