Bridget Jacques-Fricke

Bridget Jacques-Fricke serves as Associate Professor of Biology and Program Director of the Neuroscience program at Hamline University, based in the Robbins Science Center on the St. Paul Main Campus. Her academic journey began with a double major in Biology and Psychology at the University of Minnesota-Morris, followed by a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining Hamline, she held a Visiting Assistant Professor position at Carleton College.

Her educational background includes:

• Undergraduate: Double major in Biology and Psychology, University of Minnesota-Morris
• PhD in Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Postdoctoral training, University of Minnesota

As a developmental neuroscientist, Dr. Jacques-Fricke investigates molecular mechanisms of cell motility during nervous system development, specializing in neural crest cells—stem cell-like populations in vertebrate embryos that form the peripheral nervous system. Her research employs chick embryo models to study gene expression, epigenetic regulation (particularly NSD3-related pathways), and cellular migration mechanisms. She integrates these research themes into teaching through original student-led experiments on neural crest biology.

Her publication record spans developmental biology, neuroscience, and science education. Recent work emphasizes neural crest gene expression profiling and epigenetic regulation, while earlier studies explored calcium signaling in axon development. She also pioneers pedagogical research in scientific literacy, designing active learning modules that teach evidence evaluation within contexts like autism spectrum disorder and neurodiversity.

Scientific Awards: No awards were documented in the provided text.

Dr. Jacques-Fricke actively mentors undergraduate researchers, with multiple publications co-authored by Hamline students marked as undergraduate authors. Her teaching philosophy centers on student-driven hypothesis testing and data interpretation, particularly in physiology and developmental biology laboratories. While no specific grants are mentioned, her research collaborations with Dr. Gammill and others demonstrate sustained funding for neural crest studies.

Her laboratory operates within Hamline's Robbins Science Center, utilizing chick embryo models to investigate neural crest specification and migration. The lab emphasizes original student research, with ongoing projects examining NSD3-dependent gene regulation and cellular motility mechanisms during vertebrate development.