معرفی
Dr. Alissa Richmond Armstrong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina's McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. She leads the Armstrong Laboratory which investigates how inter-organ communication coordinates stem cell responses to nutritional status using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system.
Her research focuses on stem cell and developmental biology, particularly examining how adipocyte-derived signals regulate ovarian stem cells in response to dietary changes. This work has implications for understanding obesity-related diseases including diabetes and cancer. Key research areas include:
- Nutrient sensing pathways in adipocytes
- Inter-organ communication networks
- Conserved signaling mechanisms (insulin/TOR pathways)
- Stem cell lineage responses to physiological state
Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on nutrient-stem cell interactions, with recent work (2020-2024) emphasizing Ras/MAPK signaling mechanisms, methodological developments for stem cell analysis, and broader perspectives on nutritional drivers of development. Earlier foundational work established adipocyte amino acid sensing pathways controlling germline stem cells.
She maintains an active research program through the Armstrong Lab which utilizes genetic, molecular, and cell biological approaches to investigate remote nutrient sensing in adult stem cell regulation.
