Head, Duke Regeneration Center
Ken Poss, PhD
James B. Duke Professor of Regenerative Biology
Ken Poss’s lab studies the regeneration of tissues like heart, appendages, and spinal cord in the zebrafish model system. His lab has established many new concepts and mechanisms of tissue regeneration, including the discovery of zebrafish heart regeneration and tissue regeneration enhancer elements. Poss is founding President of the International Society for Regenerative Biology (isrbio.org). Poss Lab website. Twitter@Ken_Poss_Lab
Co-Directors of Duke Regeneration Center
Don Fox, PhD
Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
The Fox lab studies organ injury repair and organ development in the fruit fly, Drosophila. We are particularly interested in the role that whole genome duplication, or polyploidy, plays in these processes. More recently, we have also become interested in genes with rarely used codons, and how only certain tissues are able to make use of these genes. Fox Lab website
David Brown, MD, PhD
Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Brown’s research program explores the biology of tissue regeneration with the intent of developing new therapies for human wound healing, limb preservation, and eventually restoration of complex tissues such as fingers and even limbs. He studies zebrafish, which exhibit a remarkable ability to regenerate appendages, as well as digit regeneration in mice. He is also involved in a number of clinical studies pertaining to chronic wounds, spine surgery, and targeted muscle reinnervation. Email
Debby Silver, PhD
Professor of Molecular Genetics
The Silver lab investigates embryonic brain development. They are especially interested in understanding how post-transcriptional control influences neural progenitor cell fate and signaling. Their work also aims to understand the basis of neurodevelopment disease and brain evolution. Silver Lab Website
Purushothama Rao Tata, PhD
Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Dr. Tata’s research interests focuses on i) identifying and understanding the role of regions specific stem/progenitors and their role in tissue regeneration following injury; ii) defining cellular heterogeneity and the lineage hierarchies in tissues; iii) mapping inter-cellular communication in tissues at homeostasis and tissue regeneration; iv) developing human disease relevant models to study and find cures for diseases. Tata Lab Website
