Courses Taught by Dana

Coming Fall 2026!!

BIOS 30415-01

Fundamental Neuroimmunology: Development, Communication, Breakdown

Together, we will dive into the nervous system to discover the hidden dialogue between the nervous and immune systems. This course moves beyond basic immunology to explore the complex and unique signaling of leukocytes, glia, and neurons – interactions found uniquely within the nervous system. In this evolving field, you won’t be just a passive observer; you will become an active investigator. In this course we will:

Deconstruct the players – Study the development and diverse functions of the nervous system’s specialized immune cells.

Decode the conversation – Explore how molecular signaling maintain health, or go awry during disease or injury.

Analyze the breakdown – Investigate the barriers that protect the central nervous system, why they fail, and cutting-edge therapies to target these systems during pathology.

Are you ready to explore the frontiers of neural immunity and help define the next generation of therapies?

BIOS 60570 – Topics in Cell Biology: Frontiers in Regeneration

Wednesday, 9:00 AM – 10:40 AM

This course explores how organisms repair and rebuild themselves through the lens of classical and contemporary primary literature. Students will read and discuss seminal papers that shaped our understanding of regeneration before progressing to modern investigations that dissect the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tissue repair.

Week	Class Date	Topic	General Theme
1	14-Jan	Course Intro and Spemann Organizer	Tissue Organizing Centers I
2	21-Jan	Hydra Regeneration	Tissue Organizing Centers II
3	28-Jan	Planaria Regeneration	Stem Cells
4	4-Feb	Liver Regeneration in Rodents	Cell Proliferation and Cancer
5	11-Feb	Mouse Digit Tip Regeneration	Formation of a Blastema
6	18-Feb	Zebrafish Fin Regeneration	Lineage Restriction
7	25-Feb	Retinal Regeneration	Dedifferentiation and Trans-differentiation
8	4-Mar	Salamander Regeneration	Positional Identity
9	18-Mar	Heart Regeneration Across Species and Ages	Extrinsic Environment – Fibrosis I
10	25-Mar	Acomys Regeneration	Extrinsic Environment – Fibrosis II
11	1-Apr	CNS vs. PNS Regeneration	Cell Extrinsic and Intrinsic Mechanisms
12	8-Apr	Killifish Regeneration	Cellular Aging and Extrinsic Environment
13	15-Apr	Age-Dependent Spinal Cord Regeneration	Cellular Aging and Extrinsic Environment
14	22-Apr	Deer Antler Regeneration	Integrating Concepts
15	29-Apr	Shark Tooth Regeneration	Integrating Concepts