Ann Miller

Ann Miller is the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). She leads the Miller Lab, focusing on epithelial cell-cell junction dynamics and cytokinesis regulation. Her research uses Xenopus laevis embryos as a vertebrate model to study Rho GTPase signaling, actomyosin mechanics, and junctional integrity in development and disease.

Education: B.S. in Biochemistry from Gustavus Adolphus College, Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University, and postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work has been funded by NIH, American Cancer Society, and the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation.

Research interests include mechanisms of junctional remodeling under mechanical stress, Rho GTPase spatial-temporal regulation, and roles of proteins like Anillin, Vinculin, and MgcRacGAP in maintaining epithelial barrier function. Techniques include live-cell imaging, molecular genetics, and biophysical assays like ZnUMBA for barrier breach detection.

Notable awards include the Thurnau Professorship (2025), LSA Teaching Excellence (2018), and Exceptional Mentorship (2017). The lab actively investigates how epithelial cells balance adhesion with plasticity during morphogenesis and disease contexts like cancer and IBD.

Lab location: Biological Sciences Building, Ann Arbor. Contact: annlm@umich.edu.