• Principal Investigator, Lab Head, and Supervisor of a research group of 8-10 graduate students, post-docs, and research associates. • Won grants from the federal government and private organizations. Over a 6 year period, raised >$16million (2 NIH RO1 grants on which am sole PI; a NIH P50, 14-investigator grant to start the Stanford Center for Systems Biology; a NIH S10 High-end Instrumentation Grant)• The overarching goal of my research is to understand the dynamic control principles underlying cell differentiation, a process of fundamental importance for creating, maintaining, and repairing tissues and organs in all multicellular organisms. My laboratory merges mathematics and engineering with experimental validation of theories using in vitro and in vivo cell differentiation models. We use adipogenesis (fat cell differentiation) as an experimentally accessible in vitro model system that is also of great medical relevance since defects in adipogenesis and adipocyte function underlie the current worldwide epidemics in obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. We have developed endogenously-tagged cell lines, multi-day live-cell tracking methods, microfluidics, targeted mass spectrometry, and computational modeling methods to make this system uniquely useful to study cell differentiation. We are uncovering general principles of how cell-to-cell variability and feedback control cell differentiation processes and are particularly interested in how oscillating hormonal stimuli, which cells experience physiologically, control differentiation rates. Finally, we validate our in vitro results in mouse models in order to facilitate translating our basic science findings into potential therapies to treat human patients for diseases arising from defects in cell differentiation and to optimize tissue regeneration. Teaching• Taught classes in biotechnology, cell and systems biology, bioengineering, cell signaling, and advanced microscopy.

Developed mammalian cell biology and biochemical assays using high-throughput proteomics and genomic strategies including quantitative mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, RNAi and DNA construct libraries, single-cell fluorescence microscopy in 96-well and 384-well format, and quantitative image analysis. Used these approaches to identify the molecular players and mechanisms controlling adipocyte (fat) cell function.

Developed selective-reaction monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry techniques for monitoring networks of low-abundant signaling proteins involved in calcium and insulin/PIP3 signaling in mammalian cells.

Developed the first low resolution total-internal reflection microscopy imaging system (ESCAT) where plasma-membrane translocation can be measured simultaneously in thousands of individual cells. Used this system to carry out single-cell kinetic studies of Ca2+ and lipid second messenger signaling in mammalian cells.

Designed, built and implemented microporation device, dual-color confocal microscope, video-rate image capturing system, and other biomedical instrumentation. Carried out first published CFP/YFP FRET confocal imaging study. Responsible for design and initial setup of two-photon microscopy facility for 5-laboratory group.