Lisa A Taneyhill

Dr. Lisa A. Taneyhill is a Professor in the Department of Animal & Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying neural crest and placode cell development, particularly their roles in embryonic patterning and congenital disorders. She earned her Ph.D. from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Taneyhill has received numerous awards, including the NIH Pathway to Independence Award and the Elsevier Scholars Foundation Women in Science Award. She has mentored multiple graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates, and is actively involved in scientific societies like the Society for Developmental Biology and the Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology. Her lab uses chick and mouse models to study cell adhesion dynamics, EMT processes, and neural crest-placode interactions during craniofacial development.

Education: Postdoctoral Fellow, Caltech (2000-2007); Ph.D., Princeton University (2000); M.A., Princeton University (1997); B.A., McDaniel College (1995).

Research Interests: Neural crest and placode cell development, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cadherin dynamics, craniofacial malformations, and cancer biology parallels. Her work integrates molecular, cellular, and imaging techniques to unravel how these cells contribute to vertebrate embryogenesis.

Recent Publications Highlight: Investigating cadherin proteolysis, αN-catenin regulation, and connexin 43's role in neural crest migration. Her lab has shown how cadherin-6B proteolysis drives EMT and how cadherin-7 mediates neural crest-placode interactions in cranial ganglia formation.

Awards: Over 20 honors, including the UM AGNR Outstanding Faculty Educator, Society for Craniofacial Genetics leadership roles, and editorial board memberships in journals like Frontiers in Craniofacial Biology.

Grants and Service: NIH review panels, Gordon Conference leadership, and contributions to gene drive ethics committees. She teaches courses in animal biotechnology and developmental biology.