Devynn Hummel, Ph.D Email & Phone Number

As a molecular biologist with a passion for development and disease, my lifelong curiosity lies in unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms essential for life. I am equally interested in how such mechanisms can become perturbed and therefore pathogenic with the end goal of developing safe and effective treatments/therapies. In my current position, I lead pre-clinical research on behalf of the Wolfram team (Urano Lab) at Washington University in St. Louis where we develop and test therapies for the treatment of Wolfram syndrome, a catastrophic disease characterized by juvenile diabetes, blindness, deafness, brainstem atrophy and ultimately shortened life span. In the future, we hope to find a cure for this terrible disease. #CureForWolfram Through my experience with the Wolfram team combined with my PhD training, I have extensive expertise implementing several model systems including mice, rats, zebrafish, and humans (iPSCs). I am particularly well-versed in various tissue dissections, cell isolations, and primary cell culture techniques. Tissues and cell types previously isolated include pancreatic islets, retinas, optic nerves, embryonic hindbrains, and embryonic fibroblasts. I’ve also held lead roles maintaining/genotyping mouse and zebrafish colonies. I am proficient in various in vitro and in vivo methods including qRT-PCR, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, in vitro transcription, microinjections, iPSC differentiation, and cell death/viability assays. I am trained in various forms of microscopy including confocal, 2-photon, and lightsheet microscopy. I also have experience using several gene editing strategies including CRISPR, PrimeEditing, and the Tol2 system for transgenics. In addition to my technical expertise, I bring over 8 years of teaching/mentorship experience and take great pleasure in sharing my knowledge and skills with those eager to learn, as I too am eager to learn and expand my skill set wherever possible!