James Bear

James Bear, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the UNC School of Medicine, with affiliations at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Pharmacology. His research focuses on actin cytoskeletal dynamics, cell motility, and tumor invasion/metastasis. He employs techniques such as live-cell microscopy and microfabrication to study protein localization, migration mechanisms, and their roles in cancer progression.

• Education:
  • B.S., Davidson College
  • Ph.D., Emory University
  • Postdoc, MIT

Research interests include understanding how tumor cells misregulate motility during metastasis, leveraging microfluidic approaches to study migration responses to gradients of growth factors, ECM proteins, and mechanical stiffness. His work bridges molecular mechanisms with cellular behaviors, emphasizing actin dynamics and invasion pathways.

Awards include the Ruth and Phillip Hettleman Prize (2010), Omicron Delta Kappa Honoris Causa (2015), and multiple fellowships from institutions like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Grants and advising contributions are integral to his role, though specific details are not detailed here. His lab's work on actin-binding proteins and cellular mechanics has advanced understanding of cytoskeletal regulation in health and disease.