Jeffrey J Essner

Jeffrey J Essner is a Professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology at Iowa State University. His research focuses on using zebrafish models to study tumor angiogenesis and cancer progression. Dr. Essner holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Iowa (1987) and a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota (1996). Before joining Iowa State in 2005, he conducted postdoctoral work at the Scripps Research Institute and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. His work integrates genetic engineering techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs to study vascular development and tumor biology.

Research interests include understanding genes regulating endothelial cell behavior during angiogenesis, particularly how new blood vessels form to support tumors. His lab develops transgenic zebrafish models to investigate molecular mechanisms of cancer, including studies on retinoblastoma and neural progenitor tumors. Notable contributions include pioneering methods for efficient genome editing using short homology arms and developing fluorescent transgenic fish lines for research and commercial applications.

Recent publications highlight advancements in CRISPR-based tools for targeted gene integration, conditional gene inactivation systems, and molecular characterization of vascular development. His work bridges fundamental biology with translational applications in biotechnology and medical research.