Mark Hens

Dr. Mark Hens is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He earned his Ph.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina and teaches courses including Principles of Biology, Cell Biology, Vertebrate Morphogenesis, and graduate-level topics in cellular biology.

His research program focuses on developmental biology mechanisms, particularly growth factor regulation of adhesive and migratory behaviors during early vertebrate embryogenesis. Using the Xenopus laevis model system, he investigates Rho family GTPase involvement in mesodermal tissue formation and cranial neural crest cell migration through biochemical, molecular, and immunological approaches.

His publications demonstrate expertise in embryonic cell adhesion regulation, developmental gene expression, and metamorphosis signaling pathways across vertebrate and invertebrate models. Technical approaches include molecular cloning, gene expression analysis, and cellular behavior quantification.