UWMUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison · Biology
Hardin Lab
Jeffrey D Hardin · Madison, Wisconsin
Research Focus
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hardin's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focuses on understanding how cells shape and move during the early stages of embryonic development, particularly in the model organism, C. elegans. The lab investigates the interaction of various proteins that support cell adhesion and movement, which can shed light on issues like birth defects and cancer mechanistically. By studying how cells rearrange themselves and maintain their structural integrity, this research aims to uncover important biological processes relevant to human health.
embryonic developmentcytoskeletal regulationcell movementC. elegansmechanotransductioncell adhesivenessepithelial morphogenesisactin dynamicsdevelopmental biology
Research Aims
4AIM 01Define mechanisms of beta-catenin mechanotransduction during morphogenesis.
AIM 02Investigate how junctional actin networks self-heal under tension.
AIM 03Characterize local actin polymerization mechanisms during epithelial cell rearrangement.
AIM 04Identify signaling pathways that promote polarized motility in cell rearrangement.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturelive-cell imagingCRISPRbiophysical assaysgenetic manipulationmicroscopy techniquesmolecular cloningprotein-protein interaction assaysdata analysis using Python
Output against the department
Publications11bottom 2% of dept.1,017th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.1kbottom 6% of dept.973rd 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.