معرفی
John Young is an Associate Professor and Elizabeth Backofen Endowed Professor in the Department of Biology at Simmons University, part of the School of Science and Health Professions. His research focuses on developmental biology, particularly neural patterning and limb formation in amphibians using Xenopus laevis as a model system. He teaches courses in development, stem cells, and biological diversity.
Education: PhD from University of California, Berkeley; MS from University of Oregon; BS from Aquinas College.
Research interests include understanding how genetic mechanisms drive neural tube formation and limb development in vertebrates. His lab employs genome-editing techniques and molecular biology to study developmental processes, with a focus on evolutionary contexts such as axial polarity and limb positioning. Recent work explores how heterochrony (timing shifts) influences limb evolution in birds and amphibians.
- 2023: Published on genitalia development and lab plastic reuse methods
- 2021: Explored Hox-Gli3 balance and limb initiation in tetrapods
- 2017: Clarified roles of Noggin in pharyngeal arch development
Professional affiliations include the Society for Developmental Biology. He mentors students via the SURPASs program, emphasizing independent research training. Presentations include invited talks at Cold Spring Harbor and the University of Cambridge on amphibian limb evolution and embryology.
Labs/Teams: Leads the Young Lab, part of the Department of Biology at Simmons. Collaborates internationally on projects like the Marine Biological Laboratory’s Embryology Course.
