Chad Pearson

Chad Pearson is a Professor in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. His research focuses on centriole and basal body biogenesis, stabilization, and functional roles in cilia and centrosomes, with significant implications for Down syndrome pathology and cancer biology.

• Education: Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (2004)

Research Highlights: Using Tetrahymena thermophila as a model, his lab investigates:

• Asymmetric microtubule post-translational modifications reinforcing basal bodies
• Protein linkages maintaining triplet microtubule integrity
• CEP135 isoforms regulating centriole homeostasis
• Pericentrin overexpression effects in trisomy 21 cells
• Cortical cytoskeleton dynamics in basal body positioning
• RNA processing mechanisms in organelle biogenesis

Methodologies: Combines quantitative live cell imaging, electron tomography, computational modeling, and genetic analysis of ciliated protists to study mechanical force resistance and signaling pathways.