Linda Barlow

Linda Barlow, Ph.D. is a Professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, affiliated with the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and the Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center. Her work bridges developmental biology and sensory neuroscience.

• Graduate program affiliations: Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)

Dr. Barlow investigates three core questions: How taste buds form during embryogenesis, how their cells renew lifelong, and why cancer therapies disrupt taste function. Her lab employs drug-inducible mouse models, confocal microscopy, and RNAseq on FACS-purified cells.

Key research themes include:

• Taste Bud Development: Role of Wnt/β-catenin and FGF signaling
• Regeneration Dynamics: SHH pathways and injury models for cancer therapy effects
• Translational Impact: Bridging mouse genetics to human taste dysfunction

Her recent publications focus on ectodermal-endodermal taste bud interactions, Sox2+ progenitor identification, and COVID-19 implications for chemical senses. Work is supported by NIH grants.