James Gagnon

James Gagnon is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences within the College of Science at the University of Utah, where he leads a research program investigating fundamental mechanisms of embryonic development, organ maintenance, and responses to injury, aging, and infection using zebrafish as a model organism.

His research integrates traditional developmental biology with cutting-edge techniques including CRISPR genome editing, single-cell sequencing, advanced microscopy, and mathematical modeling. Key focus areas include cell lineage tracing, heart regeneration, germ cell development, and host-pathogen interactions, with work spanning developmental biology, regenerative medicine, infectious disease, and computational biology.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent emphasis on leveraging zebrafish to develop and apply novel genomic tools like MIC-Drop-seq and orthogonal CRISPR-Cas systems. His work shows strong interdisciplinary trends connecting single-cell profiling with mathematical modeling to decode developmental processes and disease mechanisms, particularly in organ regeneration and environmental adaptation.

Dr. Gagnon maintains a collaborative lab environment where undergraduate researchers are treated as peer scientists. His mentoring approach includes weekly team meetings with a small group (currently one postdoc, one graduate student, and one undergraduate), individual career planning sessions, and opportunities to present at seminars and conferences. Students gain hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication within a supportive intellectual community.