Michael Parsons

Michael Parsons is a Professor at the University of California, Irvine, leading the Parsons Lab. His research focuses on pancreas development and regeneration, particularly the mechanisms governing insulin-producing β-cell neogenesis and pancreatic cancer progression. Utilizing zebrafish as a primary model system, his work explores genetic tractability, transgenic tools, and high-throughput chemical screening for therapeutic applications.

Research Interests

The lab investigates:

• β-cell regeneration in diabetes and pancreatic damage
• Molecular pathways (e.g., EGFR-ERK-SOX9, retinoic acid signaling)
• Role of centroacinar cells as progenitors
• Transcription factors like SOX9 in pancreatic development
• Cancer biology and KRAS mutation dynamics
• High-throughput drug screening for regenerative therapies

Labs & Teams

The Parsons Lab collaborates on educational initiatives like SoCal BioEYES, engaging UCI students in middle school outreach to promote scientific literacy. This reflects his commitment to bridging research and education.