Rob Harris

Rob Harris is an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU). He holds a PhD from the University of Manchester (UK), funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Life Sciences Research Foundation. His lab focuses on understanding the genetic mechanisms of tissue regeneration using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Key research areas include identifying genomic programs activated during tissue injury and exploring why regenerative capacity declines with maturity.

Education:

• PhD in Genetics/Developmental Biology, University of Manchester (UK)
• Postdoctoral Training, University of California, Berkeley

Research Interests:

• Tissue regeneration and epigenetic regulation
• Role of WNT and BMP signaling pathways
• Genetic tools for studying regeneration
• Comparative analysis of regeneration across developmental stages

Lab Activities:

• Principal Investigator of the Harris Lab
• Supervises graduate students (e.g., Weston Quinn, Si Cave) and undergraduate researchers
• Runs projects on DRMS enhancer regulation, necrosis-induced regeneration, and regeneration factor identification

Teaching:

• Tissue Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology (BIO 494/598)
• General Genetics (BIO 340)
• MCB Graduate Program Seminars (MCB 501/701)